From No. 25 to No. 1, stacking up the former Duke basketball talents who have played in the NBA this season is one tall order.
These one-and-done Duke basketball times we live in do come with drawbacks. Young Blue Devils bolt before tapping into their full potential. Older fans grumble about no longer being able to fully get to know the best players. Rebuilt squads take time to build chemistry. And occasional bad apples focus more on future dollar signs than new banners for Cameron Indoor Stadium’s rafters.
That said, those sipping the half-full glass would point out how the program’s unquenchable thirst for five-stars over the past decade has resulted in one national title. They’d also remind the complainers that the model is continuing to yield a growing population of Blue Devils in the NBA for Duke basketball junkies to follow with pride.
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That leads us to this list. This season, without including former outbound transfer Semi Ojeleye, a record 25 former Blue Devils have seen action in at least one NBA game. With two having just represented #TheBrotherhood in Sunday’s NBA All-Star Game, there’s no better day to rank and celebrate all those who passed through Durham and now either have been or are on a 2019-20 roster.
Granted, some have been oft-injured; some have spent part of the season in the G League. Regardless, each Duke basketball product’s spot here depends solely on his proven capacity to produce in the NBA either right now or when last healthy; in other words, any setbacks this season from strains, breaks, and various boo-boos don’t count against anyone here.
So without further ado, from No. 25 to No. 1, let’s take a look…
- Games played this season: 1
- Games started this season: 0
- Minutes per game: 3.0
- Points per game: 0.0
- Rebounds per game: 2.0
- Assists per game: 0.0
- Blocks per game: 0.0
- Steals per game: 1.0
- FG percentage: N/A
- 3-point percentage: N/A
- FT percentage: N/A
A couple of weeks ago, after averaging 8.8 points and 6.2 boards across 29 games for the G League’s Canton Charge, Duke basketball alum Marques Bolden received a 10-day contract from the Cleveland Cavaliers.
On Feb. 1, the former five-star recruit made his NBA debut. But he played only three minutes, didn’t attempt a shot, and hasn’t seen the court since. The native of Desoto, Texas, who played three injury-riddled seasons in Durham before turning pro last spring, will probably see other chances for the Cavaliers down the road. However, the chance the 6-foot-11, 245-pound 21-year-old ever stars or even starts in the league seems slim to none.
- Games played this season: 18
- Games started this season: 0
- Minutes per game: 4.1
- Points per game: 0.8
- Rebounds per game: 1.3
- Assists per game: 0.2
- Blocks per game: 0.2
- Steals per game: 0.1
- FG percentage: 35.7
- 3-point percentage: N/A
- FT percentage: 35.7
After being on a two-way contract his first two years out of college and spending most of his time in the G League, 2015 Duke basketball national champ Amile Jefferson earned a two-year deal from the Orlando Magic this season but primarily hung out on the bench.
Last week, the Magic waived the 6-foot-9, 225-pound former four-star recruit out of Philadelphia. At this point, Jefferson’s future in the league remains uncertain. The player who consistently improved from one season to the next in Durham doesn’t quite have the bulk to bang inside. Yet he lacks the perimeter game to play at the three-spot. Nevertheless, considering his positive persona and work ethic, the 26-year-old could land with another franchise.
- Games played this season: 34
- Games started this season: 0
- Minutes per game: 11.4
- Points per game: 5.0
- Rebounds per game: 1.1
- Assists per game: 1.1
- Blocks per game: 0.0
- Steals per game: 0.3
- FG percentage: 44.4
- 3-point percentage: 38.3
- FT percentage: 66.7
A reliable ballhandler. A quality spot-up shooter. A revered teammate. Yes, to the shock of seemingly all fans other than those of the Duke basketball variety, Quinn Cook has carved out a career in the NBA and has picked up a championship ring along the way.
However, as was the case during his two seasons with the Golden State Warriors, the Los Angeles Lakers point guard is just a backup option and doesn’t always play when his new juggernaut team is at full strength. All in all, though, the 6-foot-1, 180-pound Washington, D.C., native is a 26-year-old character guy who, despite going undrafted out of Duke, looks to remain in the NBA at least another couple of years.
