Cassius Stanley addresses misleading Duke basketball stat

A former Duke basketball aircraft sees himself as a promising NBA prospect.

During a recent in-depth interview with Matt Babcock of Babcock Hoops, Cassius Stanley attempted to clear up a misconception stemming from one of his stats as a freshman for a Duke basketball team that finished with a 25-6 record last season.

Per the 6-foot-6, 200-pound high-flying guard, the fact that all of his 31 made 3-pointers came off an assist should be more encouraging than concerning for any NBA franchises thinking about drafting him on Oct. 16:

“I do think that stat is somewhat misleading because of the role I played at Duke. It does show that if a team wants to draft me, and they have a great lead guard, I could help space the floor. In the NBA, everything is about spacing, and players need to be able to knock down open shots consistently.”

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Stanley, who drained 36.0 percent of his attempts from deep after arriving in Durham with his outside shot as his No. 1 perceived weakness, then continued to explain how one could view the stat as a strength:

“This past year, I learned how to really master the wings and corners when it came to catch-and-shoot opportunities. I’m working on shooting off the dribble, but I think it’s a great time to show that 100 percent of my threes came off assists this season. If I’m with a lead guard that’s established, I can be trusted to help space the floor and knock down shots.”

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In terms of comparisons and a five-year plan, Stanley broke those down to Babcock as well:

“I’d like to be a contributing player on a championship team…Individual accolades are great, but they are all opinion-based…I can control how I contribute, how well I play, and the effort I put in. I look at Zach LaVine and Russell Westbrook…Their size and athleticism are very comparable to mine. I try to bring the same level of tenacity and aggression as Russell does, and I like the way that Zach uses his athleticism to create space and finish plays.”

Yes, the Russell Westbrook mention is bold considering the nine-time All-Star has poured in 20,315 points as a pro and twice averaged a triple-double for a season. Yet as the third-leading scorer for the 2019-20 Blue Devils at 12.6 points per game, Stanley has proven able to exceed expectations after landing at Duke as a mere four-star recruit and the lowest-ranked member of his four-deep class.

How long must the electrifying Duke basketball product wait on draft night?

Though Babcock’s mock draft shows Stanley going No. 19 overall, some see him as a second-round selection. Between him and the other two outbound Duke basketball underclassmen, center Vernon Carey Jr. and point guard Tre Jones, there’s no consensus as to which one will come off the board first.

Stay tuned Ball Durham for more news and views regarding all things Duke basketball.