A breakout junior at Providence, David Duke earned All-Big East honors in 2021. On the season, Duke averaged 16.8 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 4.8 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.3 BPG, and 3.2 TOPG on shooting splits of 39/39/79. Below is his full scouting report:
Name: David Duke
Height/Weight: 6’5 ½ / 204
Wingspan/ standing reach: 6’9 / 8’6 ½
Hand size: 9
Position: Guard
College: Providence
Tools: Defense, athleticism, slashing
Pros:
- Versatile defender with high motor
- Good size for his position
- Impressive athlete
- Shifty with good change of direction and a quick first step; can drive both left & right
- Strong passer against traps
- Very good in transition as both a passer and scorer
- Good rebounder
- Has advanced dribble moves that he can use to create space
Cons:
- Flat jumper with overall poor form
- Decision making can be inconsistent; forces shots at the rim
- Struggles shooting off the dribble; loses footwork easily
- Needs to reduce turnovers
- Inefficient finisher at the rim
- Can often miss open shooters on the perimeter for drives
Overall:
David Duke is a slashing guard with a great combination of athleticism, size, ball-handling and defense. In order to maximize his current skillset, Duke must refine and potentially overhaul his shooting mechanics. His release lacks fluidity and can often be flat, and on pull-up jumpers his footwork can get scrambled rather easily. Another weakness for Duke in the half-court is his inability to finish at the rim. While Duke was good as a transition finisher, he forced many shots at the rim, and oftentimes didn’t have enough touch at the rim to convert, leading to an abysmal 45% field goal percentage at the rim. Duke has the ability, at a very high level, to get to the rim, but he must convert on his chances to make it in the NBA. Defensively, Duke can safely guard both guard positions, thanks to his length, motor, and athleticism. Duke has the potential to be a two-way slasher, but needs to refine his game, and would likely benefit from getting run in the NBA G League.
Similar to: Josh Richardson, Jeremy Richardson, Edmond Sumner
Projected draft range: 45- undrafted
Expected role: Combo guard off the bench that drives and defends
Unplayable if: Jump shooting doesn’t translate, and he doesn’t learn to play under control.
Exceeds expectations if: Jump shooting percentages translate, he reduces turnovers, and his finishing numbers improve.
Best fits:
- Toronto Raptors
- LA Clippers
- Utah Jazz
