Duke in the NBA Update: Williams Owning the Boards

Shane Battier
Miami Heat - Forward
Drafted: 1st Round (6th Pick) by the Memphis Grizzlies (2001)
2011-12 Stats: 33 games, 4.4 PPG, 2.0 RPG, 1.1 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.6 BPG
Battier, who has always been a more defensively-minded player, has made it his goal to become more of an offensive contributor for the Heat this season. The Miami Heat went 3-0 this past week to improve to 26-7 overall. The corner three is, as Shane Battier notes, "the closest shot that is worth the most, and it is an absolute killer if you're playing against it defensively." Battier scored six points off two threes while recording two assists and a block in the 111-87 win over Cleveland. The Heat have won six straight games by double digits, which is tied for the second longest such streak in franchise history. Miami is ranked second overall in the NBA averaging 103.8 points per game. The Miami Heat will face the New York Knicks and Linsanity on Thursday night.

Carlos Boozer
Chicago Bulls - Forward/Center
Drafted: 2^nd Round (35^th pick) by the Cleveland Cavaliers (2002)
2011-12 Stats: 34 games, 15.6 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 1.7 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.4 BPG
Boozer continues to be a dominant offensive powerhouse for the Bulls, who went 2-1 this week. Boozer recorded his seventh double-double of the season scoring a game-high 23 points with a season-high 15 and five assists in the 89-80 win over the Boston Celtics. In the following two games, Boozer scored 32 points, grabbed 24 rebounds and tallied three assists as the Bulls lost the New Jersey Nets 97-85 and defeated the Atlanta Hawks 90-79. In the month of February the Bulls are 8-3, and Boozer is averaging 16.7 points per game and 7.5 rebounds per game. He has scored in double figures in nine of the Bull's eleven games, while shooting 55.5 percent from the floor.

Elton Brand
Philadelphia 76ers - Forward/Center
Drafted: 1^st Round (1^st pick) by the Chicago Bulls (1999)
2011-12 Stats: 30 Games, 10.1 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 1.3 APG, 0.9 SPG, 1.5 BPG
Despite a four-game losing streak, Brand has continued to help the 76ers to a 20-13 overall record and first place standing in the Atlantic conference. Brand, who averages 10.1 points per game, scored eight points while grabbing seven rebounds in a loss that ended when Kevin Love of the Minnesota Timberwolves made two free throws within one-tenth of a second to hand the 76ers another loss. During the fourth quarter, Brand went to block Nikola Pekovic's shot and aggravated a thumb injury. Brand did not play in the 89-76 loss to the Memphis Grizzles and is expected to miss the Houston game which is scheduled for Wed. Feb. 22. According to the 76ers, Brand will rest the thumb through the All-Star break, which will allow the injury time to heal.

Luol Deng
Chicago Bulls - Forward/Center
Drafted: 1^st Round (7^th pick) by the Phoenix Suns (2004)
2011-12 Stats: 24 games, 15.9 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 3.0 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.8 BPG
Since Deng returned from injury two weeks ago, he continues to be an offensive powerhouse for the Chicago Bulls who went 2-1 this week and improved to 26-8 overall. The Bulls and Celtics faced off in a rematch of last season's memorable seven-game first-round series that included a total of seven overtime periods. Deng, who missed that series due to injury, tied his season high of 23 points - 14 of which were in the fourth quarter - to help solidify the 89-80 win over the Celtics. Deng guarded the Celtic's Paul Pierce and held the small forward to only 14 points. In six of the last seven meetings between the Bulls and Celtics, Deng has held Piece to less than 20 points. Deng scored 10 points, nine rebounds, and four assists to help the Bulls to a 90-79 win over the Atlanta Hawks. Said Deng, "I don't have to focus as much on creating and everything else in the offense. It's get back to our regular roles on what makes us a great team. Defensively focusing, hustle plays, rebounding."

