Duke Basketball One-And-Done Makes Strong Case for More Minutes

Former Duke basketball guard Gary Trent Jr. recorded his first career double-double, and he did so off the bench.

Photo credit: Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports

Gary Trent Jr. is no longer a full-time starter for the Toronto Raptors (11-15). But on Monday night, the Duke basketball product proved what he can do when given starters' minutes.

In a 114-99 home win over the Charlotte Hornets (7-18), who were without their lone NBA Blue Devil, Mark Williams (lower back contusion), for the fifth straight game, Trent tallied 22 points, 10 rebounds, three assists, and only one turnover in 35 minutes as a reserve. He finished 9-for-17 from the field and 4-for-10 beyond the arc.

It was only the fourth time that Trent has logged 30 or more minutes in a game for the 2023-24 Raptors and the first time since the second game of the season that he was on the court for at least 34 minutes.

In the 4 games this season that Gary Trent Jr. has played 30+ minutes he's averaged:

17.3 PPG
4.8 RPG
1.3 APG
1.3 SPG

So, give him more minutes? Is it that simple though without taking minutes away from other bench or starters? Either way Coach Darko has to figure that out. pic.twitter.com/0VOmJ1CSwp

— Alaa Alarashi (@AlaaAlarashi) December 19, 2023

And his efficiently versatile performance marked the first double-double of his pro career.

Through his 23 outings this go-round, Gary Trent Jr., an early second-round draft pick in 2018 following his one-and-done stay with the Blue Devils, is averaging 10.8 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 1.5 assists in 25.1 minutes per contest. He's shooting only 39.1 percent from the field and 36.0 percent from downtown.

Trent and the Raptors next host the defending champion Denver Nuggets (18-10) at 7:30 p.m. ET Wednesday.

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