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NBA: Ranking the 10 greatest Duke players in NBA history

By Josh Cornelissen

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - MARCH 06: Zion Williamson #1 of the New Orleans Pelicans warms up before a game against the Miami Heat at the Smoothie King Center on March 06, 2020 in New Orleans, Louisiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - MARCH 06: Zion Williamson #1 of the New Orleans Pelicans warms up before a game against the Miami Heat at the Smoothie King Center on March 06, 2020 in New Orleans, Louisiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images) /
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Duke, NBA
Duke, NBA Photo by Steven Ryan/Getty Images /

Ranking the 10 greatest Duke players in NBA history: 8. Jayson Tatum

The next two players on this list are current rising stars in the league, with their spot encompassing career trajectory in addition to their early production. If their career plateau or are cut short, they would drop off this list.

For now, Jayson Tatum deserves his spot in the top 10. The versatile forward has grown in four seasons from wing scorer to wing star, with real defensive chops alongside scoring and playmaking on the wing. In a couple of years, it’s reasonable to think Tatum could be the second-best player on a title team, and perhaps even the first in the right context.

Tatum is a career 39.6 percent 3-point shooter who is creating many of those looks himself, the type of personal creation necessary for perimeter stars in the modern NBA. By age-23 he has made two All-Star teams and at least one All-NBA squad. By all the markers he is on a star trajectory and could end his career as one of the greatest NBA players in Duke history.

Ranking the 10 greatest Duke players in NBA history: 7. Zion Williamson

A small handful of players every generation come into the league as superstars and meet that expectation from the jump. Zion Williamson is one such player, the first overall pick in 2019 who has been electric in every game he has played in his short career.

In 85 career games, he has averaged 25.7 points per game, including a hyper-efficient 60.4 percent from the field. He can set up inside on the block or handle the ball and run the offense from the perimeter. After an injury-plagued rookie season, he was an All-Star in his second season and could be an All-NBA selection as well. If he can find team success alongside individual accolades then an MVP could be in his future as well.