Chris Duhon
Orland Magic - Guard
Drafted: 2^nd Round (38^th pick) by the Chicago Bulls (2004)
2011-12 Stats: 33 Games, 3.4 PPG, 1.7 RPG, 2.7 APG, 0.6 SPG, 0.1 BPG
Duhon, who is averaging 20.7 minutes per game, continues to be an effective player off the bench for the Orlando Magic. He scored four points and tallied an assist and a block in 16 minutes of action in the 94-85 win over the Milwaukee Bucks. Duhon scored one point and tallied one rebound and two assists in the 90-78 loss to the Miami Heat. He averages 3.4 points per game and is shooting 38.8 percent from the floor.

Mike Dunleavy
Milwaukee Bucks - Guard/Forward
Drafted: 1^st Round (3^rd pick) by the Golden State Warriors (2002)
2011-12 Stats: 22 Games, 10.6 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 1.9 APG, 0.5 SPG, 0.2 BPG
Dunleavy remains a solid off-the-bench player for the Milwaukee Bucks, but was held to just seven points, four rebounds, and two assists in a 94-85 loss to the Orlando Magic. Three days later, Dunleavy redeemed himself by racking up 18 points, six rebounds, and one assist in a rematch with the Magic. The Milwaukee Bucks are now 13-19 overall and fourth in the Central Conference.

Gerald Henderson
Charlotte Bobcats - Shooting Guard
Drafted: 1^st Round (12^th pick) by the Charlotte Bobcats (2009)
2011-12 Stats: 21 games, 15.0 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 1.8 APG, 0.9 SPG, 0.4 BPG
Henderson is still out due to an injury to his right hamstring sustained during the 112-68 loss to the Portland Trailblazers. Henderson did participate in a light practice on Tuesday Feb. 21 and said, "I got into a full sprint and did a little jumping. It feels good - (the pain) is almost out of there." After losing 16 straight games, the Bobcats were able to rally and pull out a 98-91 win over the Toronto Raptors last Friday. Bobcat's head coach Paul Silas believes that once he gets all three starters back from injury, he'll field a far more competitive team.

Grant Hill
Phoenix Suns - Forward
Drafted: 1^st Round (3^rd pick) by the Detroit Pistons (1994)
2011-12 Stats: 31 Games, 9.5 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 2.0 APG, 0.7 SPG, 0.7 BPG
Hill remains a consistent contributor for the Phoenix Suns and helped them to a 2-2 record for the week. He had 18 points, six boards, two assists and one steal in 37 minutes in the 101-99 loss to the Atlanta Hawks. The Suns and the Los Angeles Lakers then faced off in back-to-back games with the Suns losing the first game 111-99 and defeating the Lakers 102-90 in game two. In the second game, Grant tallied 15 points, three rebounds, and two assists. In the last five games, Hill is shooting 45.2 percent from the field and averaging 13 points per game. The Suns are 14-19 overall.

Kyrie Irving
Cleveland Cavaliers - Point Guard
Drafted: 1^st Round (1^st pick) by the Cleveland Cavaliers (2011)
2011-12 Stats: 27 games, 18.6 PPG, 3.5 RGP, 4.9 APG, 0.9 SPG, 0.6 BPG
Irving, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft continues to impress not only with his ball-handling and scoring skills, but also his ability to repeatedly deliver in clutch situations. Irving scored 17 points, grabbed four rebounds and dished out two assists against Miami in a game that was tied 17 times and had 19 lead changes before the Heat pulled away to a 111-87 win. Irving and his team were able to bounce back Friday night against the Sacramento Kings when Irving stepped to the foul line with 0.4 seconds left to hit two clutch free throws and to lift the Cav's to a 93-92 win. Irving finished the night with 23 points, three rebounds, two blocks, and an assist. After trailing the Pistons by 17 points, Irving and the Cavs were able to rally and win 101-100. Irving had 17 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter, while also grabbing five rebounds and recording eight assists.