- Games played this season: 44
- Games started this season: 1
- Minutes per game: 13.2
- Points per game: 5.9
- Rebounds per game: 1.3
- Assists per game: 0.8
- Blocks per game: 0.1
- Steals per game: 0.3
- FG percentage: 40.6
- 3-point percentage: 31.7
- FT percentage: 77.2
Technically, his numbers last season were better (after entering the league in 2017 as a second-rounder and then sitting out his entire first year with a foot injury). But with both Jrue Holiday and Lonzo Ball on the roster this season, the playing time for point guard Frank Jackson fluctuates.
Despite the heavy competition for minutes, the 6-foot-3, 205-pound former five-star recruit out of Utah does consistently produce when he hears his number, with his elite speed and trusted handles as his primary offerings. And seeing that Jackson is one of five Bayou Blue Devils — plus, Duke basketball sharpshooter legend Trajan Langdon is the general manager — it seems the Pelicans like having the 21-year-old around.
- Games played this season: 28
- Games started this season: 7
- Minutes per game: 12.5
- Points per game: 5.6
- Rebounds per game: 3.5
- Assists per game: 1.2
- Blocks per game: 0.3
- Steals per game: 0.5
- FG percentage: 54.7
- 3-point percentage: N/A
- FT percentage: 81.0
Former Duke basketball one-and-done Harry Giles has shown some potential both last season and this season with the Sacramento Kings (he did not see the court his first year out of Duke). He’s always been a fan-favorite. And his boxscores have seen a boost in the past few weeks. On the other hand, in terms of averages, most all of his stats have decreased a bit from last season.
Along with fellow Duke product Marvin Bagley III, the 6-foot-11, 240-pound former five-star recruit from Winston Salem, N.C., is part of a youth movement in Sacramento. But just as was the case during his brief stint as a Blue Devil — Giles arrived in Durham with knee issues stemming from multiple injuries in high school — consistency and durability remain question marks for the 21-year-old.
- Games played this season: 27
- Games started this season: 9
- Minutes per game: 15.6
- Points per game: 7.9
- Rebounds per game: 4.3
- Assists per game: 1.3
- Blocks per game: 0.7
- Steals per game: 0.3
- FG percentage: 61.1
- 3-point percentage: 50.0
- FT percentage: 63.8
Former Duke basketball national champ Jahlil Okafor is a tough one to figure out. As the third overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, his first season in the league looked like a continuation of his stellar one season in Durham. But injuries, off-court issues, and various problems with the Philadelphia 76ers contributed to his decline in subsequent seasons.
This season, though, Okafor’s second in New Orleans, when the 24-year-old is on the court, his soft touch and fancy footwork suggest that a return to his rookie and Dukie ways could be on the horizon. On the other hand, until the 6-foot-10, 275-pound Chicago native puts in the work to shore up some defensive deficiencies, his lack of playing time may remain an obstacle to his growth.
- Games played this season: 43
- Games started this season: 2
- Minutes per game: 17.8
- Points per game: 6.8
- Rebounds per game: 1.5
- Assists per game: 0.9
- Blocks per game: 0.2
- Steals per game: 0.7
- FG percentage: 42.9
- 3-point percentage: 40.4
- FT percentage: 90.5
Across a recent 11-game stretch, starting with a career-high 30-point outing on Jan. 18, Gary Trent Jr. scorched nets to the tune of 14.6 points per game and a 34-for-71 (47.8 percent) 3-point clip. As was often the case during his one-season stay in Durham, the 6-foot-5, 210-pound former five-star Minnesotan isn’t shy about putting on shooting clinics.
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Had the namesake of a former nine-year NBA veteran not entered the All-Star break with back-to-back ho-hum boxscores, he likely would have landed a notch or two higher on this list. After all, shooting numbers like those above are hard to ignore from a mere 21-year-old.
- Games played this season: 30
- Games started this season: 0
- Minutes per game: 16.6
- Points per game: 7.4
- Rebounds per game: 2.2
- Assists per game: 1.4
- Blocks per game: 0.0
- Steals per game: 0.2
- FG percentage: 44.9
- 3-point percentage: 36.3
- FT percentage: 85.7
Duke basketball legend Grayson Allen has been planted on the Memphis Grizzlies bench the past few weeks recovering from a hip injury that could keep him out of action for the remainder of the season. Before the setback, though, the 24-year-old from Jacksonville, Fla., was coming into his own in the league, channeling his athleticism, shooting, and competitiveness into handfuls of promising plays.
The 6-foot-4, 200-pound shooting guard, a savior for the Blue Devils in the 2015 National Championship Game, scored in double figures in a third of the games he played in before his injury. Like him or not, Allen is a weapon on the wing with a legit shot at putting together a long NBA career.
