DJ Steward Sizzles Against Another Duke Basketball Product's Team
DJ Steward, who went undrafted in 2021 following his lone Duke basketball campaign, has never played a minute of an NBA regular season game. But if the determined Blue Devil continues to get buckets to the tune of his performance at the Las Vegas Summer League on Monday night, he may land with a team for next season.
Playing 25 minutes off the bench for the Philadelphia 76ers (1-1), Steward scored a game-high 24 points. Sure, his efforts came in a 111-103 loss to the Dallas Mavericks (1-1) and their one-and-done Blue Devil lottery pick in 7-foot-1 rookie Dereck Lively II, who finished with eight points and 11 rebounds in 24 minutes as a starter.
Nevertheless, Steward showed what he's capable of as a pro, at least when he feeds off the confidence from seeing his shots fall.
The 6-foot-2 lightfooted guard shot 8-for-16 from the field, 3-for-5 beyond the arc, and 5-for-6 at the foul line against the Mavericks. Although Steward added only one rebound and two assists, it's worth noting he didn't rack up any turnovers either.
In Philadelphia's first outing in Las Vegas, Saturday's 110-101 win over the New York Knicks, Steward tallied 14 points, six boards, four assists, two steals, and one block while shooting 6-for-12 overall in his 22 minutes on the floor.
If nothing else, his substantial production and minutes through two Las Vegas Summer League appearances are an encouraging sign for his NBA dreams.
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And it doesn't hurt that the Chicago native, a 2020 five-star prep and McDonald's All-American, is still only a 21-year-old who would be a Duke basketball senior next season had he stuck around.
Across two seasons with the Stockton Kings in the G League, DJ Steward has averaged 13.1 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 4.4 assists. Last season, he knocked down a much-improved 40.5 percent of his 3-point attempts as a high-volume outside shooter.
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