With the NBA Summer time League in Las Vegas, it was becoming that David Duke Jr. guess on himself.

He performed the hand he was dealt to one of the best of his capacity. Now she is going to wait to see if it was sufficient.

When the Nets supplied Duke a two-way contract, turned it down hoping to get an ordinary deal. He went to summer season league as a free agent, figuring out a poor efficiency could lead on Brooklyn to withdraw even that provide.

That appears unlikely, although, as Duke is listed as Brooklyn’s most improved quintet of rookies from final yr. Whether or not he joins present rookie Alondes Williams because the second two-way or lands the specified customary contract, it clearly helped his place.

“I am at all times going to push myself for one of the best I can get, proper? So if there’s a [standard] place on the checklist to battle for it, then no matter occurs from there, will occur. However I am simply right here attempting to play one of the best I can, present what I can carry to Brooklyn, to whoever. And that is simply my mind-set,” Duke mentioned. “It is simply me attempting to point out my staff that I am with proper now what I can do.”

What Duke confirmed was the progress it has made since final summer season. After averaging 7.3 factors, 1.3 assists and 0.3 steals in his rookie summer season league, he elevated these stats to 19.0 factors, 4 assists and 1.4 steals with spirited protection.

Duke closed out the summer season league with 24 factors, 5 assists and 5 rebounds in opposition to the Celtics on Saturday, whereas his robust drives have been amongst Brooklyn’s highlights. His taking pictures nonetheless leaves rather a lot to be desired, however he is managed to stroll the nice line between aggression and doing an excessive amount of for that customary contract, in Brooklyn or elsewhere.

“The great factor is that I have never seen something however full professionalism and dedication to play nicely and do all the things we ask of him — assault and be aggressive throughout the staff framework,” summer season league coach Adam Caporn mentioned. “I simply love what he is doing defensively, choosing up the ball, setting the tone. He’s doing all the things the best approach. And I am completely satisfied for him.”

Caporn coached Duke with G-League Lengthy Island final season as a rookie and now in the summertime league. He has seen the second-year guard turn out to be extra assured.

“For me, letting my aggression offensively make the performs for me, not hesitating. You make extra errors whenever you exit and hesitate than whenever you exit aggressively. Aggressive errors, coaches say they will reside with that,” Duke mentioned. “That is what I am engaged on this yr: simply letting my aggression make my performs for me, utilizing my instincts to make the best play.

“Particularly, Blake Griffin, I can provide him credit score. In the course of the yr we have been taking part in within the truck and he instructed me, ‘Use your aggressiveness to get the performs made.’ You’ve good instincts: use that. Let that be your future. From there, I at all times attempt to inform myself that going right into a sport.”

The 6-foot-5 combo taking pictures guard not solely confronted Boston’s Mfiondu Kabengele on the hoop within the third quarter of the finale, he sank into the 6-foot-10, 250-pound heart within the first half.

“Ending was one thing that I made certain was a precedence to work on this offseason,” Duke mentioned. “Due to the teaching workers, they’ve finished a fantastic job. I have been with them the final two months, actually working across the rim rather a lot.”

Duke attracted a minimum of some curiosity from Toronto, which had supplied him a summer season league deal. The Windfall product made his first NBA begin in opposition to the Raptors on Dec. 14 and maybe his 10 factors, 13 rebounds, two steals and two blocks made an impression.

However it was making an impression in Brooklyn that it was the principle mission in Las Vegas.

“Simply to point out what I have been engaged on,” Duke mentioned. “I have been with them the final two months, placing in numerous work. So coming right here and with the ability to put it to work, put it to the take a look at and see how I am getting higher was an enormous factor for me to point out them how I can contribute to the Brooklyn staff.”