Blue Devil Country

Rough Night for Former Duke Basketball Sharpshooter in Cleveland

Duke basketball's AJ Griffin is struggling with the Hawks this season.

Matt Giles

Duke basketball forward AJ Griffin (Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports)
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With fellow Duke basketball product and Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson out of commission for four to six weeks with a wrist injury, AJ Griffin is seeing an uptick in minutes. But the 20-year-old NBA Blue Devil likely needs to play better than he did on Tuesday night to keep it that way.

In Atlanta's 128-105 road loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, Griffin shot 0-for-8 from the field and 0-for-4 from downtown across his 15 minutes off the bench. He tallied one rebound and one foul. That's it.

There's no doubt Hawks head coach Quin Snyder, a former Duke basketball guard and assistant, is looking for more from Griffin, who went No. 16 overall to Atlanta at the 2022 NBA Draft following his one-and-done campaign in Durham.

Through his 11 outings this season, AJ Griffin's production is considerably down from his rookie year, when he averaged 8.9 points and 2.1 rebounds in 19.5 minutes per game while shooting a respectable 39.0 percent from three. He's averaging 2.7 points and 0.9 boards in 9.2 minutes per game.

As a Blue Devil, Griffin led Duke with his 44.7 shooting percentage from deep, becoming a consistent double-digit scorer despite injuries woes early.

The Hawks (8-9) now have one day off before hitting the road to play the Western Conference cellar dweller San Antonio Spurs (3-14) and former two-year Blue Devil point guard Tre Jones on Thursday at 8 p.m. ET.

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Matt Giles
MATT GILES

Matt Giles is the editor and publisher of Duke Blue Devils on SI, North Carolina Tar Heels on SI, and NC State Wolfpack on SI, making him a key source for comprehensive coverage of these storied college basketball programs. Since joining SI in 2022, Matt has been dedicated to providing in-depth analysis, breaking news, and exclusive content on all three teams. He covers everything from game previews and recaps to player profiles and recruiting updates. Matt's expert knowledge of these teams has made his work a go-to resource for fans and followers of Duke, NC State, and UNC. As publisher, he shapes the editorial direction, ensuring that the most relevant and timely information reaches his audience.

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