Category Archives: NBA

Shane Battier, Miles Plumlee last Blue Devils standing in the playoffs

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And then there were two.

When the NBA playoffs kicked off last month there were 10 former Duke players who were hoping to hoist the Larry O’Brien Trophy. Now that 12 teams have been eliminated, there are just two Blue Devils still hoping to be champions.

Chris Duhon, Mike Dunleavy, Grant Hill, Dahntay Jones, Shavlik Randolph and J.J. Redick all were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs, with Duhon’s Lakers and Dunleavy and Redick’s Bucks swept in four straight games.

In the Conference Semifinals, Bulls teammates Luol Deng and Carlos Boozer were sent home. While Boozer was productive throughout the playoffs, averaging 16.4 points and 9.6 rebounds per game, Deng was on the sidelines for the entirety of the Conference Semifinals due to illness and then complications from a spinal tap.

Miles Plumlee's Indiana Pacers are still in the playoffs, though Plumlee hasn't played in any postseason games. Julia May/The Chronicle

Miles Plumlee’s Indiana Pacers are still in the playoffs, though Plumlee hasn’t played in any postseason games. Julia May/The Chronicle

With eight Blue Devils down, the only representatives from Duke remaining are rookie Miles Plumlee of the Indiana Pacers and Shane Battier of the reigning champion Miami Heat.

Plumlee’s Pacers won a physical series against the Knicks to earn the right to play the Heat in the Conference Finals, but Plumlee has yet to appear in a single playoff game. He only appeared in 14 games this season for Indiana.

Battier took a much more active role in his team’s road to the Conference Finals, helping the Heat defeat the Milwaukee Bucks and Chicago Bulls. Though Battier’s offense has slumped in the playoffs—he’s averaging 5.6 points on lowly 26 percent shooting—he is an invaluable part of the Heat defense. Battier will surely see plenty of Indiana forward and Most Improved Player of the Year Paul George when the Eastern Conference Finals begin Wednesday night.

If the Pacers defy odds and win the NBA championship, Plumlee will become just the third Blue Devil from the Mike Krzyzewski era to win the title, joining Danny Ferry (2003 with the San Antonio Spurs) and Batter, who won last season. Battier, should Miami repeat, will be the first Duke player to win titles in back-to-back seasons.

Mason Plumlee continues with athletic drills and interviews at NBA Draft Combine

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After taking his official measurements yesterday at the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago, former

Duke forward Mason Plumlee continued with athletic drills Friday.

According to ESPN’s NBA Draft insider Chad Ford, Plumlee impressed the scouts with his performance in the lane agility drill and the three-quarter court sprint.

Plumlee also recorded a 36-inch vertical leap, which was three inches more than Pittsburgh center Steven Adams, who is gaining considerable steam as a potential lottery pick thanks to a strong showing this weekend in Chicago. Last year at the NBA Draft Combine, Mason’s older brother Miles shocked the scouts with a 40.5-inch vertical leap.

Mason Plumlee followed that up with a standing vertical leap of 30.5 inches, which was five inches less than another big man with lottery aspirations, Indiana’s Cody Zeller.

In addition to competing in athletic drills, Plumlee has also had the opportunity to interview with NBA coaches and executives at the NBA Draft Combine. Many scouts and GMs point to the interviews as the most important part of the combine. Plumlee posted a picture of his interview schedule on Instagram the other day. His schedule included 13 NBA teams, including nine lottery teams.

Have a few more interviews today !

Plumlee has already started scheduling individual workouts with some teams. The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Keith Pompey reported that Plumlee has scheduled a private workout with the Philadelphia 76ers.

The 76ers are projected to pick No. 11 in the draft this season, though the final draft order won’t be official until after the draft lottery takes place May 21.

Duke basketball alumni measure up at the combine

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Duke’s trio of seniors, Mason Plumlee, Ryan Kelly and Seth Curry, are not participating in drills at the NBA draft combine in Chicago, but they did get measured along with the other draft hopefuls. Here are some interesting measurement notes, as per ESPN’s Chad Ford. The official measurements—which are expected to match Ford’s—will be released today.

Mason Plumlee measured taller than expected at the NBA draft combine.

Mason Plumlee measured taller than expected at the NBA draft combine.

