Duke's Injury-Plagued Sharpshooter Turned NBA Lottery Pick
AJ Griffin, the 6'6" forward with a 7-foot wingspan, dazzled as a Duke freshman in 2021-22, averaging 10.4 points on elite 49/45/79 shooting splits, earning ACC All-Freshman honors before No. 16 overall selection by Atlanta Hawks[2][4]. His smooth handle, physicality, deep counters, and creator upside make him a versatile wing, but nagging injuries hampered early Duke years and led to efficiency dips in NBA (rookie 46.5/39.0 FG3%; sophomore 29.0/25.6)[2][7]. Son of NBA coach Adrian Griffin, his basketball IQ and late-season pop (13.4 PPG in starts) scream high-upside fit for teams needing shooting and size—watch if healthy[1][4].
