With the midway point of the NBA season upon us, the Blue Zone takes a look at how some former Duke stars are doing in the association:
J.J. Redick, Los Angeles Clippers
Normally, Redick is not the first option among a myriad of weapons in the Clippers’ offensive arsenal. But when called for, the former Blue Devil showed he could rise to the occasion. Redick did exactly that in his team's 140-132 triple overtime victory against the Houston Rockets Monday night, dropping 40 points on 11-of-19 shooting from the field, including nine treys.
The big performance from the guard has nearly pushed his numbers into the illustrious 50-50-90 club. Redick is currently shooting 49 percent from the field, 50 percent from deep and 89.5 percent from the charity stripe. Having won 11 of their last 12 games despite the absence of All-Star Blake Griffin, Redick is in the midst of one of his best season in the league has proved himself as a potential go-to scorer for the team going forward
Kyrie Irving, Cleveland Cavaliers
Irving's play is slowly picking up after his return from a knee injury. In the last 10 games, the guard has put up 17.8 points and 4.1 assists per contest, serving as one of the few reliable options for LeBron James to share the ball with on the offensive end. Irving showcased some of his mind-numbing ball-handling talents Friday against the Rockets:
With his return, Cleveland has finally put all the pieces of the puzzle together and a healthy championship lineup has emerged—on paper. The illusion was partly shattered Monday night when defending champion Golden State absolutely crushed the Cavaliers in a 132-98 victory. Irving finished with only eight points was no match for Stephen Curry and the rest of the Warrior offense. If Cleveland finds it annoying to have the away locker room still “smell a little bit like champagne”, Irving and James must step up and lead their team to the next level.
Jahlil Okafor, Philadelphia 76ers
The Chicago native struggle in a matchup against his hometown team. The rookie's 12 points were not enough to keep the 76ers in the game as they lost 115-111 in overtime after a sensational 53-point performance from Butler.
Okafor quickly found his shooting touch again and tallied a double-double with 25 points and 10 rebounds against Portland to give his team their fifth victory of the season. Despite the 76ers rough start to the season, Okafor has become a consistent offensive presence for the team, averaging 17.3 points and 6.2 rebounds per contest in his last ten games.
Justise Winslow, Miami Heat
With big man Hassan Whiteside back in the starting lineup, Winslow has returned to the bench in the past three games. Although he has made a name for himself on the defensive end, the athletic forward’s offensive output has been marginal. Winslow has not scored in double-figures since mid-December and is only getting 5.0 shot attempts per game in January, averaging 3.4 points per game on 28 percent shooting from the floor.
The problem with the former Blue Devil has been his struggles shooting from the perimeter and especially the corner three. The Heat have enough penetrators and ball handlers, but they need as many catch-and-shoot players as possible to play around Dwyane Wade and Whiteside. The sooner Winslow can fill that slot, the easier it will be for him to extend his talent beyond defense.
Jabari Parker, Milwaukee Bucks
In the past 10 games, the former Duke star is averaging 13.3 points and 5.2 rebounds per game and choosing his shot carefully with a 52 percent clip from the field. From time to time, Parker has found himself on highlight reels with his explosive leaping ability allowing him to posterize opponents above the rim. In a matchup against Winslow's Heat, Parker recorded nine points and three assists and helped his team win its third consecutive game. A big change that appears to be helping the forward with his game is a transition to the four position, where he can better utilize his offensive repertoire.
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