A Duke basketball product capitalized on the chance to prove his NBA value.
Four minutes and 48 seconds is all Charlotte Hornets big man Vernon Carey Jr. required on Friday night to score more points (nine) than he had in his entire NBA career entering the game (eight). Drawing the first start of his career, the Duke basketball one-and-done shined at the level that he so often did on his way to becoming the 2019-20 USBWA Freshman of the Year.
Yes, the 20-year-old rookie’s efforts came in an eventual 130-115 loss by the Hornets (27-28) at the Brooklyn Nets (38-18).
Nevertheless, there’s no doubt Carey’s head coach, James Borrego, was impressed by the 2020 second-round pick (No. 32 overall) making the most of a rare opportunity, which stemmed from the team being without five of its regulars in the game:
“This is why we drafted him…His feel around the rim. His hands. His feet. His ability to rebound. He blocked a few shots. He impacted the rim. I thought he was fantastic tonight…We have a rotation, and we’ve been rolling with that group, but this kid’s got something to him.”
No duh, says every Duke basketball fan
Vernon Carey Jr. finished with 21 points and six rebounds against the Nets, shooting 9-for-14 from the field, including a 1-for-2 clip from downtown. His 35 minutes on the floor equated to two more than his career total, spanning his previous 10 appearances this season.
While Carey might not have expected to see that amount of playing time in a single outing this year, the NBA Blue Devil didn’t seem surprised by his performance afterward when speaking to the media:
“I felt like I did pretty well. I just took what the offense gave me and just stayed aggressive and just shot the ball with confidence, really.”
The Charlotte Hornets are set to host the Portland Trail Blazers (32-23) at 7 p.m. Sunday. Whether or not Vernon Carey Jr. sees a second straight starting nod, it’s safe to say the coaches should have enough reasons now to start looking his way a bit more often.