Tag: Duke in the NBA

Former Duke basketball star Gary Trent Jr. wins NBA Cup with Milwaukee Bucks

A former Duke basketball player helped the Milwaukee Bucks win the NBA Cup on Tuesday night.

Former Duke basketball star Gary Trent Jr. and the Milwaukee Bucks defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Cup Championship on Tuesday night, a 97-81 victory in the second edition of the in-season tournament.

Trent, a second-round draft pick from 2018, came off the bench to score 13 points after he made three of his six 3-point attempts. Milwaukee led by a single point after two quarters, but a 26-14 advantage in the third helped build a comfortable lead. Two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo added to his awards case with 26 points, 19 rebounds, and 10 assists in the win.

The former Blue Devil has averaged 9.1 points and 2.0 rebounds while shooting 41.1% from the field and 39.3% from distance through 24 games this season. He’s averaged at least 13 points per game in each of the previous four campaigns.

Trent only spent one season in Durham alongside Marvin Bagley III and Grayson Allen. He averaged 14.5 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 1.2 steals while the Blue Devils reached the Elite Eight.

Former Duke basketball star Jared McCain sidelined with torn meniscus

Former Duke basketball star Jared McCain, the presumed NBA Rookie of the Year favorite, will miss extended time with a torn meniscus.

[autotag]Jared McCain[/autotag]’s standout rookie season in the NBA will, unfortunately, be put on an indefinite hold.

The Philadelphia 76ers guard suffered a torn lateral meniscus in his left knee and will need surgery, according to multiple reports on Saturday afternoon. The team offered no immediate timetable for his return.

McCain, who went 16th overall after he scored at least 30 points in two different NCAA Tournament games for the Blue Devils, has averaged 15.3 points, 2.6 assists, and 2.4 rebounds while making 38.3% of his 3-point looks.

The former Duke sharpshooter scored at least 20 points in eight of his first 20 games with the Sixers, including seven in a row from November 10-22.

Before the injury news, McCain was the odds-on favorite for the Rookie of the Year award thanks to his prolific start. He’d be the second Blue Devil to win the honor in three years after [autotag]Paolo Banchero[/autotag] took it home in 2022, but his chances will undoubtedly take a hit after the absence.

How is JJ Redick’s first season as the Los Angeles Lakers head coach going?

With the NBA season in full swing, here’s a weekly check on JJ Redick’s first season as the Los Angeles Lakers head coach.

The Los Angeles Lakers lost a 97-87 game to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday night, dropping Duke basketball legend [autotag]JJ Redick[/autotag] down to 13-12 in his first season as the franchise’s head coach.

The Lakers won six games in a row from November 8-19, including victories over Blue Devils rookies [autotag]Jared McCain[/autotag] (Philadelphia 76ers) and [autotag]Kyle Filipowski[/autotag] (Utah Jazz). However, Los Angeles has only won three of its eight games since to drop down to the 10th overall seed in the Western Conference.

Redick, the all-time leading scorer in Blue Devils history, picked up the job this offseason after a few years within the media sphere. He appeared on ESPN talk shows and hosted several podcasts, including one with Lakers star LeBron James, after his retirement in 2021.

James, now in his 22nd season at 39 years old, is averaging 23.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 9.1 assists per game with seven triple-doubles.

The Lakers hope to reverse their recent form against the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday night at 9:30 p.m. Eastern time.

How is JJ Redick’s first season as the Los Angeles Lakers head coach going?

With the NBA season in full swing, here’s a weekly check on JJ Redick’s first season as the Los Angeles Lakers head coach.

Duke basketball legend [autotag]JJ Redick[/autotag] got his first NBA head-coaching season off to a promising start, but he and the Los Angeles Lakers have fallen on harder times over the past two weeks.

The Blue Devils’ all-time leading scorer won 10 of his first 14 games with the storied franchise, including victories over former Duke stars [autotag]Jared McCain[/autotag] and [autotag]Kyle Filipowski[/autotag] with their respective professional teams. However, the Lakers have lost six of their eight games since November 21, tumbling down to the ninth seed in the Western Conference with a 12-10 record.

All is not lost for Reddick’s debut season, however. The Lakers are just 2.5 games behind the Houston Rockets for the second overall seed in the conference, and of their seven games between now and Christmas Day, only one comes against a foe with a better record.

