With the start of the new NBA season, several former Duke basketball stars have been making an impact at the highest level of professional basketball. The Blue Zone is here to look at their recent performances:
Jared McCain
In a tight game between the Charlotte Hornets and Philadelphia 76ers, rookie Jared McCain stepped up and performed in the dying minutes. The Duke alum scored a then career-high of 27 points to give Philadelphia a 107-105 overtime win. Taking a closer look, McCain had 13 points in the fourth quarter and overtime, showcasing his ability to deliver under pressure in the atmosphere of the NBA.
The former Blue Devil’s highly-skilled performances did not come to a halt though. McCain continued to dominate by dropping 23 points in the following game against the New York Knicks, before totaling a staggering 34 points and 10 assists in a narrow loss against the Cleveland Cavaliers Wednesday.
In his only season with Duke, McCain started all 36 games and averaged 14.3 points per game. After being selected as the 16th overall in the first round of the 2024 NBA draft, Blue Devil fans have great hopes for McCain’s success in the league. The Sacramento, Calif., native has proven to be a vital scorer for the 76ers, filling the gap in their offense as guard Tyrese Maxey has been out with a hamstring injury.
Over the past three games, McCain has averaged 33 minutes and 28 points per game, exhibiting his electric shooting abilities and his potential to become a key player for Philadelphia as early as his rookie year.
Kyle Filipowski
In light of all the fresh talent in the NBA, former Duke basketball star Kyle Filipowski has also been excelling, reaching a career-high of 18 points Tuesday against the Phoenix Sun. After being selected as the 32nd overall pick in last year’s NBA draft, Filipowski continues to manufacture a defining role on the Utah Jazz this season.
Filipowski has had to work to compete for playing time besides Taylor Hendricks and Lauri Markkanen in Utah’s backcourt. The former Blue Devil’s role on the Jazz has experienced constant fluctuation this season. Against the San Antonio Spurs, Filipowski amassed 25 minutes of playing time, but only totaled four minutes on the court in Utah's previous encounter with the Milwaukee Bucks. Overall, though, the Middletown, N.Y., native’s playing time has continued to increase throughout the season, and the Blue Devil alum seemed to experience a breakthrough in his early NBA early career after his standout performance against Phoenix, which included six rebounds, two assists and two blocks.
When Filipowski fashioned the Duke blue, he was the seventh Blue Devil in the last 50 years to reach the 1,000 point milestone in just two seasons. Filipowski promises to continue to earn more minutes with the Jazz by combining great scoring with solid all-around play.
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