    • Duke prospects stand taller than expected: All three of Plumlee, Kelly and Curry recorded heights in shoes taller than the playing heights listed for them by the Blue Devils this season. Curry measured in at 6-foot-3, a full inch taller than expected. For a guard who will make his living as a shooting guard, every inch will count. Kelly was only slightly taller than expected, coming in a shade under 7-feet tall after being listed at 6-foot-11 this season. Plumlee’s size may be the most important as far as draft stock is concerned. Plumlee was 6-foot-11.25 in socks after being sized at 6-foot-10 this season. Measuring half an inch above 7 feet wearing shoes, Plumlee was one of only seven big men to record heights greater than 7-feet, which may help teams see Plumlee as an option at the center spot.
Ryan Kelly's body fat is up, but it is probably due to his injury trouble this past season. Photo by Jisoo Yoon/The Chronicle

Ryan Kelly’s body fat is up, but it is may be due to his injury trouble this past season. Photo by Jisoo Yoon/The Chronicle

  • Injuries cause weight gain/muscle loss: Kelly and Curry dealt with injuries for much of the 2012-13 season, and now it’s showing at the combine. Kelly recorded the highest body fat, coming at at 14.8 percent. Though his body fat is up, his weight is actually down two pounds from his playing weight. The expectation is that when healthy the body fat will be solved. The same can be said for Curry. Curry was tied for the fourth highest body fat figure—second highest among guards behind just Providence’s Ricky Ledo. His weight, however, was almost six pounds lower than the number listed by Duke.
  • Duke players have short arms: At least comparatively. Curry’s wingspan is only 6-foot-4, which is only an inch longer than his height. The concern with Curry is that guards who need to create their own shot—as Curry will need to do as a 3-point shooter—need the length to do so.  Kelly and Plumlee both had wingspans shorter than their heights. This could be especially problematic for Plumlee. Even though his height is impressive, he has a shorter wingspan than a number of shorter big men who could go in the first round, such as Steven Adams, Gorgui Dieng and C.J. Leslie. One player of note with a shorter wingspan than Plumlee was Cody Zeller, who was the same exact height as the Duke grad.

Mason Plumlee pulls out of NBA draft combine

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Today is the start of the NBA Draft Combine, but not even the lone healthy Blue Devil draft hopeful will be participating in drills.

According to ESPN’s Chad Ford, Plumlee will only go through medical testing and conduct interviews.

Others who won’t be doing drills include Lehigh’s C.J. McCollum, Indiana’s Cody Zeller and Syracuse’s Michael Carter-Williams, all of whom are lottery hopefuls.

Though Plumlee won’t be doing drills, Ford did get to see Plumlee in Chicago a few days ago, and came away impressed.

In a piece for ESPN, Ford notes that scouts aren’t in love with Plumlee, but Ford himself is very high on the Duke big man.

Plumlee is 23, and for NBA teams, that’s akin to having an infectious disease. Despite his improvements on the court, scouts have been reluctant to put him back into the top 10. I understand the hesitation because of his age. Virtually every advanced metric says age is a strong predictor of NBA success or failure. But with Plumlee, I’m not so sure.

Mason Plumlee won't be competing in drills at the NBA draft combine today. (Photo by Elysia Su/The Chronicle)

Mason Plumlee won’t be competing in drills at the NBA draft combine today. (Photo by Elysia Su/The Chronicle)

For Ford, Plumlee’s biggest asset, just like older brother Miles, is his athleticism.

Athletically, Plumlee is among the top two or three big men in the draft. Nerlens Noel is the only player who clearly looks bouncier. However, there are things Plumlee can do that no other big in this draft can. He has great hands, can catch and finish on the run and plays with power in the post.

Ford notes that Plumlee’s lack of length, uninspiring shot blocking, and “work-in-progress” jumper have scared off teams. Though scouts are afraid, Plumlee’s agent, Mark Bartelstein, is not concerned with his client’s draft stock.

Plumlee’s agent, Mark Bartelstein, is fairly certain Plumlee is a top-10 pick, maybe even top-five. Bartelstein is so certain that he’s pulling Plumlee out of the drills portion of the draft combine Thursday.

I’m not sure I see him going that high. I know most of the scouts I talk to don’t. However, Bartelstein has a point. If a team wants an athletic big, how can they really pass on him?

Although he is not participating in drills, Plumlee’s draft stock can improve this weekend based on his interviews with interested teams and the performances of his fellow big men. A lot can change before the draft takes place, as the draft order has yet to even be determined. Plumlee can safely expect to hear his name called in the first round, but what pick is still very much up for debate.

Duke basketball alumnus Kyle Singler named to All-Rookie second team

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Duke had two former players drafted in the first round of the 2012 NBA Draft, but neither Austin Rivers nor Miles Plumlee was honored Tuesday with All-Rookie team selections.

Kyle Singler was named to the NBA All-Rookie second team after averaging 8.8 points and 4.0 rebounds during his first season in the league.

Kyle Singler was named to the NBA All-Rookie second team after averaging 8.8 points and 4.0 rebounds during his first season in the league.

Instead, it was the 33rd overall selection in the 2011 draft who received hardware. Kyle Singler was named to the NBA All-Rookie second team after averaging 8.8 points and 4.0 rebounds during his first season with the Detroit Pistons. Singler played in all 82 games for the Pistons, starting 74 of them.

Duke associate head coach Steve Wojciechowski tweeted out his congratulations to Singler for his accomplishment.

Singler was a rookie this season after spending the lockout-shortened 2011 season playing in Spain first for Lucentum, then later for Real Madrid. Singler is under contract with Detroit for the next two seasons and is expected to be an important part of the Pistons’ rebuilding efforts.

