Ranking all 25 Duke basketball players in the NBA this season
By Matt Giles
147. Pick Analysis. Guard. 2. Scouting Report. 9th NBA season. Kyrie Irving. player
- Games played this season: 20
- Games started this season: 20
- Minutes per game: 32.9
- Points per game: 27.4
- Rebounds per game: 5.2
- Assists per game: 6.4
- Blocks per game: 0.5
- Steals per game: 1.4
- FG percentage: 47.8
- 3-point percentage: 39.4
- FT percentage: 92.2
Kyrie Irving is a six-time All-Star, the only active Duke basketball alum who had been one prior to this year. There’s no doubt there are more in his future. And there’s no doubt the only reason he didn’t end up in the game on Sunday was the fact he has played in only 20 games this season.
A right knee sprain was his latest mishap, which occurred on Feb. 1, a day after he scored a season-high 54 points, and has kept him off the floor ever since. Based on the expected timeline for a return, he is likely to soon be back at it, but no one from the Brooklyn Nets has given a definite timeline (considering the team sits No. 7 in the Eastern Conference with a 25-28 record, it probably needs for Irving to stay healthy down the stretch to secure a playoff spot).
But despite the limited outings to date, the 6-foot-2, 195-pound 27-year-old has scored 50 or more points in a game twice this season, 40 or more three times, and 30 or more seven times. His current scoring and rebounding averages above would both be career-highs.
All that said, Irving is not No. 1 here. No, that honor has to go to the guy who wears No. 1 and plays like he has sights on becoming No. 1 in the NBA in pretty much every regard…