With a little more than a third of the NBA season in the books, the Blue Zone takes a look at how some former Blue Devils are doing at the next level:
Kyrie Irving, Cleveland Cavaliers
Since his return to the court against Philadelphia in late December from a fractured kneecap, Irving has played sparingly with Cavaliers head coach David Blatt placing a minutes restriction on his star point guard. The early returns from Irving are mixed as he has only played in two of the team’s last four games. But the former Blue Devil has been stellar when on the court and had a season-high 22 points in a win against Phoenix Dec. 28 and a season-high five assists to accompany 13 points in 21 minutes in a Cleveland win against Orlando Jan. 2.
Irving's biggest challenge during his return from injury has been getting his feet under his jumper as he has shot just 18 percent from three in his last two games, and 34 percent from the field on the season. With all news from Cleveland indicating that Irving’s restrictions will be completely lifted soon, his numbers appear poised to spike in the very near future.
Jahlil Okafor, Philadelphia 76ers
After missing two games in a row with a sore right knee, Okafor returned as the standout performer for a disappointing Philadelphia team. The former Blue Devil star scored a team-high 23 points in just 18 minutes of action coming off the bench against the Clippers as the 76ers were crushed 130-99 Saturday. In a rare win against Sacramento, Okafor notched a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Overall, the former Duke star has averaged 17.5 points and four rebounds in his two games since the start of the new year.
Justise Winslow, Miami Heat
After missing three games with an ankle injury, Winslow returned from injury Sunday against the Washington Wizards. Although the forward was scoreless in his 18 minutes on the court in the team's win, Winslow appeared to have his explosiveness back with a couple games of rest. A key for the former Blue Devil going forward will be continuing to improve his perimeter jumpshot while staying away from injuries.
Rodney Hood, Utah Jazz
The swingman delivered a career-best performance Saturday, leading the Jazz to a 92-87 home win against the Memphis Grizzlies with 32 points on 50 percent shooting and five 3-pointers to go along with eight rebounds. But that wasn't even the highlight of Hood's week. The Jazz announced on Twitter Sunday that Hood's fiancé, Richa Jackson—a former Blue Devil women's basketball starter—had given birth to a son, Rodney Hood. Jr.
CONGRATULATIONS to Rodney Hood and his fiancé Richa Jackson … proud parents to healthy baby boy delivered this morning - Rodney Hood, Jr. !!
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) January 3, 2016
Mason Plumlee, Portland Trail Blazers
In the midst of his best season as a professional, Plumlee struggled with an illness this week. The center averaged 7.3 points and 5.3 rebounds as his team recorded wins in two of three games. With the Blazers currently in the playoff picture in a surprisingly-weak Western Conference, the center will be counted on to help the team rebound and defend at a high level. With guards Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum leading the way on offense, Plumlee's ability to make hustle plays and affect the game in a multitude of ways will be the difference for a Portland team looking to make the playoffs.
Jabari Parker, Milwaukee Bucks
With the Bucks having lost three of their last five games, Parker’s effectiveness has wavered. During Milwaukee’s three-game losing streak, Parker only managed 6.6 points and four rebounds per game in limited minutes. In the Bucks two wins since that time, Parker has rebounded with an average of 13 points and 4.5 rebounds per contest. In a highly anticipated matchup against fellow star sophomore Andrew Wiggins, Parker had 12 points and six rebounds and while Wiggins finished with more points, Parker had the last laugh as Milwaukee beat Minnesota 95-85.
JJ Redick, Los Angeles Clippers
As the Clippers try to stay competitive in the Western Conference behind Golden State, San Antonio and Oklahoma City with star forward Blake Griffin out with a muscle tear, Redick will be leaned on for scoring following his own return from an ankle injury. The former college star has come on strong in his last few games with at least 25 points in three of his last five contests as the Clippers have won six straight. In four of those five games, Redick has shot better than 50 percent from the 3-point line and he has hit at least four threes in four of the team's last five games. In the standout performance of the week for any former Blue Devil, Redick shot 5-of-6 from three and put up 26 points in just 27 minutes to give the Clippers a close win against the Charlotte Hornets.
Austin Rivers, Los Angeles Clippers
Redick’s teammate has experienced a renaissance in the last few games as well, scoring a season-high 26 points in 25 minutes of action against Philadelphia. Rivers also chipped in 22 points in 20 minutes against Charlotte. Both performances mark a drastic step up from his season averages of 8.1 points and 1.3 assists per game. With the Clippers shorthanded without Griffin for a couple more games, Rivers has a chance to be more involved in the team's offense going forward.
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