Singler was joined on the All-Rookie second team by teammate Andre Drummond (UConn), Jonas Valanciunas (Lithuania), Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (Kentucky) and Tyler Zeller (North Carolina).

NBA playoffs kick off Saturday with 10 Blue Devils

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The NBA playoffs kicks off Saturday at 3:00 with the New York Knicks hosting the Boston Celtics. There will be a strong Duke presence in the playoffs this season, as 10 Blue Devils are employed by teams who made the post season. Here’s a rundown of who is still playing for the Larry O’Brien trophy:

Battier and the Heat are favorites to win the Larry O'Brien trophy for the second consecutive season

Battier and the Heat are favorites to win the Larry O’Brien trophy for the second consecutive season

Shane Battier, Miami Heat: Battier and the Heat are once again the favorites to win the NBA title. Battier isn’t the type to stuff a statsheet, but he will be a vital part of the Heat’s playoff rotation. The 6-foot-8 forward will be tasked with defending some of the game’s best scorers and will be counted on to be a marksman from beyond the arc, where he shot 43 percent this season.

Carlos Boozer, Chicago Bulls: Boozer proved to everyone this season that he is still a productive starting power forward, averaging 16.2 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. With Derrick Rose missing the entire season and Luol Deng, Richard Hamilton and Joakim Noah fighting injuries of their own, Boozer provided the Bulls with some much needed stability in the starting lineup. Chicago will need Boozer to continue being an offensive force if they hope to best the Brooklyn Nets in the first round.

Luol Deng, Chicago Bulls: Deng had been fighting a hip injury earlier this month but played close to a full compliment of minutes over the Bulls’ final five games of the regular season. One of two Chicago All-Stars this season, Deng led his team in scoring at 16.5 points per game, becoming the team’s No. 1 option in the absence of Derrick Rose. In addition to his offensive contributions, Deng will be asked to defend first Joe Johnson of the Nets, then LeBron James if the Bulls advance to the second round.

Chris Duhon, Los Angeles Lakers: Duhon played in just 46 games this season, averaging 2.9

Duhon's Lakers surprised the NBA world by earning the No. 7 seed in the West without Kobe Bryant.

Duhon’s Lakers surprised the NBA world by earning the No. 7 seed in the West without Kobe Bryant.

points and 2.9 assists per game. Even with starting point guard Steve Nash ailing and his former head coach Mike D’Antoni patrolling the sidelines, Duhon has appeared in just four games since the start of March. He doesn’t figure to see much playing time, if any, unless there is a slew of injuries in the Laker backcourt.

Mike Dunleavy, Milwaukee Bucks: Dunleavy has been a key part of the Bucks’ bench this season, averaging 10.5 points per game while shooting 42.8 percent from 3-point range. Dunleavy’s production had slipped after the All-Star break in mid-February, but he re-found his form in April, averaging 12.0 points per game for the month. He’ll join J.J. Redick as another scorer off the bench in his team’s first round matchup against the Miami Heat.

Grant Hill, Los Angeles Clippers: Age may have finally caught up to the 18-year NBA veteran. Hill played in just 29 games this season due to injury and has played in just two games in the month of April. Hill may not see too many minuts behind Caron Butler and Matt Barnes at the small forward, but will provide his team with needed veteran leadership as the Clippers try to prove they’re the team to watch in Los Angeles.

Dahntay Jones, Atlanta Hawks: Jones was acquired by the Hawks in a midseason trade with the Dallas Mavericks, but his role didn’t change too much when he made the move to Atlanta. It is hard to tell what sort of factor Jones will be in the playoffs considering the Hawks have been resting most of their regulars over the past few games. When Jones is on the court he’ll provide gritty defense, but won’t do much in the way of offense.

Plumlee will likely watch most of the playoffs from the bench his rookie season. Julia May/The Chronicle

Plumlee will likely watch most of the playoffs from the bench his rookie season. Julia May/The Chronicle

Miles Plumlee, Indiana Pacers: Plumlee appeared in just 14 games in his rookie season with the Pacers, spending much of his time honing his skills in the NBA Development League. Plumlee will not see significant minutes unless the Indiana frontcourt is completely decimated by injuries.

Shavlik Randolph, Boston Celtics: Randolph was in training camp with the Washington Wizards, but took his talents to China when he was released. Now, Randolph is back in the NBA and is making a surprisingly large contribution to the Celtics. Randolph is averaging 12.4 minutes per game over his first 16 in Boston, scoring 4.2 points and grabbing 4.4 rebounds per game. He will play scrappy defense when giving Kevin Garnett a breather.

J.J. Redick, Milwaukee Bucks: Redick was enjoying a career-year in Orlando before being shipped to the Bucks at the trade deadline. Despite seeing his points per game drop more than two points since the trade, Redick is still a feared shooter and a potent scorer off the bench to compliment talented starting guards Monta Ellis and Brandon Jennings. He is Milwaukee’s sixth man this postseason.