Duke’s A.J. Griffin needed time to get comfortable again after missing most of the past two seasons, along with some of this year’s preseason, due to injuries.
The freshman is thriving now as a shot-maker with size and athleticism, pushing the 18-year-old high on NBA draft boards with potential to grow his game even more.
“It’s going to be hard for anybody to come in and just be great right away,” junior Wendell Moore Jr. said. “So it’s been a slow grind and a slow pace. … Now everybody’s seeing the tremendous player he is today.”
Griffin – son of former NBA player and current Toronto Raptors assistant coach Adrian Griffin — has shown tantalizing upside as part of Duke’s heralded recruiting class headlined by 6-foot-10 forward Paolo Banchero.
His stroke has been terrific from 3-point range, and he’s shown flashes of the ability to take over a game since becoming a full-time starter last month – illustrated by him scoring the first 10 points after halftime…