Former Duke Basketball Guard DJ Steward Goes Off Again
DJ Steward, undrafted in 2021 following his one-and-done Duke basketball campaign and without a minute of NBA regular-season playing time to his name, was clearly on a mission with the Philadelphia 76ers at this month's Las Vegas Summer League, which wrapped up on Sunday for every team not in Monday's championship bout.
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The 21-year-old Chicago native, an ACC All-Freshman First Team selection and double-digit scorer as a Duke basketball player, had a few impressive outings for the 76ers. They included 24 points last Monday night in a 111-103 loss to the Dallas Mavericks and 14 points in a 110-101 win over the New York Knicks two days earlier.
But none compared to his bucket-getting prowess in Philadelphia's final game on Sunday.
Not only did Steward tally a game-high 36 points in a 117-114 win over the New Orleans Pelicans, but he did so efficiently and in a reserve role. The 6-foot-2 guard played 29 minutes, shooting 13-for-20 from the field, 5-for-10 from three, and 5-for-6 at the foul line.
Furthermore, he added five rebounds, six assists, one steal, and only one turnover.
It might not be enough to put DJ Steward on an NBA roster next season. At the very least, though, one would think his best performances from the past week and a half will earn him a spot in training camp somewhere come late September.
Last season, his second with the Stockton Kings in the G League, he averaged 12.0 points and 4.3 assists while draining 40.5 percent of his 3-point attempts.
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