Duke basketball: Vernon Carey Jr. draft stock is now officially ridiculous
By Matt Giles
A Duke basketball product not getting the respect he deserves
Surely, somebody is giving Vernon Carey Jr. some credit for averaging 17.8 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks for the Blue Devils despite averaging only 24.9 minutes per game. Surely, somebody cares that he shot 57.7 percent from the field and 38.1 percent from downtown, albeit Duke didn’t exactly showcase his smooth outside stroke as much as it could have.
Surely, somebody has noted that Carey Jr.’s namesake dad now gives back to his community in South Florida as an exemplary former professional athlete and was a durable full-time starter on the Miami Dolphins offensive line in each of his eight seasons in the NFL.
Whatever the issue, Colin Ward-Henninger of CBS Sports didn’t mention it in his brief analysis of the likable, versatile, underrated, mature talent that accompanied his mock draft:
“Carey is a physical post-up scorer and rebounder who shows potential to stretch to the NBA 3-point line. He has a lot of tools for the Raptors development staff to work with.”
Fortunately for the 19-year-old, there are a few franchises with higher picks showing considerable interest, including one that is specifically on the lookout for help down low in the Miami Heat. Miami owns only one pick right now, at No. 20 overall, and just recently conducted a private workout with Carey Jr.
Plus, there are several mock drafts pegging Carey Jr. to go late in the first round, with the Boston Celtics at No. 30 perhaps being the most commonly projected destination across the past few months.