The Duke basketball program is looking to continue its recent success in the NBA Draft.
Fans have grown accustomed to seeing a handful of Duke basketball players be selected in the early portions of the NBA Draft, but this is 2020, and things continue to be abnormal.
Mike Krzyzewski produced four draft-eligible players this season as Jack White and Justin Robinson have already signed professional contracts overseas, but Javin DeLaurier, Vernon Carey Jr., Cassius Stanley, and Tre Jones are all ready to be selected in Wednesday night’s draft.
It’s almost certain that DeLaurier will go undrafted and sign with an NBA G-League franchise, if the league has a season, seeing that there will be no Summer League this year for under-the-radar players to prove themselves.
If there is no G-League season or a team doesn’t ink DeLaurier to a deal, he should have the opportunity to play overseas, if he wishes.
As for Carey Jr., Stanley, and Jones, it could be a long wait for all three players on draft night, as none are expected to be selected in the lottery.
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There has been at least one Duke player selected among the Top-3 picks in the past six drafts.
That streak will be broken.
There have also been at least two Blue Devils selected in the lottery picks in each of the past three drafts.
That streak will be broken.
Finally, at least one Coach K product has been a first-round pick in the last nine years.
That streak could also be in jeopardy.
The NBA offseason always provides twists and turns, but no one can envision a scenario where Duke is able to keep all three streaks as the program saw three players, Zion Williamson, R.J. Barrett, and Cam Reddish, selected in the Top-10 one draft ago.
So without further ado, we try and project where all three Duke products will land in the 2020 NBA Draft…
Where will the Duke basketball shooting guard land?
Out of all three players, it’s the easiest to see Cassius Stanley drop out of the first round because of the lack of NBA-like skill he put on tape in his one season in Durham.
The biggest thing the guard has going for him is his freakish athleticism, something that cannot be taught or developed, and the NBA continues to laud athletes like Cassius Stanley in its spacing, shooting systems.
However, the main reason Stanley opted not to return to Durham was because of how the NBA values youth, and as a newly minted 21-year old, he needed to capitalize on the opportunity in front of him to pursue his dreams.
Cassius Stanley will not be an immediate impact player in the NBA during the 2020-21 season, but if he’s lucky enough to make the active roster as a rookie, he could provide a spark off the bench in sparing minutes for a potential contender.
CASSIUS STANLEY DRAFT PROJECTION: Round 2, Pick No. 6 (No. 36 overall) – Philadelphia 76ers
Why is the Duke basketball forward being undervalued?
Vernon Carey Jr. was an All-American, and if not for Tre Jones, he would have been the ACC Player and Freshman of the Year.
So why is he being devalued ahead of the NBA Draft?
Well, the NBA is increasingly more of a perimeter-oriented league, and scouts see Carey Jr. as a traditional center, which doesn’t bode well for his draft stock.
If Vernon Carey Jr. was a draft prospect in 2015, the same year Jahlil Okafor was selected at No. 3 overall, he would have been a Top-5 pick. But the league doesn’t look at big men in the same fashion it did five years ago.
However, scouts need to look at more tape of the 6-foot-10 beast, as he was not only able to dominate in the paint, but he also showed the ability to step beyond the arc and knock down the 3-point ball.
Unlike Stanley, Vernon Carey Jr. could step in right away and help a contender off the bench as a rim protector and post-scoring threat.
In what could be one of the steals of the draft, along with his college point guard, teams that saw exits late in the NBA Playoffs would be foolish not to take Carey Jr. late in the first round and add to their suspect frontcourt depth.
VERNON CAREY JR. DRAFT PROJECTION: Round 1, Pick No. 26 – Boston Celtics
Is the Duke basketball point guard one of the safest picks?
There are not many guards in this draft who are more reliable than Tre Jones.
Arguably the best on-ball defender in the draft, an outstanding ball-handler, passer, leader, and improving shooter, what’s not to like about the Duke point guard?
Apparently, his shooting and offensive skillset is a major concern for teams in an offense-driven league.
However, Tre Jones, after two seasons at Duke, seems like a much more polished project than his brother Tyus Jones was following his freshman season in Durham, although the youngest Jones is by no means a finished product.
The ACC Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year, the guard saw high praise from Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski, who called his sophomore captain “the best point guard in the draft” in a recent interview on NBA TV.
Much like Vernon Carey Jr., Jones could be a defensive specialist in his first season in the NBA while still needing to improve his shooting to see substantial and important minutes as a rookie.
Being the little brother of Tyus Jones helps Tre, as he formed some relationships with players in the NBA who could potentially be his future teammates.
TRE JONES DRAFT PROJECTION: Round 1, Pick No. 20 – Miami Heat
Stay tuned to Ball Durham for more news and views regarding Duke basketball in the 2020 NBA Draft.