Redick and the Lakers play the Atlanta Hawks at 7:30 p.m. Eastern time on Friday night.

Four former Duke Blue Devils named to ESPN’s top 25 NBA players under 25

ESPN released its list of the 25 best NBA players under the age of 25 on Monday, and four former Duke basketball stars made the cut.

No men’s college basketball program has accumulated more top talent over the last five years than the Duke Blue Devils, so understandably, the NBA is full of young talents who played their college ball at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

ESPN released its ranking of the top 25 NBA players under the age of 25 on Monday, and a quartet of former Blue Devils made the list thanks to their strong first few seasons.

[autotag]Paolo Banchero[/autotag], the most recent Blue Devil chosen with the No. 1 overall pick, contended for the top overall spot on the list. He’s missed the past month with a torn right oblique, but he put together his first career 50-point night against the Indiana Pacers on October 28. He finished that 119-115 victory with 13 rebounds and nine assists, one of the best games by any player so far this season.

Here’s a breakdown of every former Blue Devil who made the top 25:

Paolo Banchero, No. 3

Banchero led the Orlando Magic to the playoffs last year, his second season in the NBA. He averaged 22.6 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 5.4 assists, a noticeable leap from his Rookie of the Year campaign in 2022-23 (20.0 points, 6.9 rebounds, 3.7 assists). He looked like a potential All-NBA candidate through five games to start this season, pushing his scoring average to 29.0 thanks to his first 50-piece, and Magic fans eagerly await his return to the court.

Zion Williamson, No. 16

Williamson has been a dominant player on the court ever since his days in Durham, and he’s averaged 24.6 points and 6.6 rebounds per game across his NBA career. However, he’s only played 190 games over his six-year career, well below half of his potential appearances.

“The concern is whether injuries are taking a toll on the athleticism that makes Williamson a special player,” ESPN’s Kevin Pelton wrote in his ranking snippet.

Jalen Johnson, No. 17

Johnson didn’t bloom as fast as Williamson and Banchero in the NBA, only starting six games over his first two seasons, but he burst onto the scene with 16.0 points, 8.7 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.2 steals in 2023-24. Now a fourth-year player rewarded with an offseason extension, he’s somehow improved on all four of those numbers through 21 games this year.

Dereck Lively II, No. 19

The darling of the Dallas Mavericks run to the NBA Finals, Lively averaged 7.9 points and 7.4 rebounds with four double-doubles in just 22.0 minutes per game during his rookie postseason. The 7-footer is working his way into the starting lineup at just 20 years old, and so far in year two, he’s averaged 8.8 points, 7.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.6 blocks per contest.

How is JJ Redick’s first season as the Los Angeles Lakers head coach going?

With the NBA season in full swing, here’s a weekly check on JJ Redick’s first season as the Los Angeles Lakers head coach.

After a 127-102 loss to the Denver Nuggets on Saturday night, former Duke basketball star [autotag]JJ Redick[/autotag] sports a 10-6 record through his first 16 games as the Los Angeles Lakers head coach.

Redick, the Blue Devils’ all-time leading scorer, retired from the NBA in 2021 after a 15-year career. After a brief stint as a media personality, the Lakers asked him to oversee four-time NBA champion LeBron James and the rest of the roster.

After four losses in five games at the start of the month, Los Angeles rattled off six straight wins from November 8-19 to hurtle back toward the top of the Western Conference. Redick defeated [autotag]Jared McCain[/autotag]’s Philadelphia 76ers and [autotag]Kyle Filipowski[/autotag]’s Utah Jazz during that win streak, and his team now sits fourth in the conference standings.

The Lakers, just five seasons removed from their last championship, finished the 2023-24 campaign with a 47-35 record. The Nuggets defeated them in just five games during the best-of-seven opening round, however, marking the third time Los Angeles failed to reach the conference semifinals since their title.

Redick and his team play again on Tuesday night against [autotag]Grayson Allen[/autotag], Tyus Jones, and the Phoenix Suns.

Grayson Allen, two other former Duke basketball stars attended Arizona game

A trio of former Duke basketball stars, including Grayson Allen, attended Friday night’s game against the Arizona Wildcats together.

[autotag]Grayson Allen[/autotag], Tyus Jones, and Mason Plumlee attended Duke’s victory over the Arizona Wildcats together on Friday night.

The Blue Devils shared a photo of the trio, now teammates on the Phoenix Suns in the NBA.

