Duke has been welcoming to NBA scouts over the years when it comes to opening the doors for practices but that will no longer be the case. Duke and coach Mike Krzyzewski will lock the doors for NBA representatives this season, following the lead by Kentucky two years ago.
Duke will invite NBA scouts and coaches to come attend a specially-designed pro day practice on either October 19 or 25 inside Cameron Indoor Stadium. These will be the only two practices all season where the doors will be open for the NBA, other than the actual games to be played. That will give NBA types limited access to star freshmen Jayson Tatum, Harry Giles, and Marques Bolden, not to mention the rest of the Duke roster.
For Coach K, this makes plenty of sense as it prevents an extra distraction form floating around his program. When NBA eyes are watching you, it can detract from the overall goal of the team practice. Rather than have one player concentrate on impressing NBA scouts, the core fundamentals to build a successful team under Coach K’s leadership remain the undisputed priority. With the talent assembled in Durham, that can lead to a very strong season, one that is already projected to go very well for the Blue Devils.
The NBA may miss out on extra scouting opportunities, but the two pro days along with offseason scouting opportunities now allowed by the NCAA rulebook allow for more flexibility for the players, programs and scouts. This plan by Duke is nothing more than a way to eliminate a needless distraction during the season.
John Calipari was the first to do such a thing two years ago, although he still allowed selected NBA organizations in for a few practices during the season. Duke is apparently shutting the entire league off after the two pro day scouting sessions.