- Games played this season: 43
- Games started this season: 1
- Minutes per game: 17.4
- Points per game: 7.4
- Rebounds per game: 5.6
- Assists per game: 2.4
- Blocks per game: 0.6
- Steals per game: 0.5
- FG percentage: 60.5
- 3-point percentage: 0.0
- FT percentage: 55.3
Duke basketball 2010 national champ and former four-year college player Mason Plumlee has been out with a foot injury since the third week of January but is likely to soon return to the lineup. Before the hiccup, the 6-foot-11, 240-pound 29-year-old former five-star recruit from Indiana was giving the Denver Nuggets what he’s always provided: athleticism, know-how, and instincts down low.
However, his average playing time this season is at a career-low, suggesting his most productive days are, sad to say, probably behind him. Yet at this point, regardless of how much gas remains in Plumlee’s tank, Duke basketball fans can be proud of what the former 22nd overall draft pick turned himself into at the game’s highest level.
- Games played this season: 48
- Games started this season: 31
- Minutes per game: 26.0
- Points per game: 9.3
- Rebounds per game: 3.7
- Assists per game: 1.5
- Blocks per game: 0.5
- Steals per game: 1.0
- FG percentage: 35.3
- 3-point percentage: 31.6
- FT percentage: 78.8
One look at his shooting percentages is enough to know Cam Reddish is anything but efficient. That said, scoring isn’t his only contribution. His playing time — largely a result of his rare length and impressive instincts on defense — indicate the 6-foot-8, 210-pound 20-year-old is one of the core building blocks for the Hawks, who sit at No. 14 in the Eastern Conference with a 15-41 record.
The Pennsylvania native, who was the 10th overall pick last year, has every opportunity and plenty of time to develop. And though Reddish hit a memorable game-winner at Florida State to go along with some other nice moments as a Blue Devil, if he does indeed reach star status in the NBA, then the sight might be a bit bittersweet for some Duke basketball fans.
- Games played this season: 54
- Games started this season: 6
- Minutes per game: 18.9
- Points per game: 6.9
- Rebounds per game: 1.6
- Assists per game: 4.5
- Blocks per game: 0.1
- Steals per game: 0.9
- FG percentage: 46.8
- 3-point percentage: 38.6
- FT percentage: 77.8
Though Tyus Jones is not likely to match his NBA-record 6.96 assist-to-turnover ratio from last season, the 6-foot, 195-pound Minnesotan is on track to turn in another quality campaign in the end. Just check out one of his most recent performances:
As the backup point guard in his first season with the Memphis Grizzlies, Jones is averaging less than one turnover per game and has played in all 54 games (two seasons ago, he played in all 82 games of the regular season for the Minnesota Timberwolves). Based on his track record thus far, one can expect the 23-year-old will be a reliable, durable player in the league for years to come.
- Games played this season: 50
- Games started this season: 4
- Minutes per game: 23.6
- Points per game: 8.5
- Rebounds per game: 2.4
- Assists per game: 1.5
- Blocks per game: 0.2
- Steals per game: 0.7
- FG percentage: 41.2
- 3-point percentage: 33.7
- FT percentage: 68.8
On a Houston Rockets team featuring prolific scorers James Harden and Russell Westbrook in the backcourt, former Duke basketball one-and-done Austin Rivers has still found a way to chip in buckets with regularity. Sure, he’s not the most consistent shooter, but his strong drives, finishes, and dishes make him an important option for the 34-20 Rockets, nonetheless.
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The 6-foot-3, 200-pound 27-year-old typically comes off the bench as the backup point guard. And though his offense has always been a notch above his defense, what seems to have kept him in the league and on quality teams is his competitive — borderline cocky — demeanor.
- Games played this season: 21
- Games started this season: 21
- Minutes per game: 29.5
- Points per game: 11.0
- Rebounds per game: 3.4
- Assists per game: 1.5
- Blocks per game: 0.2
- Steals per game: 0.8
- FG percentage: 50.6
- 3-point percentage: 49.3
- FT percentage: 77.8
Unfortunately, after several clutch performances in the playoffs last season, a ruptured left Achilles tendon on Dec. 6 cut short the 2019-20 campaign of former Duke basketball sharpshooter Rodney Hood. But as mentioned at the beginning of this article, injuries do not affect rankings here. So let’s instead judge the 6-foot-8, 210-pound Mississippi native for what he was before the injury and by his positive outlook despite the injury.
