With teams making late pushes for the playoffs and the season winding down, the Blue Zone takes a look at what some former Blue Devils are doing in the NBA:
Quinn Cook filling in exceptionally well for Curry
Quinn Cook is in a place he probably never expected when he signed with the Warriors: emerging as one of the team’s top scorers.
With Stephen Curry out due to an ankle injury, Cook has taken full advantage while running the offense for the Warriors. He has dropped 20-plus points in his last three games, including a 28-point outburst Saturday in a win against the Phoenix Suns. Cook has been particularly hot from deep, nailing 12 of his last 22 3-point tries.
The Warriors would still certainly like Curry back—they have dropped four of six games without him—but Cook has gone above and beyond expectations in replacing him. Curry expects to return Friday against the Atlanta Hawks.
Jayson Tatum heating up for Celtics
After a slight dip in performance in January and February for the rookie sensation, Tatum has gotten his shot back.
Tatum dropped 23 points in just 27 minutes in a loss to New Orleans Sunday, going 9-of-14 from the floor. Overall, Tatum is averaging 15.3 points per game in seven March contests, shooting nearly 40 percent from deep and scoring in double digits in every game but one.
Tatum also presented Duke commit and current high school senior R.J. Barrett with the Gatorade National Player of the Year award earlier in the week.
Irving and Ingram still out
Ex-Duke star and fellow Celtic Kyrie Irving has been out with a knee injury for the past four games, although the injury does not appear serious. The injury has been described as merely "left knee soreness” and Celtics head coach Brad Stevens said he was close to being able to play against the Pelicans Sunday, but is still out Tuesday night against the Thunder.
"I think he feels better and better," Celtics head coach Brad Stevens said. “He just doesn't quite feel 100 percent. So until that point then he'll be out. There was a chance that he would play (against the Pelicans). He just didn't quite feel that. And, again, we're going to make sure that he feels that way.
Irving has been an elite scorer for Boston this year, dropping 24.4 points and dishing out 5.1 assists per game.
Second-year Lakers forward Brandon Ingram has been out since Mar. 1st, when ex-Duke star Justise Winslow collided with him, straining Ingram’s left groin in the process. He will begin to practice this week while the Lakers are in New Orleans before their matchup Thursday night.
Ingram had improved significantly in his second season with Los Angeles, averaging 16.2 points per game behind a 38.0 percent 3-point shooting clip.
Jabari Parker back to making impact for Bucks
After missing extended time due to his second ACL tear, Parker’s playing time has steadily increased and he has begun to make more of an impact.
He threw down two huge dunks against the Hawks Saturday, scoring 15 points while paying 21 minutes in a Milwaukee win.
Parker returned to action Feb. 2 and has shown no ill effects from the injury thus far. Parker has played between 21 and 25 minutes in every game in March thus far for the Bucks, which currently hold the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
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Managing Editor 2018-19, 2019-2020 Features & Investigations Editor
A member of the class of 2020 hailing from San Mateo, Calif., Ben is The Chronicle's Towerview Editor and Investigations Editor. Outside of the Chronicle, he is a public policy major working towards a journalism certificate, has interned at the Tampa Bay Times and NBC News and frequents Pitchforks.