What if Duke basketball players formed their own NBA team?

The Duke University Blue Devils are one of the biggest names in college basketball, and the NBA is filled with players who once played for Coach K. And with so many Duke players who now leave early for the league, it might be the reason why their top rated recruiting classes have not won it all in March Madness lately. Currently there are 26 NBA players who played for Duke, on NBA rosters, that’s almost 1 per team! And there are many more throughout the G League and overseas. So what would happen if Duke basketball players exclusively played for their own NBA team? And how would it change their legacy? For this year’s NBA season lets rewrite history to see just how dominant Duke basketball can be against the entire NBA?

The starters

You can’t win an NBA championship without star players and the Duke Blue Devils have some of the best of them. Everything would start interestingly enough with Kyrie Irving. Who before he became an All Star and NBA champion, he played 11 games for the Blue Devils back in 2011, a season cut short due to injury. But still went onto become the number 1 overall pick. He would play alongside Jayson Tatum and Brandon Ingram. Two all-star forwards, the first of which already has led his team to an NBA Finals appearance. And there is no denying that in the age of small ball in the NBA Duke would have the luxury of starting Zion Williamson as a center, perhaps the most dominant force in the NBA when he is healthy, and round out their starting lineup with RJ Barrett, who is modestly about a 20 point scorer with great efficiency in their starting 5.

The Role Players

Not everyone can be a starter, but this Duke squad would have some high quality role players to bring in off the bench. They would have more shooting perhaps than any other NBA team, with Seth Curry, Gary Trent Jr., Grayson Allen, Cam Reddish and Tyus Jones on the bench. All of which are quality marksmen at the NBA level. And they could still play big with just about anyone bringing Wendell Carter Jr. Marvin Bagley III, and Mason Plumlee off the bench. Throughout their rotation it is likely that Duke could space the floor, shot create, and score inside with almost anyone because if you double on any of their stars, no matter who is in the game, Duke can kill you from the outside.

The Rookies

But Duke’s roster is still rounding itself out. Because on top of all the talent they have, they would still have this year’s top NBA draft pick, Paolo Banchero who is the favorite for rookie of the year in the rotation. And they would still have added shooting and size on their bench with additional first round draft picks Adrian Griffin Jr., and Mark Williams. With 14 players on their roster already, the Duke general manager would have to decide who to include under two-way contracts.

The Expendables 

With their 15 man roster already full Duke would likely go young for their final two-way roster spots. They could select any two from a list of Wendell Moore Jr., Jalen Johnson, Frank Jackson, and Vernon Carey Jr. But the truth is that they would have to cut someone just to finalize their roster. Among the players who get left off the team for their championship run would likely be Austin Rivers, Tre Jones, Luke Kennard, and Justise Winslow. Duke would have more than enough players to choose from, when creating their championship team, and so long as their stars play like we know them to be, it shouldn’t really matter what they choose to do outside of their 8 to 9 man rotation. 

The Season

There is no way to know for certain how this NBA team would play, but with three all star game starters amongst their five they would have a legitimate big three to play against any team in the NBA. They would also have the luxury of making Brandon Ingram, RJ Barrett, and Paolo Banchero fourth to sixth options offensively, something no NBA team has ever dreamed of. They’d have more than enough shooting off the bench between Seth Curry and Gary Trent Jr. alone, and a large crop of serviceable NBA big men to rotate, some of which were lottery picks themselves. This Duke team could definitely win it all, their only problem would be learning to play together, since the truth is that no more than 3 or 4 of these players ever actually attended Duke at the same time. Love them or hate them, Duke basketball has been one of the best in the game, and they have all the talent in the world, quite literally to prove it.

Former Duke basketball players in the NBA

Starters

Kyrie Irving - Dallas Mavericks

Jayson Tatum - Boston Celtics

Zion Williamson - New Orleans Pelicans

Brandon Ingram - New Orleans Pelicans

RJ Barrett - New York Knicks

Role Players

Seth Curry - Brooklyn Nets

Gary Trent Jr. - Toronto Raptors

Tyus Jones - Memphis Grizzlies

Grayson Allen - Milwaukee Bucks

Marvin Bagley III - Detroit Pistons

Mason Plumlee - Los Angeles Clippers

Wendell Carter Jr. - Orlando Magic

Cam Reddish - Portland Trail Blazers

Rookies

Paolo Banchero - Orlando Magic

AJ Griffin - Atlanta Hawks

Mark Williams - Charlotte Hornets

Rotation

Austin Rivers - Minnesota Timberwolves

Luke Kennard - Memphis Grizzlies

Tre Jones - San Antonio Spurs

Justise Winslow - Portland Trail Blazers

Jalen Johnson - Atlanta Hawks

Vernon Carey Jr. - Washington Wizards

Wendell Moore Jr. - Minnesota Timberwolves

Frank Jackson - Utah Jazz (10-day contract)

Jack White - Denver Nuggets (two-way contract)

Trevor Keels - New York Knicks (10-day contract)