“Obviously, I wish I was out there playing,” Hood recently told Trailblazers.com writer Casey Holdahl in anticipation of returning next season, “but I think I’ll be a better player once I go back because the game is slowing down for me. I’m able to watch a little bit more and take things from it. I’m looking forward to it. I’m trying my best to be patient, but it’s been good.”
- Games played this season: 37
- Games started this season: 37
- Minutes per game: 30.0
- Points per game: 11.7
- Rebounds per game: 9.9
- Assists per game: 1.2
- Blocks per game: 0.9
- Steals per game: 0.8
- FG percentage: 53.7
- 3-point percentage: 21.4
- FT percentage: 73.6
Sticking with the injury theme, former Duke basketball one-and-done Wendell Carter Jr., a 20-year-old who has been a starter in every NBA game he’s ever played in, has been out of commission for the Chicago Bulls since early January while nursing a high ankle sprain.
However, the 6-foot-9, 260-pound beast on the boards and leader in the paint on defense told NBCSports.com writer Rob Schaefer that he hopes to be back in action for the next game (Thursday at home against the Charlotte Hornets). According to Schaefer, “Since Carter’s absence began, the Bulls own the 19th-rated defense in the NBA (113.1), resulting in a drop from No. 6 in the league on Jan. 7 (105.6) to No. 13 (108.2) just a month later.”
- Games played this season: 11
- Games started this season: 5
- Minutes per game: 32.0
- Points per game: 11.3
- Rebounds per game: 6.6
- Assists per game: 4.0
- Blocks per game: 0.5
- Steals per game: 0.6
- FG percentage: 38.8
- 3-point percentage: 22.2
- FT percentage: 66.7
Former Duke basketball one-and-done Justise Winslow primarily needs to continue working on his outside stroke in order to move from the “advanced” to “elite” echelon. Right now, though, the main concern of the 6-foot-6, 225-pound 23-year-old, who landed with the Memphis Grizzlies last week as part of a trade from the Miami Heat, must be to solve the back issue that has limited him to only 11 games this season.
“It’s been a long time,” Winslow said following the trade, per Sun-Sentinel reporter Ira Winderman, in reference to his last game action (one appearance on Jan. 8 is his only time on the court since Dec. 4). “I’m not going to give any dates, I’m sorry. But it’s been an ongoing thing this season. That’s the bottom line…I wish I could tell you a date that I’m expected to be back, but there isn’t one. You’ll see me at some point this year.”
- Games played this season: 45
- Games started this season: 44
- Minutes per game: 30.5
- Points per game: 13.6
- Rebounds per game: 5.1
- Assists per game: 2.4
- Blocks per game: 0.4
- Steals per game: 1.0
- FG percentage: 38.8
- 3-point percentage: 31.8
- FT percentage: 61.1
There is no doubt that former Duke basketball one-and-done R.J. Barrett should be higher on a list such as this next season and beyond. At the moment, though, the 19-year-old Canadian, who went No. 3 overall at last year’s draft, still has plenty of room to grow in terms of shooting.
From his costly missed free throws — apologies for the reminder of how Duke’s 2018-19 season ended — to his putrid percentages from both inside and outside the arc, Barrett is often a brick waiting to happen. His past four outings since returning from a sprained right ankle have included one 5-for-16 bricklaying and a combined 1-for-8 clip from downtown. On the other hand, he’s a versatile playmaker, a tremendous athlete, and certainly the primary supplier of hope for fans of the 17-38 New York Knicks.
- Games played this season: 13
- Games started this season: 6
- Minutes per game: 25.7
- Points per game: 14.2
- Rebounds per game: 7.5
- Assists per game: 0.8
- Blocks per game: 0.9
- Steals per game: 0.5
- FG percentage: 46.7
- 3-point percentage: 18.2
- FT percentage: 80.6
A broken thumb one game into his sophomore NBA campaign. A midfoot sprain in December. A reaggravation of the sprain four games into his return from that. All the setbacks have cost former Duke basketball one-and-done sensation Marvin Bagley III roughly 75 percent of the season thus far.
And with the Sacramento Kings playing it safe when it comes to the 20-year-old former No. 2 overall pick and future of the franchise, the word as of late is that he may miss the remainder of the season as a precaution. When healthy, though, the 6-foot-11, 240-pound power forward has shown flashes of a future All-Star; after all, not many can match his lightning reaction time on putbacks, light feet, and soft touch.
