Duke in the NBA: Irving, Dunleavy and Rivers put up big offensive numbers

The NBA season is in full swing after a busy first week, and we break down how the former Blue Devil standouts in the league have performed of late.

Jabari Parker, Milwaukee Bucks: Inconsistency has been the name of the game for the former Blue Devil star. Parker has averaged 10.9 points and 5.9 rebounds through eight games this season. He played one of his better games of the season against the Grizzlies last Saturday, going 6-for-11 with 13 points and four rebounds.

The Bucks have all the parts to contend in the East, but with so many younger players, it will take time to gel as a unit. Parker will have to learn under the tutelage of veterans O.J. Mayo and Brandon Knight as the season progresses. The Bucks will play six of their next nine games on the road so Parker’s mettle will be tested on the road.

Rodney Hood, Utah Jazz: Hood was only averaging 4.0 points and 3.3 rebounds per game before leaving last Friday’s matchup with the Mavericks with plantar fasciitis. His status is still day-to-day and the rookie southpaw has not played in the last three games.

Although his injury has opened up playing time for Trey Burke and Dante Exum, the Jazz will look to get Hood 100% to get the potent deep threat back on the court.

Kyrie Irving, Cleveland Cavaliers: LeBron James' return to Cleveland has been anything but smooth this season. The much-publicized displeasure directed toward Irving from James has been about Irving’s abilities as a court general. The point guard's debated handshake with Kevin Love as well as the rumors of Love’s departure at the end of the season have made for a rocky start to the Cavalier’s season.

Despite the drama, Irving has still averaged 22.0 points, 5.0 assists and 2.8 rebounds per game this season. He combined for 59 points, 14 assists and nine rebounds in his last two games, wins against the Pelicans and Celtics, and now needs to turn his attention to the defensive end. The Cavaliers have given up more than 100 points in each of their last five games, but have to like how aggressive Irving is looking in head coach David Blatt's wide-open offense.

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In Tuesday’s loss to the Bucks, Thomas struggled, scoring seven points on 2-of-10 from the field. But in Thursday's win against the Celtics, Thomas outworked everybody on the glass, earning 13 rebounds along with seven points in 39 minutes of work. The four-year veteran might have finally found his place after bouncing around the league earlier in his career.

Carlos Boozer, Los Angeles Lakers: The Lakers have been struggling to find wins this season and are of to the worst start in franchise history at 1-8, but Boozer is still enjoying a resurgence of sorts after a disappointing season last year. The power forward has scored in double figures in each of his last five games and has averaged 16.8 points on 55.6 percent shooting and 6.6 rebounds in that span. His team is going to have a miserable season barring a huge turnaround, but at least Boozer is proving that he can still produce in the NBA.

Mike Dunleavy, Jr., Chicago Bulls: The Bulls are getting a ton of attention so far early in the season, but the 12-year veteran just keeps quietly going about his business and putting up solid numbers. The sharpshooter is averaging 11.4 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 31.0 minutes per contest and is shooting 40.4 percent from beyond the arc, exactly what Chicago needs from its role players. Dunleavy exploded for 27 points last Friday against the 76ers and knocked down five 3-pointers in the win.

Mason Plumlee, Brooklyn Nets: Plumlee has had an up-and-down year so far, but has had two of his strongest games of the season of late, putting up 13 points and eight rebounds Thursday against the Warriors and 12 points and 10 boards last Sunday against the Magic. The second-year player has struggled from the field so far, but found a way to make an impact in the two games by staying active. Plumlee shot 14 free throws combined in the two contests.

Austin Rivers, New Orleans Pelicans: After a tumultuous start to his career, Rivers appears to be figuring it out this season. The combo guard is averaging 7.1 points per game on 50 percent shooting, as well as 2.6 assists per contest, a huge improvement from the inefficient numbers he put up in his first two seasons. Rivers had arguably the best game of his NBA career Friday against the Timberwolves when he had 17 points on 8-of-9 shooting, three assists, three rebounds and two steals.

Kyle Singler, Detroit Pistons: Singler is off to a disappointing start to the season, averaging just 4.4 points in 23.4 minutes per game. If he continues shooting just 35.9 percent from the field and struggling to produce, it will be hard for head coach Stan Van Gundy to justify keeping him on the court.

Elton Brand, Atlanta Hawks: The 16-year NBA veteran, who has been with the Hawks for the past two seasons, has been active for every game this season but only played in the Hawks first game of the season, a 109-102 Hawks loss to the Raptors. He had two points and a rebound in only 12 minutes. Brand is nearing the end of his career and has acted as a mentor for a rebuilding Hawks roster.

Gerald Henderson, Charlotte Hornets: After battling injury in the preseason, Henderson has seen less of a role in the rotation early this season. So far, head coach Steve Clifford has been making room for P.J. Hairston’s 3-point shooting in place of Henderson’s veteran leadership. Henderson has averaged just 4.0 points and 1.8 rebounds this season for the new-look Hornets.

Shavlik Randolph, Phoenix Suns: The nine-year NBA veteran, who has bounced around from the NBA, to Puerto Rico and China and then back to the NBA, has been a veteran presence for the Suns this season even though he does not see the court much. So far, Randolph is averaging 6.9 minutes per game with 0.8 points and 1.5 rebounds per contest.