With 2015 upon us, we take a look at how former Duke standouts have performed in the NBA as they usher in a new year:
Kyrie Irving, Cleveland Cavaliers: Irving missed two games due to injury following Cleveland's Christmas Day loss at Miami, and returned to join an even more short-handed squad that has been decimated by injuries. Big man Anderson Varejao is out for the season, star LeBron James is out for two weeks battling multiple ailments and Irving has not been 100 percent of late.
Still, the dynamic point guard scored 83 points in three games this week and added 16 assists and 15 rebounds, but shot only 39 percent from the floor and was forced to play big minutes with the Cavaliers lacking depth. Cleveland went just 1-2 in the games and is now only 19-14, so it appears that Irving is going to be part of a work in progress that is not yet a true contender, but could arrive at that point later in the season.
Mason Plumlee, Brooklyn Nets: Plumlee has been coming on strong of late and continued his good stretch of play this week. The 6-foot-11 center averaged 15.3 points and seven rebounds per game in three contests, including a strong 18-point, nine-rebound, two-block performance Friday against Orlando in which he went 9-of-10 from the field.
Most importantly, the Nets won all three games and are now back to 0.500 on the season at 16-16 with their second-year big man looking like he's ready to come into his own. After a slow start to the season, Plumlee is now averaging 9.4 points on 56.3 percent shooting and 6.6 rebounds per game, and those numbers will only keep getting better if he keeps playing well.
Luol Deng, Miami Heat: Deng and his team have fallen off the wagon a bit since knocking off Cleveland on Christmas Day led by his 25-point, eight-rebound, eight-assist performance and have now lost four games in a row. In three of those games this week, the 6-foot-9 forward played solid basketball, averaging 13 points and four rebounds per contest, and shooting better than 50 percent from the field, but Deng was unable to help his team get back into the win column. The Heat are now 14-20 and clinging to the 8th spot in the East.
J.J. Redick, Los Angeles Clippers: Redick is quietly having one of the best seasons of his career, averaging 15.3 points per game and shooting 42.9 percent from 3-point range—the 14th-best clip in the NBA—and had another solid week. In three games, the sharpshooter averaged 18 points per game on 52.6 percent shooting and made eight 3-pointers. The Clippers won all three games—two by wide margins—and are in the middle of a crowded Western Conference playoff picture at 23-11. Redick's consistent shooting is a big reason why.
Gerald Henderson, Charlotte Hornets: Henderson is still getting his legs back after early-season injuries caused him to miss time, but had a solid week, averaging 14.5 points and 5.3 rebounds in four games. As he gets more minutes and feels more comfortable, the 6-foot-5 guard's numbers will likely only continue getting better, but the challenge for Henderson will be to keep his shooting percentage up as his team looks to make a run after a woeful start to the season. Charlotte is just 11-24 after making the playoffs last year.
Mike Dunleavy, Chicago Bulls: Dunleavy is a key cog in the Bulls' rotation because of his floor spacing and 41.7-percent conversion rate from 3-point land, but the 6-foot-9 forward is expected to miss some time now with an ankle injury. After making five 3-pointers and scoring 23 points Tuesday in a loss to Brooklyn, Dunleavy only played 17 minutes Thursday before sitting out Saturday against Boston. He was seen in a walking boot Saturday and could be out for at least a few weeks.
Ryan Kelly, Los Angeles Lakers: Kelly returned from a hamstring injury and played for the first time since November Friday against Memphis, putting in two points on 1-of-4 shooting, two rebounds and a block in 10 minutes off the bench. The 6-foot-11 stretch four has seen the beginning of his second season evaporate due to injury, but could make significant improvements with playing time aplenty on a struggling Lakers squad as the season wears on.
Carlos Boozer, Los Angeles Lakers: Kelly's teammate also had a solid week because of his play on the court, averaging 13.7 points and 6.3 rebounds per game in three games off the bench. Boozer has become a relatively inconsistent performer who either has very strong games or relatively weak ones, but considering the lack of raw talent on the roster, his contributions have helped the Lakers get to 10-23, where they stand today.
Rodney Hood, Utah Jazz: Like Kelly, Hood has seen his season heavily disrupted by injuries to this point and after briefly returning from a foot injury at the end of 2014, he is out again with inflammation in his heel. He is expected to be re-evaluated Jan. 13. In 22 games, the southpaw is averaging 5.3 points per game, but he is just shooting 31.6 percent from the field and has not looked truly comfortable yet playing at the next level.
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