Now, he has this next former Blue Devil as a new teammate…
- Games played this season: 32
- Games started this season: 23
- Minutes per game: 26.2
- Points per game: 15.0
- Rebounds per game: 6.0
- Assists per game: 1.8
- Blocks per game: 0.5
- Steals per game: 1.3
- FG percentage: 50.4
- 3-point percentage: 27.0
- FT percentage: 73.6
Jabari Parker, who was part of a recent trade that sent him from Atlanta to Sacramento, hasn’t reached the expectations that came with landing on the cover of Sports Illustrated as a prep. But the 24-year-old Chicago native also hasn’t been a bust. Something in between. A 6-foot-8, 245-pound regular contributor with a nice mix of abilities in the paint and on the perimeter.
Frequent injuries haven’t helped the former Duke basketball one-and-done. And a shoulder impingement has sidelined Parker since early January. After he returns — which appears to be soon, but there is no announced date — he’ll likely eventually compete for minutes with two other members of #TheBrotherhood in Harry Giles and Marvin Bagley III (when they too are healthy, of course).
- Games played this season: 51
- Games started this season: 13
- Minutes per game: 23.6
- Points per game: 11.5
- Rebounds per game: 2.3
- Assists per game: 1.9
- Blocks per game: 0.2
- Steals per game: 0.6
- FG percentage: 47.9
- 3-point percentage: 43.5
- FT percentage: 89.0
Among all active NBA players, none have a higher career 3-point percentage than former Duke basketball sharpshooter Seth Curry. Not even his brother. Granted, Steph Curry trails his younger sibling by less than three-thousandths of a percent. Nevertheless, at No. 3 on the list of all-time career 3-point percentages, the 29-year-old’s feat-in-progress is certainly remarkable.
And the sizzling hand of Curry, who played three seasons as a Blue Devil from 2010-13 after transferring from Liberty, is a key piece for an ultra-talented 33-22 Dallas Mavericks squad. Furthermore, pointing to the durability of the 6-foot-2, 185-pound Charlotte native is the fact he played at least 70 games in each of the past two seasons and has missed only four games this season.
Curry must have many NBA franchises regretting the fact they let him go undrafted in 2013.
- Games played this season: 28
- Games started this season: 25
- Minutes per game: 32.9
- Points per game: 15.8
- Rebounds per game: 3.5
- Assists per game: 4.1
- Blocks per game: 0.2
- Steals per game: 0.4
- FG percentage: 44.2
- 3-point percentage: 39.9
- FT percentage: 89.3
Sticking with the sniper theme, Luke Kennard is exactly that. The 6-foot-5, 205-pound former five-star scoring machine out of Ohio has either matched or slightly exceeded expectations less than three years after becoming the 12th overall pick at the 2017 NBA Draft.
This season, before bilateral knee soreness forced him out of action just before Christmas — he hasn’t played since but is likely to soon return — Kennard was firing on all cylinders for the Detroit Pistons, who recently nixed a rumored trade that would have sent the 23-year-old to the Phoenix Suns.
The former two-year Duke basketball player (2015-17) hit three or more 3-pointers in exactly half of his 28 outings this season. And based on his progressions from one season to the next in Durham and now Detroit, the silky lefty may just be heating up his career.
- Games played this season: 50
- Games started this season: 35
- Minutes per game: 27.2
- Points per game: 15.7
- Rebounds per game: 2.6
- Assists per game: 2.0
- Blocks per game: 0.2
- Steals per game: 0.4
- FG percentage: 45.4
- 3-point percentage: 45.8
- FT percentage: 90.0
Speaking of sharpshooters who improved over time, there’s no better example than J.J. Redick, Duke’s all-time scoring leader (2,769 points), who last season became the oldest NBA player in history to set a new season-high scoring average (18.1). This season, at age 35, though that stat has dropped a touch, Redick is both a veteran leader and clutch scorer in his first year with the New Orleans Pelicans; plus, his 3-point percentage this season ranks second in the league.
At stake is a streak of being in the playoffs all 13 seasons of his career. Currently, the Pelicans are 23-32 and 5.5 games out of eighth place. But if the 6-foot-3, 200-pound Roanoke, Va., native returns from the All-Star break to continue his recent hot stretch of 20-point games — three in a row and 13 all season — the playoffs are certainly a legit possibility.
