Duke Basketball: Jayson Tatum expected to be ready for opener, Giles close to return
With the season right around the corner, Duke basketball provided some positive injury updates.
There are two things that could hold Duke back from winning their second National Championship in three seasons in 2016-17: Point guard play and injuries.
Five-star guard Frank Jackson will be dealing with an adjustment to the lead guard position to start the season, but the more concerning matter is regarding injuries to small forward Jayson Tatum and big man Harry Giles.
On Friday night, positive news came out of Durham, as head coach Mike Krzyzewski told reporters that Tatum is expected to be ready for the season opener and Giles will return to the floor later this month.
Tatum injured his left foot in Duke’s ‘Pro Day’ practice (NBA scouts were in attendance) and was unable to put weight on his foot as he left the court. Duke feared the worst, but results showed that Tatum simply had a sprained foot that would keep him out for just two weeks.
It’s unknown if the smooth five-star forward will be 100 percent for the season opener. If he isn’t the Blue Devils can ease him back into action given that they are playing a buy-game against Marist. Duke opens the season with a back-to-back (they also take on Grand Canyon the next day), so managing Tatum’s minutes in the early going, regardless of his status, will be critical to future success.
Duke likely wants their freshman to be a full-go for the November 15 match-up against Kansas in the Champions Classic at Madison Square Garden.
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Duke went from avoiding a major injury, to having Tatum back and ready for the season opener.
Meanwhile, the more concerning of the two injuries is Giles. He underwent an arthroscopy on his left knee at the beginning of October. While the surgery was only expected to keep him out for six weeks, Giles’ has had knee problems throughout his career.
He tore his ACL, MCL and meniscus in his left knee before his sophomore year of high school, and suffered a torn ACL in his right knee in the first game of his senior season.
Giles is probably going to miss the Champions Classic and the Hall of Fame Tip-Off Classic at Mohegan Sun, but he could possibly give Duke some type of lift in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. The Blue Devils are playing Michigan State on November 29 at the Cameron Indoor Center, so Giles could play some minutes off the bench as he tries to work his way to 100 percent.
Tatum’s injury clearly does not hold any long term concerns, however, Giles is in a bit of a predicament. No one truly knows if he will return to 100 percent during the 2016-17 season and it’s even more of a question as to if he regains his explosiveness and athleticism immediately.
Both of these five-star recruits are in the running for the number one overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. But first, in order for Duke to cut down the nets in March, they must have both players on the floor. The Blue Devils have the deepest team in the nation, but with Tatum and Giles in the lineup, their talent level is through the roof.
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