2024 NBA Draft: Duke Questions to Consider
Duke enters the year as one of the national championship favorites with a roster filled with NBA talent and a combination of pivotal returnees and impact freshman. In what could be a storybook season, let’s explore some of the Duke draft questions to track.
Will Tyrese Proctor be the first lead/point guard selected?
There will be steep competition to be the first lead/point guard selected in the 2024 draft. Leading candidates include DJ Wagner (Kentucky), Stephon Castle (UConn), Isaiah Collier (USC), and Elmarko Jackson (Kansas). Duke’s Tyrese Proctor should be firmly in that mix thanks to his above average positional size (6’5), dynamic pick-and-roll play, shotmaking versatility, processing and defensive tools.
Proctor’s swing skill is without a doubt his 3-point shooting. He ended the year at 32% (4.1 attempts per game), after struggling for roughly the first half of the season. What stood out to me the most is that he never appeared to lose confidence and showcased shotmaking versatility throughout including off the dribble, movement and standstill threes.
Proctor enters the year in my top 10 and it will be difficult for him to fall out of it unless his shooting takes a significant step backwards.
Does Filipowski solidify himself as a projectable 3-point shooter?
If it wasn’t for offseason hip surgeries, Filipowski likely would have declared for the 2023 draft and selected in the first round after leading Duke in points (15.1) and rebounds (9) while finishing third in assists (1.6).
The 7-footer’s intrigue and production lies in his blend of size, ball and movement skills, passing chops and shooting touch despite ending the season shooting a surprising 28% from three (3.4 attempts per game, 124 total attempts).
It’s easy to buy him improving his 3-point numbers on a similar volume thanks to clean mechanics, a high release and shotmaking confidence. If that comes into fruition, it becomes a lot simpler to project Filipowski as a true dribble-pass-shoot big and potential lottery pick opposed to a late first rounder.
Will Mark Mitchell enter the lottery conversation?
Speaking of potential lottery picks, Mark Mitchell fits the 3-and-D big wing profile that tends to garner lottery attention. Listed at 6-foot-9 and 232 pounds, Mitchell is a big and switchable wing with length, ball skills, shotmaking ability and defensive upside.
Not only does Mitchell thrive as a slasher, he is proving to be a better 3-point shooter than expected (35%) and deserves more credit as both a skilled shot creator and rim finisher. If his shooting remains stable, Mitchell should be in the lottery conversation and a consensus top 20 prospect.
What can Jeremy Roach do to raise his draft stock?
The Duke captain is back following a career highs in minutes (33.2), points (13.6) and three point percentage (34%). Roach took the leap as an offensive focal point and leader, and is likely to play a similar role this season as he hopes to lead Duke to its sixth national championship and raise his draft stock.
Three potential stock boosting traits to monitor for him are 3-point shooting, furthering his point guard skills and becoming a more disruptive defender (0.9 stocks). With Proctor moving over to the point guard spot full time in the midst of last season, growth opportunities will be limited there, but vast for the other two traits.
Will both Jared McCain and Caleb Foster emerge as one and done players?
According to the Recruiting Services Consensus Index (RCSI), McCain (12th) and Foster (17th) enter the season as Duke’s top two recruits and potential one and dones. Both are confident, skilled scorers and capable playmakers with projectable NBA frames (McCain listed at 6 '3 and 197 pounds, Foster at 6' 5 and 197 pounds).
Because of Duke’s perimeter depth, NIL and star returnees likely limiting both of their minutes and offensive opportunities to an extent, it wouldn't be surprising to see either one or both return for sophomore seasons as the starting backcourt on another championship caliber Duke squad.
What long-term prospects could build buzz this season?
On the collegiate level, I consider a long-term NBA prospect as someone that’s expected to be on campus for more than two years. With that in mind, Sean Stewart, TJ Power, Jaden Schutt and Christian Reeves all are candidates.
Out of the mentioned group, Stewart is the most likely to test the NBA draft waters after this season and leave before his junior year season. He’s an explosive and powerful athlete on top of a sturdy 6-foot-9 frame with budding ball skills, a tremendous motor and disruptive defensive tools. Additionally, I’m expecting him to receive the most minutes out of the group.
Shooters ALWAYS draw NBA interest and it’s the key selling point for stretch big TJ Power (6'9) and guard Jaden Schutt (6'5). Via Cerebro Sports, Power shot 35.9% from deep on 231 attempts through 47 games tracked in their database. In the same database, which includes Schutt’s 35% 3-point mark as a freshman last season, Schutt is a 38.9% shooter on 213 attempts.
There isn't another big on the roster like Reeves. At 7-foot-1, he’s the rim running, rim protecting and vertical spacing big that can potentially control the paint. He might not quite be ready to do it consistently, but the tantalizing tools are there to be developed.
Want to join the discussion? Like Draft Digest on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest NBA Draft news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.