Of course, two more former Blue Devils coming up here on this list should also have plenty to say about the team’s success across the final third of the regular season.
- Games played this season: 47
- Games started this season: 47
- Minutes per game: 34.1
- Points per game: 24.9
- Rebounds per game: 6.4
- Assists per game: 4.2
- Blocks per game: 0.7
- Steals per game: 1.0
- FG percentage: 47.3
- 3-point percentage: 40.0
- FT percentage: 86.2
On Sunday, though the pair of first-timers combined for only eight points, Brandon Ingram and the next guy on this list tied the record for the most former Duke basketball players to appear in the same All-Star Game (Kyrie Irving and Luol Deng did so in 2013, but Christian Laettner and Grant Hill were the first in 1997).
Ingram has experienced a meteoric rise since being a so-called “bust” as a rookie three years ago (when he averaged only 9.4 points after being the No. 2 overall pick at the 2016 NBA Draft). The 6-foot-7, 190-pound 22-year-old from Kinston, N.C., has scored 40 or more in a game twice this season (including a career-high 49), 30 or more on 10 occasions, and fewer than 10 only once.
So long as Ingram can accept fewer shots now that he coexists with the nearly certain-to-be future All-Star Dukie still to come on this ranking, the future for the New Orleans Pelicans looks full of promise, indeed.
- Games played this season: 50
- Games started this season: 50
- Minutes per game: 34.1
- Points per game: 22.4
- Rebounds per game: 6.9
- Assists per game: 2.9
- Blocks per game: 0.9
- Steals per game: 1.4
- FG percentage: 44.3
- 3-point percentage: 38.2
- FT percentage: 81.3
All four of the top four on the list could make a case to be No. 1.
The case for Jayson Tatum would include the fact that the former Duke basketball one-and-done is No. 1 on a legit title contender in average points and minutes per game. Add to that the fact the 6-foot-8, 205-pound St. Louis native ranks No. 2 on the 38-16 Boston Celtics in average made 3-pointers per game at 2.6, No. 2 in average rebounds, No. 2 in average steals, and No. 3 in average blocks.
Here’s how he looked last time out before the All-Star break:
Yes, Tatum is the real deal. He’s only 21 yet already has a relatively large supply of playoff experience and is now an All-Star veteran. His length, poise, and smooth overall game are quickly putting him in the conversation of the best players from his rising-to-power generation.
Next on this list is a former teammate of Tatum in Boston who is a generation older; yes, this next player has missed time this season, but he has also put up lofty totals in the time he has played that justify this lofty spot (remember, this ranking does not ding guys for missed time as it is a snapshot of what these former Blue Devils are in this general period)…
- 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…
- Games played this season: 10
- Games started this season: 10
- Minutes per game: 27.4
- Points per game: 22.1
- Rebounds per game: 7.5
- Assists per game: 2.2
- Blocks per game: 0.4
- Steals per game: 0.7
- FG percentage: 57.6
- 3-point percentage: 36.4
- FT percentage: 65.4
A bent rim. A block into what felt like the nosebleeds. A beyond-expectations show in his debut. A give-me-your-lunch-money encounter with Giannis Antetokounmpo. A truckload of various goal-shaking dunks and several phenomenal putbacks, not to mention a wide selection of underrated thread-the-needle passes from all areas of the court.
The list goes on, and the stats ever since coming off a minutes restriction are unprecedented for a 19-year-old — i.e., he’s been snatching new specific records for NBA teenagers nearly every outing. But this is no time for adding to the lists and recounting the records when the 10-minute mixtape of his first 10 games (below and well worth the watch for anyone who hasn’t) is so much better at explaining why there was no sane choice other than to put Zion Williamson at No. 1 on this list:
It doesn’t matter that the former five-star Duke basketball showman has played only 10 games. It doesn’t matter that the jury is still out as to whether the landing gear of the 6-foot-6, 285-pound flying freight train will hold up over time.
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No, what matters is what he has already proven:
- His brand of ball is the most stimulating of all to all the senses of the average fan.
- His combination of size, strength, skill, speed, vision, bounce, and rapid takeoffs is unprecedented on planet earth.
- He represents Duke basketball’s best chance — might be the only one it will ever get — of overtaking rival North Carolina in terms of boasting the GOAT as a former player.
All eyes on Zion, No. 1 in more ways than one.
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