All three of them won a national title during their time in Durham. Plumlee, the oldest of the three, played 14.1 minutes per game as a freshman on the 2010 championship team. He became a more productive scorer with each successive season, peaking with a 2012-13 senior campaign that included 17.1 points and 10.0 rebounds per night.

Jones and Allen played together on the 2014-15 team, the last Duke roster to hang a banner. Jones only spent one season with the team, averaging 11.8 points and 5.6 assists before getting drafted with the 24th overall pick. Allen, on the other hand, stayed for four seasons. His 1,996 career points are the most by any Blue Devil since 2010.

With all three champions together once again, the Phoenix Suns sport a 9-7 record so far this NBA season. Jones leads the team with 6.9 assists per night, and he and Allen both produce at least 10 points per game.

Former Duke basketball star Jayson Tatum hits game-winner against Toronto Raptors

Jayson Tatum came through again for the Boston Celtics on Saturday night, hitting a game-winning 3-pointer in overtime.

Former Duke basketball star [autotag]Jayson Tatum[/autotag] delivered for the Boston Celtics again on Saturday night, hitting a game-winning 3-pointer in overtime for a 126-123 victory over the Toronto Raptors.

Tatum, fresh off his first NBA championship with the Celtics last season, seemed to be waiting for teammate Jaylen Brown on a pick-and-roll play, but Brown fell to the floor after making contact with a defender. The former Blue Devil improvised, creating a small amount of space with a few dribbles before launching a shot from close to the midcourt logo.

It found its mark, and the home crowd at TD Garden erupted.

Tatum finished the game with 24 points, 11 rebounds, and nine assists. Toronto forward RJ Barrett, another former Duke Blue Devil, notched a triple-double for the Raptors with 25 points. 15 assists, and 10 rebounds.

The third overall pick from the 2017 NBA draft could be in line for a fourth straight All-NBA First Team nomination. Through 14 games, Tatum is averaging 29.7 points, 7.9 rebounds, 5.9 assists, and 1.4 steals per game.

How is JJ Redick’s first season as the Los Angeles Lakers head coach going?

With the NBA season in full swing, here’s a weekly check on JJ Redick’s first season as the Los Angeles Lakers head coach.

[autotag]JJ Redick[/autotag]’s first season as an NBA head coach is off to a sound start.

As of Thursday afternoon, the Los Angeles Lakers have a 7-4 record to sit sixth in the Western Conference standings.

Redick and the Lakers have taken down some impressive teams early in the season as well. Los Angeles opened the 2024-25 calendar with a win over the Minnesota Timberwolves, a Western Conference finalist last season, as part of a 3-0 start. The Lakers also took down perennial playoff teams like the Phoenix Suns and the Memphis Grizzlies, the latter of whom they beat just on Wednesday night.

Four-time NBA champion LeBron James, at age 39, has still played a major role for Redick’s team. James finished the Memphis win with 35 points, 12 rebounds, and 14 assists for his third straight triple-double, and the legend is averaging 24.3 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 9.4 assists through 11 games.

The Lakers finished with a 47-35 record in 2023-24, so the real test for Redick will come in the postseason, but Duke’s all-time leading scorer looks like anything but a disaster as he settles into his new position.

Former Duke basketball star Jared McCain scores 34 points in first NBA double-double

Jared McCain dropped 34 points on the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday night, his third straight NBA game with at least 20.

Former Duke basketball star [autotag]Jared McCain[/autotag], the Philadelphia 76ers’ first-round pick earlier this year, continues to look better and better for his professional team.

McCain scored 34 points on Wednesday night, making 12 of his 26 shots from the floor and six of his 13 3-point attempts during a 114-106 loss to the undefeated Cleveland Cavaliers.

The production extends a streak of three straight games with at least 20 for McCain. He set his previous career high with 27 points against the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday before tacking on 23 points against the New York Knicks on Tuesday.

McCain has connected on 42.5% of his looks from behind the 3-point line over his last four contests, something Duke fans knew he could do, but he added a new wrinkle against the Cavaliers with 10 assists for the first double-double of his NBA career.

On a Philadelphia roster with All-Star starters like Joel Embiid, Paul George, and Tyrese Maxey, McCain wasn’t expected to play a large role in year one. However, with all three members of that trio dealing with injuries, the former Blue Devil is averaging 13.5 points, 2.3 assists, and 2.1 rebounds.