The 2021 NBA Draft will be an important event for teams to build for their future. Here is the Chris Duarte 2021 NBA Draft Profile.
Chris Duarte Background
Position:Â Guard
Size: 6-foot-6, 190 pounds
School:Â Oregon
Class:Â Senior
2020-21 stats: 17.1 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 0.8 blocks, 1.9 steals, 53.2% FG, 42.4% 3PT, 81.0% FT
Duarte wasn’t on the radar for a lot of NBA teams just a few years ago, but has turned into a solid prospect. He has now entered his name into the 2021 NBA Draft.
He went to JUCO, but then was ranked as a three-star prospect from there. Duarte chose to go to Oregon to end his college career. As a junior he averaged 12.9 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.6 assists. The Ducks went 24-7, but there was no NCAA Tournament due to COVID. Duarte returned to Oregon for his senior season and averaged 17.1 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.7 assists. Oregon made the Sweet 16 before getting knocked out of the 2021 NCAA Tournament.
Following a solid run in March Madness, Duarte decided to declare for the 2021 NBA Draft. He is currently projected to be a late first round pick.
Strengths
Duarte is great at creating steals. His ability to pick-pocket ball-handlers is great and is aided by his solid length. Duarte also excels at jumping into passing lanes to steal the ball. He has great defensive awareness and plays good team defense as well. While he may struggle to stay in front sometimes, he does show good effort on the defensive side of the floor.
His shooting ability makes him a good “3 and D” prospect. He shot 42.4 percent from deep last season. To go with that he shot 53 percent from the floor and 81 percent from the line. Duarte can shoot off of the dribble or the catch and will help to spread out NBA defenses. He shows great concentration, as he hits contested long-range shots with some frequency.
He can finish well at the basket with either hand. Duarte goes up strong with the ball and can finish over or around bigger opponents. This helps him in a halfcourt offense, but he often times would get steals leading to fastbreak opportunities, which he also finished well. He often finished through contact for and-1 opportunities. Whether it is a dunk or a layup, Duarte can finish.
Weaknesses
He will be one of the older players in the draft at the age of 24. That means he will have to produce right away and will likely not be given as much time to develop his game as other players in this draft. He’ll need to pick things up very quickly.
Duarte needs to be set up to score and he doesn’t do a great job of setting up his teammates. He needs to look for his teammates more. In his last season at Oregon, he averaged just 2.7 assists. At times when he attacks the basket, he doesn’t pass the ball to open teammates and rather takes tough shots. Passing better will open up the floor more for him and his teammates at the next level. On top of making plays for his teammates, he also doesn’t create his own shot very well. Teams will not want to use him to run their offense often.
Creating steals is nice, but Duarte isn’t the best defender when it comes to staying in front of his man. He struggles to stay in front of smaller guards and could struggle with the size of some NBA forwards. His ability to force turnovers should offset some of that, but he could give ups some points as a defender.
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