A junior college transfer, Chris Duarte earned All-PAC 12 honors as a senior, along with All-PAC 12 Defense. As a senior, Duarte averaged 17 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 2.7 APG, 2 SPG, 0.8 BPG, and 2.3 TOPG on shooting splits of 53/42/81. Below is his full scouting report:
Name: Chris Duarte
Height/Weight: 6’6 / 190
Wingspan/ standing reach: N/A
Hand size: N/A
Position: Guard
College/country: Oregon/Domican Republic
Tools: Shooting, defensive playmaking
Pros:
- Excellent shooting ability
- Good shooter off the dribble & off fakes
- Defensive playmaker that disrupts passing lanes
- Polished P&R ball handler
- Good finisher at the rim with soft touch
- Intelligent cutter
- Strong defensive instincts
- Comfortable as a help-side defender near the rim
Cons:
- Limited athlete
- Needs to get stronger finishing against bigs
- Basic ball-handler that doesn’t blow by defenders
Overall:
Chris Duarte is a combo guard that offers shooting, offensive versatility, and defensive disruption. Duarte’s calling card early in the NBA will be shooting and playmaking, which should feed off of each other. As a playmaker, he makes simple reads, but executes at a high level. He can find corner shooters, finds the roll man, and can find cutters, but is hesitant in threading the needle. As a shooter, teams will continue to collapse on his jump shot like he saw at Oregon, which will open up a lot of simple reads to open teammates. As a shooter, Duarte can shoot from anywhere in any way. He is likely best as a catch & shoot recipient or taking shots off of one dribble out of spot-ups, but he can also create his own shot off the dribble at both the 3 point line and in the mid range. Defensively, Duarte is best when attempting to force turnovers, because he can easily win those battles. While Duarte can hold his own on the defensive end, he isn’t a lockdown defender and may struggle to guard some of the best athletes at the guard slots. However, it’s highly unlikely that he becomes a negative on either end of the floor, which gives him one of the highest floors in the draft at 24 years old.
Similar to: Desmond Bane, Malcolm Brogdon, Alex Caruso
Projected draft range: 13-25
Expected role: Rotation guard that can slide into any lineup due to size, playmaking, shooting, and defensive uniqueness.
Unplayable if: Highly unlikely, but his worst-case scenario is that his lack of athleticism limits his defensive impact, and lessens his interior scoring ability. If this were to happen, he would still be a good defensive disruptor and shooter.
Exceeds expectations if: Finishing against bigs develops while shot translates.
Best fits:
- Indiana Pacers
- LA Lakers
- Atlanta Hawks
Shot chart:
Videos:
