Duke Basketball

With Zion Williamson out because of a knee injury, freshman forward Joey Baker saw his first game action for Duke against Syracuse on Saturday.

According to Stadium's Jeff Goodman, it was a surprising move since Blue Devils head coach Mike Krzyzewski had planned to redshirt Baker:

Wow. Coach K tossed talented frosh Joey Baker on the court. Hasn’t played all season - and was slated to redshirt. Can really shoot it — which is what the Blue Devils desperately need.

— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) February 23, 2019

Because Baker entered the game, he'll start next season as a sophomore rather than a redshirt freshman.

Baker sat out the season's first 26 games, but given his shooting ability and the team's need to hit threes against Syracuse's zone defense, Coach K pressed him into action.

Duke went just 9-of-43 from beyond the arc in its 95-91 loss to Syracuse last month. The Blue Devils are also coming off an 88-72 loss to North Carolina on Wednesday that saw them go 8-of-39 from long range.

Duke lacks scoring depth outside its starters, and with Williamson out Saturday, Krzyzewski looked to Baker to provide a spark.

Baker is a 6'7", 200-pound native of Fayetteville, North Carolina, who graded out as a 4-star prospect and was ranked as the No. 33 overall recruit in the 2018 class by 247Sports.

The biggest keys to Duke's success down the stretch will likely continue to be Williamson, RJ Barrett, Cam Reddish and Tre Jones, but now that a redshirt is out of the question, Baker may have a chance to carve out a niche with the NCAA tournament approaching.

ESPN's Dan Le Batard doesn't think Nike has to worry too much in the wake of Duke star Zion Williamson's PG 2.5 shoe falling apart 36 seconds into Wednesday's 88-72 loss to North Carolina. 

Speaking to TMZ Sports, Le Batard said Nike will "make good" with Williamson by giving him an $80 million endorsement deal when he turns pro.

Nike got attention for reasons it wasn't counting on after Williamson went down. The freshman sensation suffered a Grade 1 knee sprain on the play and is listed as day-to-day, per Stadium's Jeff Goodman.

Oklahoma City Thunder star Paul George, whose signature shoe Williamson was wearing, told reporters he reached out to Nike for an explanation of what happened. 

"I talked to Nike to see what went wrong, what happened with the shoe and I take pride in that. My shoes have been a successful shoe not only in college but in the NBA. A lot of people have been in them, a lot of people have been wearing them. So I don't necessarily know, but it's never happened to my knowledge before. So that's tough."

The good news is Williamson was able to avoid serious injury. He can eventually return to the Blue Devils' lineup, dominate the college basketball world once again and go on to receive a lucrative marketing deal from any brand he wants.    

Duke Blue Devils superstar freshman Zion Williamson isn't expected to play in Saturday's road game against the Syracuse Orange, but he could return next week.

Jeff Goodman of Stadium reported Williamson, who suffered a knee injury when his shoe blew out in Wednesday's loss to the North Carolina Tar Heels, is already "up and moving around."

Duke faces the No. 20 Virginia Tech Hokies on Tuesday and the Miami Hurricanes next Saturday.

Williamson left the hyped clash with rival UNC less than a minute in. The Tar Heels took advantage of the Player of the Year favorite's absence to score a 88-72 victory and create a three-way tie atop with ACC standings with Duke and the Virginia Cavaliers.

Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski said Thursday during an appearance on SiriusXM Radio (via John Watson of 247Sports) there isn't an official timetable for the forward's return:

"I think that everyone wants to know his status, and it's still—we don't have a timetable, but the preliminary reports that we have on Zion's injury are all optimistic—very, very good. And the fact that it's a stable condition, a mild sprain, and we're going to do what everyone would do, and that's what's in the best interest of the young man. And Zion will get proper care. He's getting it today, as this moves along these next 24, 48 hours, we'll have a better feel for things, but there's no rush. You want to make sure he's completely at 100 percent."

Although there have been calls for Williamson, the likely No. 1 pick in the 2019 NBA draft, to sit out the remainder of the season to safeguard his future, there's been no indication he's considering that option.

The 18-year-old standout is averaging 21.6 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 2.2 steals and 1.8 blocks for the Blue Devils this season.

Duke has five games left in the regular season, which concludes with a rematch against UNC on March 9. The team's first game in the ACC tournament will likely be March 14 as a projected top-four seed, and the first round of the NCAA tournament kicks off March 21.

Duke star freshman Zion Williamson has been officially ruled out of Saturday's game against Syracuse due to a Grade 1 knee sprain suffered on Wednesday, according to The Athletic's Brian Hamilton.

Zion out at Syracuse. pic.twitter.com/AEdxZdAjlq

— Brian Hamilton (@_Brian_Hamilton) February 23, 2019

The Stadium's Jeff Goodman first reported on Friday that Williamson would not play against the Orange.

Williamson was forced to leave the highly anticipated game against North Carolina after injuring his knee on the first possession:

Zion's shoe: destroyed 😳 pic.twitter.com/LqQ2te0Jay

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) February 21, 2019

He was unable to return with what was later ruled to be a sprained knee. Duke announced on Thursday that his status moving forward would be day-to-day.

The forward also missed the entire second half against Florida State after getting poked in the eye but was able to return the next game.

When healthy, Williamson is arguably the most exciting player in the country and near unstoppable on either end of the court. He entered the year with loads of hype and has exceeded expectations with averages of 21.6 points, 8.8 rebounds and 2.2 steals per game.

He is capable of huge dunks while his strength and athleticism allow him to dominate in all other phases of the game.

Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman projected Williamson to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NBA draft.

His impact also shows what Duke will be missing while the freshman is on the bench. Even with talented players like RJ Barrett and Cameron Reddish capable of picking up the scoring, there is no way to replace everything Williamson did on the court.

This could represent a significant setback for a team hoping to bring home an NCAA title.    

Duke superstar freshman Zion Williamson suffered a Grade 1 knee sprain against the North Carolina Tar Heels on Wednesday and is day-to-day, Duke announced Thursday. 

Williamson tried to pivot early in the first half, and his shoe burst. He slipped in the process and injured his right knee: 

Zion's shoe: destroyed 😳 pic.twitter.com/LqQ2te0Jay

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) February 21, 2019

When healthy, Williamson is arguably college basketball's top player. He is averaging 21.6 points, 8.8 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game in what is his first and almost certainly last collegiate campaign.

The phenom has been even better than advertised as a result of his efficiency on the offensive end and his ability to impact the game defensively with his rebounding and knack for coming up with big steals.

While the Blue Devils have a few other young stars, Williamson is the key to their success. After Zion got hurt in the UNC game, Duke looked directionless and lost by 16 on its home court.

Duke is dominant when fully healthy, but it has a significant depth problem and relies on a handful of players to do almost all of the scoring. Williamson is part of that group along with RJ Barrett (23.1 ppg) and Cam Reddish (14.3 ppg).

Head coach Mike Krzyzewski primarily looks to the rest of his roster to distribute the ball, rebound and do the little things needed to win. Provided Williamson sits out, the scoring burden will fall almost entirely on Barrett and Reddish.

Also, point guard Tre Jones may be looked upon to be more aggressive from a scoring perspective, as will center Marques Bolden and reserve forwards Jack White and Javin DeLaurier.

Duke is a supremely talented team with or without Williamson, but it is difficult to envision the Blue Devils contending for a national title if Zion isn't in the fold.

Duke superstar freshman Zion Williamson reportedly has an $8 million loss of value insurance policy in case of significant injury.

According to Darren Rovell of The Action Network, Williamson cannot collect on the policy unless he slips past the No. 16 overall pick in the 2019 NBA draft, however. Rovell later added that Duke paid for the policy, which is allowed under rule, noting that the "premium for a $8 million loss of value policy runs around $50,000." 

On Wednesday, Williamson left the game in the opening seconds of an 88-72 loss to rival North Carolina after suffering what Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski called a "mild knee sprain."

Williamson's injury happened on an awkward play that saw his left Nike shoe fall apart while attempting to plant his foot.

Duke clearly wasn't the same without Williamson, as it shot just 34.7 percent from the floor and had to lean almost entirely on RJ Barrett and Cam Reddish. Of the 72 points Duke scored in the game, Barrett and Reddish combined for a whopping 60 of them.

Williamson is perhaps the front-runner for Naismith College Player of the Year honors, as he is shooting a remarkable 68.3 percent from the field and averaging 21.6 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 2.2 steals and 1.8 blocks per game.

While it is unclear exactly how serious the injury is and how long it will keep him out, Coach K's comments suggest it won't be a long-term issue.

Assuming Williamson enters the 2019 NBA draft, the only thing that could cause him to fall out of the top 16 would likely be a career-threatening injury or a significant off-court issue. Because of that, the odds of him collecting on the insurance policy are extremely low.

A back injury limited Michael Porter Jr. to just three games at Missouri last season, and he has yet to appear in an NBA game for the Denver Nuggets this season. Even though there were questions regarding his NBA future at the time of the 2018 draft, Denver still took him with the No. 14 overall pick based on potential alone.

Williamson is a far more highly touted prospect and the likely No. 1 overall pick when healthy, so unless his injury is far more severe than originally thought, the insurance policy shouldn't come into play.

The Duke Blue Devils never recovered from losing freshman Zion Williamson in the first minute of Wednesday's 88-72 loss to the North Carolina Tar Heels, and their other potential top-10 picks discussed the injury with ESPN's Maria Taylor.

RJ Barrett, who finished with 33 points and 13 rebounds, said he initially thought Williamson was going to return and admitted the knee injury set the team back. Cam Reddish, who added 27 points, said he was "shocked" by the development:

RJ Barrett and Cam Reddish talked postgame about Zion's injury and how it changed the game. (via @MariaTaylor) pic.twitter.com/KkVPVFCfbP

— ESPN (@espn) February 21, 2019

Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski told reporters the injury was a "mild knee sprain" that was "stable," although the team won't have a timetable for his return until Thursday.

Williamson suffered the injury when he planted his foot with the ball in his hands and his left shoe ripped open. While he walked off the court under his own power and went to the locker room, he never re-entered the game.

Barrett's recognition that it set the team back came to fruition on both ends of the floor. The Blue Devils so often rely on Williamson's athleticism and ability to block shots and cut off penetration on the defensive side and had no answers for Luke Maye. The North Carolina senior targeted smaller defenders, including Barrett, and finished with 30 points and 15 rebounds.

Offensively, Barrett and Reddish were the only Duke players to score more than six points.

Offensive depth figures to be a concern for the Blue Devils until Williamson is able to return, as Barrett and Reddish are the only ones on the team outside of No. 1 to average more than 8.7 points per game. After Tre Jones, there aren't even any other players who average more than 5.7 a night.

Opposing defenses will be able to direct the majority of their attention toward Barrett and Reddish and slow the nation's top-ranked team down come March if Williamson is still sidelined. The Blue Devils likely need their premier playmaker back and healthy if they are going to eventually cut down the nets as champions.

Duke Blue Devils freshman Zion Williamson suffered a knee injury in the first minute of Wednesday's loss to the North Carolina Tar Heels after his left shoe—which was a Nike—ripped open as he planted his foot.

"We are obviously concerned and want to wish Zion a speedy recovery," Nike said in a statement, per Darren Rovell of Action Network. "The quality and performance of our products are of utmost importance. While this is an isolated occurrence, we are working to identify the issue."

Zion's shoe: destroyed 😳 pic.twitter.com/LqQ2te0Jay

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) February 21, 2019

Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski told reporters the team was "very concerned" about Williamson and deemed the injury a "mild knee sprain." While he noted it was "stable," he said the Blue Devils wouldn't have a timeline for recovery until Thursday.

CJ Fogler provided a closer look at the Nike shoe in question:

Zion's blown out shoe pic.twitter.com/QmYDRa2bIg

— CJ Fogler 🫡 (@cjzero) February 21, 2019

Rovell added additional Nike context to the story:

Most Nike contracts waive liability from school. But even though players are required to wear the shoes per the agreement, they are not technically part of the contract so they don’t waive their rights to sue for injury.

— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) February 21, 2019

The injury was a massive blow to Duke's chances in the rivalry showdown and could derail its national championship hopes if he is unable to recover in time for the NCAA tournament. He is also the presumed No. 1 pick in the upcoming NBA draft, so his long-term health is important for his career beyond just Duke.

LeBron James and former President Barack Obama were among those who offered their well wishes to Williamson after his injury.

The Blue Devils appeared shell-shocked after losing their best player and never consistently challenged in an 88-72 loss. With Williamson not there to protect the rim and provide a formidable defensive presence, North Carolina consistently penetrated into the paint and created clean looks at the basket.

Luke Maye led the way with 30 points and 15 rebounds, while Cameron Johnson tallied 26 points, seven boards and four assists.

Duke's other potential top-10 picks did what they could, as RJ Barrett (33 points and 13 rebounds) and Cam Reddish (27 points) stuffed the stat sheet but didn't receive nearly enough help. No other Blue Devils player scored more than six points in defeat.

In the leadup to the first of this season's two (three? four??) men's basketball matchups between Duke and North Carolina, one of the biggest stories making its rounds on social media was the Super Bowl-level ticket prices just to get into Cameron Indoor Stadium.

Between the decades-old rivalry and the limited seating capacity, it's one of the hottest tickets every year. But this time, people were paying several thousands of dollars on the secondary market for the chance to watch Zion Williamson.

He lasted 30 seconds before leaving the game with a severity-to-be-determined knee injury when his foot ripped through his shoe. Williamson did not return, and North Carolina cruised to an 88-72 victory.

And the student-athlete who everyone was paying to see?

He received zero of those dollars.

Before we get into asking the inescapable question of whether Williamson should ever play another unpaid second for Duke, can we talk about the absurdity of this injury for a second?

Maybe we shouldn't be surprised because this is the same man-child who dented a basketball with his fingers during that epic comeback against Louisville, who gained 100 pounds in two years and who we've been waiting all season with bated breath to watch shatter a backboard. Feats of near-impossible strength are just sort of his thing.

But planting so hard that you destroy a shoe is incomprehensible. Even the greatest, strongest basketball players roll an ankle from time to time, but not Zion. Evidently, his calves, ankle tendons and countless lower-leg ligaments are stronger than leather.

Unbelievable stuff, and a testament to why he's going to be the No. 1 pick in the 2019 NBA draft no matter how bad the knee injury ends up being. Given the amount of success Blake Griffin, Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid have had in spite of major injuries before their professional careers even began, this isn't going to scare NBA teams away from Williamson.

Which brings us back to something Scottie Pippen and Tracy McGrady discussed on ESPN's The Jump on January 16: Why keep playing and risk a major injury?

Tracy McGrady and @ScottiePippen don’t agree on whether Zion Williamson is the best player on his Duke team - but regardless, they both think he should stop playing NCAA ball right now, to eliminate the risk of injury before the draft. pic.twitter.com/7Egu42FjfJ

— Rachel Nichols (@Rachel__Nichols) January 16, 2019

Over the past few years, this has predominantly been a college football discussion surrounding players sitting out meaningless bowl games to avoid injury before the combine, but get ready for it to become a talking point on the hardwood.

Frankly, it's surprising that we hadn't already been having that debate, since Simmons and Markelle Fultz spent the 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons, respectively, risking injury for teams that missed the NCAA tournament. We also saw Michael Porter Jr. return to a bubble-y Missouri team for the SEC tournament following a four-month absence due to back surgery.

At least Williamson had been having fun as the big man on campus for the favorites to win the national championship.

And here's a key counterpoint to consider: If Williamson is going to be the No. 1 pick no matter what the MRI says, what was he risking by playing?

The argument makes sense for a guy like Harry Giles who had multiple major surgeries before he even got to college. He ran the risk of plummeting in draft boards by showing NBA teams that he no longer possessed the skill set everyone fell in love with early in his high school career.

But good luck trying to convince one of the best in the world to stop doing what he loves because he might suffer an injury that won't cost him any money.

Hell, if anything, Zion's impending shoe deal just became even more lucrative, because the jokes about constructing a shoe that even he can't break will be a marketing gold mine.

Williamson's situation is unique, of course. A lot of high school phenoms actually are risking injury that could cause a significant future pay cut, and they're doing so in exchange for little more than a free education that some abandon before the end of two semesters.

Former Louisville Cardinal Donovan Mitchell offered his thoughts on the situation on Twitter:

Again let’s remember all the money that went into this game.... and these players get none of it.... and now Zion gets hurt... something has to change @NCAA

— Donovan Mitchell (@spidadmitchell) February 21, 2019

He was referring to Williamson's injury, but it's more interesting to consider guys like Darius Garland and Bol Bol, neither of whom made it through nonconference play before suffering season-ending injuries.

Both of those one-and-done freshmen are still projected lottery picks, but they probably won't go as high as they would have without the injuries. Both guys might have been top-10 picks straight out of high school if they had been allowed to go that route, but now they've each lost a year of their playing careers while acquiring injury question marks.

It will be interesting to see if any / how many top recruits are willing to take up the NBA on its G League offering of $125,000 for what is essentially one year of predraft NBA training instead of the one-and-done approach to college.

That doesn't apply to Williamson, but this latest in the rash of injuries to top prospects might be the catalyst that drives the conversation forward this offseason.

So should Williamson ever play again for the Blue Devils?

That's up to him, his family and Duke's doctors.

Even if it's a minor injury and he'd rather play it safe and sit out the rest of the season, power to him. It might upset his teammates a bit, but they'll understand, and he doesn't owe college basketball anything more than what he has already given it.

If he is willing and able to return, though, that's awesome. College basketball fans around the country will welcome him back with loving arms.

Just make sure to get him some better kicks next time.

        

Kerry Miller covers men's college basketball for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter: @kerrancejames.

Duke Blue Devils star Zion Williamson has been diagnosed with a mild knee sprain after leaving Wednesday's 88-72 loss to the North Carolina Tar Heels in the opening minute.

Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski says that Zion Williamson has a mild knee sprain and that his knee is stable. More details will be available tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/eHN9gSbE7p

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) February 21, 2019

"We're very concerned about Zion," Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said after the game, per Duke Basketball. "It's a mild knee sprain. We will know about length of time tomorrow. It's stable. Obviously it has an impact. You lose the National Player of the Year on the first play."

Sports Illustrated's Ben Golliver relayed more from Coach K:

Coach K on Zion Williamson (knee sprain): “We have to come up with a game plan based on Zion not playing and hopefully he’ll be back playing some time in the near future.” pic.twitter.com/BEYbAOYuFj

— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) February 21, 2019

Williamson was injured just 33 seconds into the game after going down while blowing out his left shoe:

Zion's shoe: destroyed 😳 pic.twitter.com/LqQ2te0Jay

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) February 21, 2019

This was not the first time Williamson has had to exit a game early. An eye injury caused the freshman to miss the second half of a game against Florida State, where he reportedly dealt with double vision, per Tashan Reed of The Athletic.

He has otherwise been able to stay healthy this season and more than lived up to the massive expectations placed upon him entering the year.

Williamson was nearly a household name before he even stepped on campus at Durham thanks to his highlight-reel dunks throughout his high school career. Once he got to college, he showed he is much more than a few viral plays.

The forward is currently averaging 22.4 points and 9.2 rebounds per game this season, also making impressive plays on the defensive end of the court.

On a team that is loaded with McDonald's All-Americans and 5-star recruits, Williamson is the main attraction.

Unfortunately, the latest injury could cause problems for the Blue Devils because of the lack of depth in the rotation.

RJ Barrett and Cam Reddish will be able to handle the scoring load, but there will be pressure on Javin DeLaurier and Jack White to pick up the slack in the frontcourt while Williamson is out.