Dahntay Jones
Indiana Pacers - Guard/Forward (2003)
Drafted: 1^st Round (20^th pick) by the Boston Celtics
2011-12 Stats: 32 Games, 5.3 PPG, 1.9 RPG, 0.8 APG, 0.3 SPG, 0.2 BPG
Jones, who has been a regular contributor for the Pacers off the bench, recorded his second start of the season in place of the injured Danny Granger last Wednesday against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Jones had three points and five rebounds and saw 37 minutes of action in the 98-87 loss. He tied his season high 12 points, shooting 5-of-8 from the floor, and recorded one rebound and one assist in the 108-73 win over the Charlotte Bobcats. Jones helped the Pacers to a 3-1 week and help Indiana improve to 20-12 overall.

Corey Maggette
Charlotte Bobcats - Forward
Drafted: 1^st Round (13^th pick) by the Seattle SuperSonics (1999)
2011-12 Stats: 12 Games, 12.9 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 1.1 APG, 0.6 SPG, 0.1 BPG
Maggette, who averages 27.5 minutes per game, helped break a 16-game losing streak and lead the Bobcats to a 1-2 week. Maggette has scored in double figures in five of the last six games. He scored 18 points and recorded three boards in 32 minutes of play in the 102-90 loss the Minnesota Timberwolves. Maggette scored 16 pointes and grabbed four rebounds in the 98-91 win over the Toronto Raptors. In the last five games, Maggette is averaging 15.6 points per game and shooting just shy of 40 percent from the floor. The Bobcats are 4-27 overall.

Josh McRoberts
Los Angeles Lakers - Forward/Center
Drafted: 2^nd Round (37^th pick) by the Portland Trail Blazers (2007)
2011-12 Stats: 20 Games, 2.5 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 1.0 APG, 0.4 SPG, 0.5 BPG
McRoberts played seven minutes throughout the course of three games and tallied one rebound in the 102-90 loss to the Phoenix Suns. The Lakers are 19-13 overall and second in the Pacific Conference.

J.J. Redick
Orlando Magic - Shooting Guard
Drafted: 1^st Round (11^th pick) by the Orlando Magic (2006)
2011-12 Stats: 33 Games, 11.2 PPG, 2.2 RPG, 2.1 APG, 0.3 SPG, 0.1 BPG
Redick remains a solid role player off the bench for the Orlando Magic, averaging 25.7 minutes per game. He scored 11 points, grabbed one rebound and dished out three assists to help lift the Magic to a 94-85 win over the Milwaukee Bucks. Redick then scored 17 points, shooting 5-7 from three point range, in the 90-78 loss to the Miami Heat. Redick, who earned his eighth start of the season, scored 11 points and grabbed three rebounds and tallied two assists in the 93-90 win over the Milwaukee Bucks. The win was Orlando's third over Milwaukee in 10 days and the third straight time the Magic have overcome a fourth-quarter deficit to beat the Bucks. Redick, who finished his career at Duke shooting 91.2 percent from the free throw line, has made 72 of his 75 foul shot this season. His 96 percent success rate is the top in the NBA right now. The Magic are 21-12 overall and second in the southeast.

Nolan Smith
Portland Trail Blazers - Point Guard
Drafted: 1^st Round (21^st pick) by the Portland Trail Blazers (2011)
2011-12 Stats: 20 Games, 1.9 PPG, 0.8 RPG, 1.0 APG, 0.3 SPG, 0.1 BPG
Smith, who is still fighting for an expanded role with the Portland Trail Blazers, is beginning to see more and more time off the bench. He played a season-high 15 minutes against the Atlanta Hawks last Saturday and scored five points, grabbed three rebounds and recorded two assists. He saw ten minutes against the Sacramento Kings where he scored five points and recorded three rebounds and three assists. He has played in three of the last five games and averaged 10.7 minutes per game while shooting 42.9 percent from the field.

