With the NBA season gaining steam, a myriad of former Blue Devils are finding their way onto the court. The Blue Zone takes a look at the play of some of the more notable Duke stars in the recent week:
Jahlil Okafor, Philadelphia 76ers
Despite being one of the leading candidates for NBA Rookie of the Year, Okafor struggled to get going for the 76ers this week. Okafor’s highest shot poorly from the floor and had one of the worst games of the young season Sunday, when he only scored nine points on 3-of-11 shooting. The Chicago native did show that he can contribute with more than just his offense as he had 13 rebounds in the loss.
Okafor’s free-throw struggles that plagued him throughout his Duke career have shockingly become a non-factor in the professional ranks this season. In his past five games, Okafor has made 16-of-20 free throws and forced teams to think twice about implementing the “Hack-a-Shaq” strategy for the center. If Okafor can continue to stay focused on the court and improve on both ends of the floor, the former Blue Devil will remain in contention for postseason honors all year long.
Justise Winslow, Miami Heat
As the season has progressed, the Heat coaches have been more willing to put Winslow on the court. This week, Winslow averaged 31 minutes per game as his team dropped two of three games to Eastern Conference opponents. Although Winslow hasn’t been great offensively—averaging just 5.3 points per contest in the three-game stretch—he has been a monster on the glass, grabbing seven rebounds against the New York Knicks and eight rebounds against the Detroit Pistons. Under the tutelage of veteran Dwyane Wade, expect Winslow to continue to receive more playing time as he improves on both sides of the ball.
Jabari Parker, Milwaukee Bucks
Coming off an ACL tear, it isn’t surprising to see Parker return a little rusty and play limited minutes. The former Blue Devil has struggled with his efficiency at times and has shot only 44-percent from the floor in his last three games. But Parker appears to be regaining form as a scoring threat, even though he only averaged little more than 20 minutes per game this week. Look for Parker to earn more and more minutes as the year progresses and begin to make a bigger impact for the struggling Bucks.
J.J. Redick, Los Angeles Clippers
Fans saw two different J.J. Redick's this week. Redick made only 1-of-6 shots from the floor and finished with just three points Wednesday against the Jazz. But the sharpshooter took his play to another level on Friday and Sunday against the Pelicans and Timberwolves. In Friday's game, Redick made 8-of-14 shots from the floor—including all three of his triples—and finished with 20 points. The shooting guard followed it up the next game by nailing 7-of-12 shots from the floor for 18 points in a victory against the Timberwolves. With the Clippers now riding a three-game winning streak after early-season struggles, Redick will have to continue playing at a high level to help his team compete in the West.
Austin Rivers, Los Angeles Clippers
Similar to his teammate, Rivers had an up and down week for the Clippers as well. Rivers started the week strong and was a game-changer Friday against the Pelicans as he shot 7-of-11 from the floor with 17 points. But in his team's next two games, Rivers shot a combined 4-of-13 against and averaged only 21 minutes per contest.
As Chris Paul's backup, Rivers will certainly see time on the floor as he spells the veteran floor general. But the Clippers will need the former Blue Devil to embrace his role as a floor-general and get others involved to help the team's second-unit carry the team.
Mason Plumlee, Portland Trail Blazers
Plumlee appears to have found himself in his third season in the NBA. On Tuesday against Chicago, Plumlee recorded his third straight double-double and grabbed a career-high 17 rebounds.
Although the center struggled later in the week against the Lakers, Plumlee still recorded six points, four rebounds and four assists, showing that he can make an impact all across the floor when needed. If the former Blue Devil can fix his struggles with foul trouble and continue attacking the glass, Plumlee will continue to be a key cog for the Trail Blazers going forward.
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