Ranking all 24 Duke basketball players in the NBA this season
By Matt Giles
Who are the top Duke basketball prizes in the NBA these days?
Altogether, 23 Duke basketball alums have seen action in at least one NBA game this season, trailing only the 29 from the Kentucky basketball program. The Duke list does not include active Los Angeles Clippers forward Semi Ojeleye, who transferred out of Durham midway through his sophomore year (2014-15) and played a season for Southern Methodist before turning pro.
Then there’s one NBA Blue Devil who remains on contract with the New Orleans Pelicans but has yet to suit up for any outing this go-round. So let’s start with a blurb about him, as he is unrankable here given his season-long absence, and then we’ll count down from No. 23 to Duke’s No. 1 professional product right now:
Former Duke basketball forward Zion Williamson
Last season, Zion Williamson’s second in the league after going No. 1 overall as a one-and-done at the 2019 NBA Draft, the 6-foot-6, 285-pound bruiser earned an All-Star nod on his way to averaging a whopping 27.0 points and 7.2 rebounds per game while shooting 61.1 percent from the field.
Again, though, Williamson has not played a single minute for the 2021-22 New Orleans Pelicans (23-36). He continues to rehab the foot injury he suffered in the offseason. And it now seems increasingly likely that the rim-rocking South Carolina native will be out of commission until next season.