Lance Thomas
New Orleans Hornets - Forward
Drafted: Undrafted out of Duke in 2012
2011-12 Stats: 10 Games, 2.3 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 0.1 APG, 0.2 SPG, 0.0 BPG
Thomas helped lead the New Orleans Hornets to a 2-2 week. He scored five points and recorded a career-high eight rebounds in 20 minutes of action in the 101-93 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. He also scored two points and grabbed three rebounds in the 117-108 loss to the Indiana Pacers. In the month of February the Hornets are 3-5, and Thomas is averaging nine minutes per game and 2.3 points per game, shooting just shy of 40 percent from the floor. The Hornets are 7-25 overall.

Shelden Williams
New Jersey Nets - Forward/Center
Drafted: 1^st Round (5^th pick) by the Atlanta Hawks (2006)
2011-12 Stats: 34 Games, 4.6 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 0.6 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.8 BPG
Williams, who averages 21.6 minutes per game, remains a crucial component of the New Jersey Nets grabbing on average of 6.3 rebounds per game. The Nets were 2-2 this past week. Williams scored eight points and grabbed 14 rebounds in the 97-85 win over the Chicago Bulls. He grabbed a season-high 15 rebounds against the Milwaukee Bucks and has at least 10 rebounds in four of his last six games.

Other Blue Devils in Professional Basketball

Daniel Ewing
Azovmash (Ukraine) - Guard
2011-12 Stats (Eurocup): 8 Games, 13.0 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 3.6 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.6 BPG
2011-12 Stats (Ukraine): 28 Games, 13.6 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 5.5 APG, 1.8 SPG, 0.4 BPG
2011-12 Stats (VTB United): 13 Games, 13.1 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 3.4 APG, 1.6 SPG, 0.2 BPG

David McClure
Kedainiai (Lithuania) - Forward
2011-12 Stats (Baltic): 16 Games, 10.3 PPG, 9.3 RPG, 1.3 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.9 BPG
2011-12 Stats (Lithuania): 15 Games, 10.0 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 1.8 APG, 1.3 SPG, 0.9 BPG

DeMarcus Nelson
Cholet (France) - Guard
2011-12 Stats (France): 12 Games, 15.8 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 3.8 APG, 1.6 SPG, 0.2 BPG

Marty Pocius
Real Madrid (Spain) - Guard
2011-12 Stats (Euroleague): 12 Games, 6.9 PPG, 1.5 RPG, 0.8 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.1 BPG
2011-12 Stats (Spain): 17 Games, 6.9 PPG, 2.1 RPG, 0.9 APG, 0.4 SPG, 0.1 BPG

Shavlik Randolph
Donnguan Leopards (China) - Center
2011-12 Stats (China): 33 Games, 25.0 PPG, 12.2 RPG, 1.3 APG, 1.5 SPG, 1.6 BPG

Jon Scheyer
Maccabi Tel Aviv (Israel) - Guard
2011-12 Stats (Adriatic): 17 Games, 3.2 PPG, 1.2 RPG, 0.4 APG, 0.5 SPG, 0.0 BPG
2011-12 Stats (Euroleague): 5 Games, 1.2 PPG, 0.0 RPG, 0.0 APG, 0.2 SPG, 0.0 BPG
2011-12 Stats (Israel): 14 Games, 2.9 PPG, 0.9 RPG, 0.9 APG, 0.2 SPG, 0.0 BPG

Kyle Singler
Real Madrid (Spain) - Forward
2011-12 Stats (Euroleague): 6 Games, 8.8 PPG, 4.5RPG, 0.7 APG, 0.5 SPG, 0.3 BPG
2011-12 Stats (Spain): 10 Games, 6.1 PPG, 2.1 RPG, 0.7 APG, 0.7 SPG, 0.4 BPG

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Duke in the NBA Update: Williams Owning the Boards

Players Mentioned

Kyrie Irving

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Duke in the NBA Update: Williams Owning the Boards

Players Mentioned

Kyrie Irving

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