Stay or Go: Should Nets bring back David Duke Jr.?
Every potential contender needs to hit on the fringes of their roster to properly fill their rotation for a run. With their cap space often largely dedicated to stars, limited flexibility makes finding a diamond in the rough late in the draft or via undrafted free agents crucial.
Brooklyn, trying to build a winner around Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and for a time James Harden, did their best to find those diamonds. One of their hopes was David Duke Jr., an undrafted, physical guard they signed to a two-way prior to last season.
Duke Jr. played three seasons at Providence, averaging a career-high 16.8 points, 6.3 rebounds and 4.8 assists in his final year. He was named 2020-21 All-Big East Second Team, but couldn’t find a home on draft night, opting to join Brooklyn’s Vegas Summer League squad.
In Vegas, he struggled offensively through 35.5 percent shooting from the field and 11.1 percent shooting from three, but displayed the physicality, defense and rebounding that made him attractive as a prospect. He reported to training camp and earned himself a two-way contract.
He couldn’t crack the rotation in his rookie season but stayed ready when injuries struck the Nets. He finally found some burn in December and took advantage, putting up two double-doubles - 10 points and 13 rebounds against the Raptors and 18 points and 14 rebounds against the Magic - in a span of four nights.
Unfortunately his playing time wouldn’t last as the Nets made their way through the Harden trade request and a late playoff push. He sporadically saw minutes, getting another nice stretch in January, but ultimately sitting out the last 19 games of the season.
Duke Jr. had a second go-around at Summer League and performed much better, averaging 19 points, 4.6 rebounds and 4 assists on 50 percent shooting. Head coach Steve Nash promised experimentation early in the regular season, opening the door for Duke Jr. to finally find his spot in the rotation.
And his chances were limited amidst a clogged Nets roster. During the offseason, Brooklyn signed Edmond Sumner, another athletic energy guard with more experience than the sophomore, and he effectively ate into Duke Jr.’s chances.
Not that he didn’t deserve it. Whether it was due to simply the level of competition or too sporadic a role, Duke Jr. couldn’t last in the rotation, with Sumner putting up much stronger outings.
He never appeared in over two consecutive games until the very end of the season, often only seeing the court in garbage time. Despite that, the Nets rarely sent him to get reps in the G-League.
Duke Jr. only appeared in three G-League games his entire career, averaging 17.7 points and four rebounds on higher than 50 percent shooting from the field. He was good, but likely not too good for the developmental league, where he could’ve added to his game given more time down there.
It’s hard to project his career out given the mixed chances he was given, but ultimately what’s doomed him is the severe lack of an outside presence. He shot 10-for-49 from three in his 569 minutes in the NBA, a tough number to make up elsewhere in today’s league, especially if you’re fighting just to see the court.
He brought a welcome defensive grit to the backcourt, had moments of nice playmaking and could be downright filthy around the rim given a lane, but it never came together and his inside touch often failed him. In another world he could’ve been a Bruce Brown-type smaller interior player, but needed more room to grow to do so.
Brooklyn could feasibly bring him back on a minimum, but he may be better off on another team or the G-League. If the Nets were to let him walk, it wouldn’t be a big loss, and they could move on to finding the next overlooked prospect among the fringes
