Trevon Duval was the only member of Duke’s starting five last year that wasn’t selected in the NBA draft. But if he keeps putting up performances like the one he had Friday on the opening day of the league’s Las Vegas Summer League tournament, he might still join former Blue Devils teammates Marvin Bagley III, Wendell Carter Jr., Grayson Allen and Gary Trent Jr., on an NBA roster this season after all.
The one-and-done point guard scored 20 points for the Houston Rockets’ team of rookies and free agents to lead his team to a 92-89 win against the Indiana Pacers. Duval went 7 of 10 from the floor and made both of his 3-point attempts while also adding three rebounds and two assists in 23 impressive minutes.
He wasn’t the only former Duke point guard to put up big numbers in Vegas on Friday. His predecessor with the Blue Devils, fellow one-and-doner Frank Jackson had 13 points, six rebounds and an assist in just 12 minutes for the New Orleans Pelicans in a 90-77 win against the Toronto Raptors.
Wake Forest alumnus Codi Miller-McIntyre had nine points, five assists and three steals in the loss for Toronto.
Other strong performances from players with North Carolina ties on Friday were posted by second year pros Amile Jefferson of Duke, Dennis Smith Jr. of NC State, Raleigh native Jerome Robinson and North Carolina’s Theo Pinson.
Jefferson, a G-League All-Star last season with the Minnesota Timberwolves’ affiliate in Des Moines Iowa, put up 12 points and 14 rebounds for the Timberwolves in a 70-69 win against former UNC Star Kennedy Meeks (four points, five rebounds) and the Denver Nuggets.
Smith Jr., a first-round pick who had a strong rookie season in Dallas, had 14 points and five assists for the Mavericks in a loss to the Phoenix Suns. Robinson, the former Boston College star who was taken in the first round by the Los Angeles Clippers last month, scored 12 points in his pro debut while going 5 of 10 from the floor.
Pinson, meanwhile, started for the Brooklyn Nets and contributed nine points, seven rebounds and three assists in an 86-80 loss to the Orlando Magic.
The undrafted free agent, who signed a two-way contract with the Nets, had his problems shooting — going 1 for 6 from 3-point range. But that still wasn’t as bad as Raleigh native and one-time NC State guard Rodney Purvis, who missed all seven of his field goal attempts in a scoreless 23 minutes for the Magic.
Wake Forest’s Bryant Crawford played three minutes and handed out two assists for the Nets in the game. Crawford’s former Deacon teammate Doral Moore saw even less court time in his pro debut with the Washington Wizards. The undrafted 7-footer played only one minute in his team’s 72-59 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, but he did at least pick up a rebound and a blocked shot.
Here are the stats for all state players participating in the Vegas Summer League tourney, which runs through July 17:
Trevon Duval, Duke (Rockets): 1 game, 20.0 ppg, 7-10 FG, 2-2 3PT, 4-8 FT, 3.0 rpg, 2.0 apg
Dennis Smith Jr., NC State (Mavs): 1 G, 14.0 ppg, 5-10 FG, 2-6 3PT, 2-2, 3.0 rpg, 5.0 apg
Frank Jackson, Duke (Pelicans): 1 G, 13.0 ppg, 4-7 FG, 0-1 3PT, 5-5 FT, 6.0 rpg, 1.0 apg
Amile Jefferson, Duke (T-wolves): 1 G, 12.0 ppg, 6-10 FG, 0-4 FT, 14.0 rpg, 1.0 bpg
Jerome Robinson, Raleigh/BC (Clippers): 1 G, 12.0 ppg, 5-10 FG, 2-7 3PT, 1.0 rpg, 2.0 apg
Devonte Graham, Raleigh/Kansas (Hornets): 1 G, 10.0 ppg, 4-10 FG, 0-4 3PT, 2-2 FT, 4.0 rpg, 5.0 apg
Theo Pinson, UNC (Nets) 1 G, 9.0 ppg, 2-9 FG, 1-6 3PT, 4-4 FT, 7.0 rpg, 3.0 apg
Codi Miller-McIntyre, Wake (Raptors): 1 G, 9.0 ppg, 4-9 FG, 0-2 3PT, 1-2 FT, 3.0 rpg, 5.0 apg
J.P. Tokoto, UNC (Warriors): 1 G, 6.0 ppg, 1-3 FG, 0-1 3PT, 4-4 FT, 1.0 rpg, 1.0 apg
Kennedy Meeks, UNC (Nuggets): 1 G, 4.0 ppg, 2-6 FG, 5.0 rpg, 1.0 bpg
Bryant Crawford, Wake (Nets): 1 G, 0.0 ppg, 0-1 FG, 1.0 rpg, 2.0 apg
Doral Moore, Wake (Wizards): 1 G, 0.0 ppg, 0-0 FG, 1.0 rpg, 1.0 bpg
Eric Griffin, Campbell (Pistons): 1 G, 0.0 ppg, 0-0 FG, 1.0 rpg, 1.0 apg
Rodney Purvis, Raleigh/UConn (Magic): 1 G, 0.0 ppg, 0-7 FG, 0-2 3PT, 3.0 rpg, 1.0 apg
