Our next profile features alums from the gold standard of college hoops. How amazing has their run been since Mike Krzyzewski took over in the 1980-81 season? They’ve earned the number one ranking in the AP poll in 20 of 40 seasons. They’ve made the Final Four 12 times, including a stretch from 1985-86 through 1993-94 where they made 7 in 9 seasons. They’ve won five national championships, and were runner-up four other times. While they’ve consistently remained relevant in the national title picture, the quality of their NBA players has changed over time. At the beginning of Coach K’s tenure, a high percentage of their players failed to make a meaningful impact in the pros. Over time, as they’ve adapted to the “one-and-done” era, they’ve produced a steady stream of early entry stars, including three members of their starting lineup, who combined to play four collegiate seasons. The NBA Duke Blue Devils are led by 10 players from Coach K’s legendary tenure, which looks poised to continue into the foreseeable future.
Kyrie Irving didn’t exactly have a lasting impact at Duke, missing 26 games in his lone season on campus before becoming the number one pick in the NBA Draft. Despite this, he has become the greatest pro guard the school has ever produced. Irving is an unparalleled shot maker, who has thrived in clutch situations, including in the 2016 Finals, when he made one of the most important shots in NBA history. His efficiency stands out; over the past four years (from 2016-17 through 2019-20), he has shot a combined 48.2% from the field, 40.2% from three, and 89.4% the line, while scoring 24.8 points per game with a 24.0 PER and .194 WS/48. He will serve as this team’s best late game option on offense. He’s joined in the starting lineup by Jeff Mullins, a three-time all-star who scored more than 20 points per game four consecutive years in his prime with the Warriors. Mullins had good size for his position at the time (6’4”), and was able to beat opponents with his effective pull-up jumper and by driving to the hole. He and Irving will be difficult for opponents to stop, as both have well-rounded offensive games. Bob Verga is another explosive offensive option who can play either guard position off the bench. Verga was a scoring machine in his brief ABA career, which peaked in 1969-70, when he averaged 27.5 PPG and made the all-ABA first team while finishing fifth in the MVP race. He’ll be used when this team needs instant offense off the bench, and he can play alongside both starting guards. J.J. Redick is one of the modern game’s great shooters, who seems to get better with age. He will add another dimension to this team’s offensive game, as his floor spacing will create room for all of their primary options.
To date, Grant Hill is the only Naismith Hall-of-Famer to attend Duke. Hill was one of the league’s great playmakers from the small forward position, and may be the best passer on this team. One of the most impressive parts of Hill’s career is the way he battled through years of injuries and remade his game into an effective supporting role with Phoenix. He can wear multiple hats on this team; lead play maker and primary ball-handler as he played in his Detroit days, or 3-and-D complementary piece as he played in Phoenix. Luol Deng was a rock-solid pro who gave his all for the Tom Thibodeau Chicago Bulls teams of the 2010s. A two-time all-star, he was a standout defensive player who proved to be a very effective stretch-four in Miami (after playing small forward most of his career), before his career cratered in Los Angeles. Deng adds a much-needed defensive presence for the starting lineup, and Shane Battier, the famed “no-stats all-star” will do the same off the bench. Battier is another valuable 3-and-D piece who can easily slot into the starting lineup when needed and guard the opposing team’s best player. Corey Maggette is another swingman who may be this team’s best athlete. Maggette was an underrated scorer who had a tremendous ability to draw fouls, where he sank over 82% of his shots for his career. A three-time 20+ PPG scorer, he did most of his damage from the mid-range and in, and he’ll add another dimension for this team on offense. Mike Dunleavy Jr. was an excellent role player who could play multiple positions while also spacing the floor. In the modern game, he’d be a prototypical four, who can switch on to smaller players when needed.
Elton Brand will start as this team’s center. Brand was an excellent pro who helped the Clippers briefly escape the doldrums in the early 2000s. In Brand’s first eight seasons as a pro, before he ruptured his Achilles’ tendon in his ninth season and moved to a different phase of his career, he averaged 20.3 PPG, 10.2 RPG, and 2.1 blocks per game, on 50.5% shooting from the field with 22.7 PER and .168 WS/48. His long arms, stout frame, and ability to protect the rim will help him man the middle despite his relatively short stature (6’8”). Off the bench, Carlos Boozer was another 20/10 guy in his prime, who mastered the pick-and-pop game in his seasons with the Jazz. The league has evolved and power forwards like Boozer who don’t switch or protect the rim on defense or space the floor on offense are not as prevalent in today’s game, but this team can experiment with Boozer at center backing up Brand or playing alongside Elton in more traditional lineups. Christian Laettner is this team’s tallest player at 6’11, and he’ll serve as Brand’s primary backup off the bench. Laettner had a somewhat underrated pro career, averaging 17.2 PPG, 8.2 RPG, 3.1 APG, 1.2 SPG, and 1.0 BPG over his first five seasons, and he likely could have extended the range on his jump shot out to the three-point line in the modern-day game.
This team’s positional versatility will be tremendous, as they sport a high volume of long, athletic wings that are the biggest asset in the modern-day game. They will feature Battier, Deng, and Hill in their best defensive lineups, and their offense will run primarily through Hill, Irving, and Brand. The fourth-rated team in our tournament, they have an intriguing first-round matchup against the NBA Minnesota Golden Gophers.
