Ranking all 24 Duke basketball players in the NBA this season
By Matt Giles
3. Former Duke basketball guard Kyrie Irving
If not for missing so many contests — stemming from his refusal to receive the vaccine — chances are Kyrie Irving would rank either No. 1 or 2 on this list. As things stand, though, the 2010-11 Duke one-and-done, who went No. 1 overall at the 2011 NBA Draft, has been his usual sizzling self in the 14 contests he has played this season for the Brooklyn Nets.
The 29-year-old Irving is putting up the following season averages and percentages:
- 24.1 points per game
- 4.8 rebounds per game
- 5.4 assists per game
- 1.1 steals per game
- 0.6 blocks per game
- 45.2 percent from the field
- 36.8 percent beyond the arc
- 92.5 percent from the charity stripe (career-high)
The Brooklyn Nets (31-28), now No. 8 in the Eastern Conference standings, return from the All-Star break at 7:30 p.m. ET Thursday when they host the Boston Celtics (34-26). Assuming New York’s vaccination mandates for indoor gatherings don’t change before then, Kyrie Irving’s next appearance will be at 8:30 p.m. ET Saturday on the road against the Milwaukee Bucks (36-24).