Getty Duke Blue Devils players huddle up
Replacing a star player is a tall task for teams in any sport, whether it be recreational leagues all the way up to the pros. But when you lose the best player in college basketball and the expected No. 1 pick in the NBA draft, finding a replacement becomes even tougher. The Duke Blue Devils will have no clear-cut, perfect option to fill in for freshman Zion Williamson over the span of whatever time he misses, but a few specific players will need to step up.
On Wednesday night, Williamson suffered a freak injury when his foot completely broke through his shoe. The end result was apparently a sprained knee, although there were concerns that it would be something more serious.
There has been no official timeline provided by the team for how long Zion could be out, but a sprained knee has the potential to keep him out for multiple games. Beyond that, there’s no question both the team and player will be smart about a potential return. So until that time comes, the question becomes who will step up and fill the void?
Cam Reddish
Although Williamson stands 6-foot-7 and roughly 285 pounds, the one name who could step up in his absence is a player who’s already having a decent year. This would be fellow freshman Cam Reddish, who’s taken somewhat of a backseat to Williamson and RJ Barrett (who’ll be asked to do the major heavy lifting).
Reddish is averaging 14.3 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.9 steals over 28.4 minutes per game this season. He’s struggled with his shot knocking down just 36.2 percent from the field, but the 6-foot-8, 218-pound forward will be tasked with doing much more on the offensive end.
Reddish was the No. 3 player in ESPN’s Top 100 heading into the year and chose Duke over the likes of Kentucky, UCLA, Connecticut, and Villanova. He may already have a big role, but it’s going to be expanded for whatever time Zion misses.
Jack White & Javin DeLaurier
A non-freshman being tasked with stepping up for the Blue Devils this season seems surprising, but there are two of them now staring at a huge opportunity. Jack White and Javin DeLaurier are both juniors but provide different things for Duke. White stands 6-foot-7 and 222 pounds while showing the ability to step out and knock down 3-pointers. He’s averaged 4.6 points and 5.2 rebounds over 23.2 minutes per game this year.
DeLaurier is more of a prototypical big man who stands 6-foot-10 and weighs 234 pounds. He’s only averaged 13.7 minutes per game this year but has posted 3.5 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.0 block per. One key issue for DeLaurier could be avoiding foul trouble, and specifically against UNC on Wednesday, he played 19 minutes and had six points, four rebounds and three steals but also picked up four fouls.
Both players will see an increase in minutes, but which of the two emerges to take on a much larger role will be a situation to monitor. There’s a good chance that Mike Krzyzewski could opt to roll with whichever player matches up better in any one specific game.
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