As basketball season approaches, the Blue Zone provides a detailed preview of each player on Duke men's basketball's 2024-25 roster. We’ve already looked at Cameron Sheffield, Patrick Ngongba II, Darren Harris, Isaiah Evans and Mason Gillis and Maliq Brown. Next up is graduate guard Sion James:
Sion James
Year: Graduate Student
Height: 6-foot-6
Position: Guard
2023-24 stat line: 14.0 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 2.7 APG
Game breakdown: James joins the Blue Devils after a four-year career at Tulane, where he started in 107 of 114 possible games for the Green Wave. Throughout his undergraduate career, he averaged 9.5 points per game and 4.6 rebounds per game; however, these numbers jumped up to 14.0 points and 5.4 rebounds per game during his senior year. The Sugar Hill, Ga., native scored 20 or more points in six different contests last season, with his highest total coming in the American Athletic Conference tournament when he dropped 28 on North Texas.
James possesses an excellent frame, coming in at a bulky 6-foot-6, 220 pounds. His size allows him to be very physical at the rim by finishing through contact, and also helps him hang with larger players down low on defense. James’ 3-point shot is still improving, as his percentage from beyond the arc jumped from 31.7 to 38.1 between his junior and senior years, a trait that certainly will help him translate to the ACC. The transfer also added 23 blocks and 50 steals last year for Tulane, making him a valuable defensive piece on any roster.
Role on the team: While a starting spot is not guaranteed due to the immense talent on Duke’s roster, James will certainly be a mainstay in the rotation throughout the year. His veteran leadership should prove valuable to a guard room of mostly youngsters, as someone who has faced four years of NCAA competition. Additionally, the graduate transfer should be able to feasibly defend against guards, forwards and maybe even some smaller centers, possessing defensive versatility that head coach Jon Scheyer will welcome with open arms. On offense, the former Green Wave should have no trouble getting into the lane with his imposing frame and showed a strong finishing ability at the rim during Countdown to Craziness. Also at Countdown, James also knocked down both triples he attempted, giving the Blue Devils another capable shooter beyond the arc. While he likely won’t lead the team in points, James will be one of Scheyer’s top weapons on defense and one of the team's best defenders on the perimeter, meaning opponent guards should expect to see James often.
NBA Comparison: When I think of NBA players to compare James to, Oklahoma City Thunder guard Luguentz Dort immediately jumps to mind. While the 6-foot-4 Canadian is not as big as the Blue Devil, their roles on their respective teams should be very similar. With the Thunder, Dort has been a solid contributor on offense, averaging 12.8 points per game for his career while shooting nearly 35% from three as a secondary scoring option. James could feasibly put up similar numbers, as these compare well to the stats he had during his Tulane career. However, their impact on the defensive end is what makes them so similar. Dort, aptly nicknamed “The Dorture Chamber,” hounds opposing guards on the defensive end, relieving pressure off star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in the backcourt. James should be able to provide this same benefit, fitting in as an elite defensive piece and solid secondary scorer.
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