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Grant Hill, Jayson Tatum among top 10 NBA players to come from Duke under Coach K – CBS Sports
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It’s been more than 43 years since Duke hired Mike Krzyzewski away from Army to coach the Blue Devils. Since that moment, Coach K racked up 1,202 wins, helped Duke win five national championships and produced All-Americans, NBA Draft lottery picks and dozens of NBA players. Coach K also produced four No. 1 overall picks in his tenure: Paolo Banchero, Zion Williamson, Kyrie Irving and Elton Brand.
Not every elite college player he coached went on to have an MVP-type peak in the NBA. The program’s most iconic player and notable “Duke villain” Christian Laettner isn’t on this list, but he still went on to have a lengthy NBA career, highlighted by an appearance in the 1997 NBA All-Star game.
Grant Hill is ranked as the player who had the best NBA peak under Coach K. During his 18-year NBA career, Hill established himself as one of the best do-it-all players in the game. Current Boston Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum is second on the list and it appears he hasn’t reached his ceiling.
CBS Sports previously ranked the NBA peaks of Kentucky players under John Calipari and Kansas players under Bill Self. Here is the list of the greatest NBA players at their peak out of Duke by Krzyzewski.
Hill dealt with a nagging ankle injury which forced him to miss significant time during the peak of his NBA career. After averaging 25.8 points, 6.6 rebounds and 5.2 assists during the 1999-2000 season with the Detroit Pistons, Hill was traded to the Orlando Magic where he missed almost all of his first season with the team. Hill was one of only three players in NBA history at the time to lead their teams in scoring, rebounding and assists more than once, joining Wilt Chamberlain and Elgin Baylor. Hill and Chamberlain were the only two players in league history at the time to lead their teams in points, rebounds and assists per game three times. Hill went on to become a seven-time NBA All-Star and made the All-NBA team five times during his career. If he stayed healthy, it’s very possible Hill could’ve racked up even more accolades.
Tatum is coming off the best season of his career and averaged 30.1 points, 8.8 rebounds and 4.6 assists for the Celtics. Tatum made All-NBA First Team and finished fourth in NBA MVP voting behind Joel Embiid, Nikola Jokić and Giannis Antetokounmpo. The best years of his career are ahead of him and the Celtics dynamic duo of Tatum and Jaylen Brown are locked up for years to come. As a rookie, Tatum helped the Celtics reach the Eastern Conference Finals. The four-time NBA All-Star earned NBA Eastern Conference Finals MVP in 2022 before the Celtics lost in the NBA Finals to the Golden State Warriors.
Irving’s Duke career was short-lived as the former No. 1 overall pick only appeared in nine games before the Cleveland Cavaliers drafted him in 2011. His NBA career can be described as a rollercoaster. During the 2015 NBA Finals, Irving fractured his left kneecap in Game 1 of the series, which forced him to miss the remainder of the series. Irving hit one of the most iconic shots in NBA history one year later — a stepback 3-pointer with the game tied at 89 in Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals to put the Cavs ahead of the 73-9 Warriors for good. Not only did the Cavs beat arguably the greatest team of all time, but completed the first 3-1 comeback in NBA Finals history. Since then, Irving has been on three teams (Celtics, Nets and Mavericks) and he just signed a three-year deal this offseason to stay in Dallas.
Williamson is one of the greatest mysteries in the NBA. When he’s healthy, he looks like an MVP candidate. Before Victor Wembanyama came along, Williamson was considered arguably the most hyped-up NBA prospect behind LeBron James. During his four-year NBA career, he’s only appeared in 114 total games. He missed the entire 2021-22 NBA season and only played in 29 games last year. The averages he put up in those 29 games: 26.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 4.6 assists. He averaged 27.0 points and 7.2 rebounds during the 2020-21 season and made the NBA All-Star team. Pure talent will never be a concern for Williamson because when healthy he’s one of the best players in the league. The biggest question mark going forward for his career is how healthy can/will he be for the rest of his career.
As a rookie, Brand put up impressive numbers, averaging 20.1 points and 10 rebounds and put up a similar stat line the following season. His peak came in the mid-2000s when he averaged a career-high 24.7 points to go along with 10 rebounds per game. After that 2005-06 season, Brand’s numbers declined. The two-time NBA All-Star played in over 1,000 games in his NBA career and protected the rim well during his 17-year career. Brand averaged 1.7 blocks in his career, including averaging 2.5 blocks during the 2005-06 season in which he earned All-NBA Second Team.
Ingram is coming off the best season of his NBA career and the long-term health of Willamson will determine if he will be the No. 1 option going forward for the Pelicans. After starting his career with the Los Angeles Lakers, Ingram was traded to New Orleans in the Anthony Davis deal. Ingram averaged 24.7 points, 5.5 rebounds and a career-high 5.8 assists this past season but the Pelicans lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the No. 9 vs. No. 10 play-in game. Being the No. 1 option in New Orleans is a true possibility if Williamson can’t get healthy.
Deng didn’t put up eye-popping stats during his 16-year NBA career and his peak came in the middle of his career during the early 2010s. Deng was a defensive anchor for the Chicago Bulls during the peak Derrick Rose seasons. Deng never averaged more than 20 points in a single season, but his impact on the defensive end was felt in big moments because he took on the task of guarding each team’s best player. That’s what he will be remembered for most.
After only one season in the league, Banchero is already climbing up the leaderboards for the best NBA players to come out of Duke. Banchero averaged 20 points and nearly seven rebounds in his first season, en route to winning NBA Rookie of the Year. Banchero’s bruising style of play makes him one of the most versatile young players in the league. The Magic appear to be close to getting out of a long rebuild and Banchero will certainly be the centerpiece of the organization for years to come.
Redick is one of the best 3-point shooters in NBA history and ranks 18th all-time in 3-pointers made with 1,950 during his 15-year NBA career. Redick’s professional career included 14 playoff appearances, but he is better known for his college career with the Blue Devils. Redick joined players such as Laettner on the “Duke villain” list and was one of the most notable college basketball players in the 21st century. Redick was never a No. 1 option on an NBA team he played on, but his shooting provided great value for playoff runs.
Boozer is one of the top second-round draft picks from the 21st Century. He was drafted by the Cavs in the 2002 NBA Draft and played two seasons with the team before signing with the Utah Jazz in free agency. The move out west proved to be the best decision of his career. With the Jazz, he became a two-time NBA All-Star and had some of the best seasons of his career. Boozer elected to sign with the Bulls in free agency in 2010 but his career wasn’t the same. He spent four seasons with the Bulls and played the final season of his NBA career with the Lakers during the 2014-15 season.
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