Renowned Jayhawk Devonte Graham is on a roll in San Antonio

Devonte Graham

Devonte Graham, one of the best guards in the Kansas basketball program’s history, has again found his niche in the NBA. He reverted to a minor bench role in New Orleans this season, and the Pelicans eventually released him to make room for money. The San Antonio Spurs picked him up off of free agency, and he has been terrific for them thus far.

Graham has reclaimed the 6th man role he once had as a Pelican, albeit with a different team. The Spurs are among the worst squads in the NBA this season, but his contributions should not be undermined.

In the ten-game span since he joined them, Graham is averaging 15.4 points and 4.3 assists in 27.7 minutes. He has never been known for efficiency, although his three-point percentage is a solid 37.9%.

He has made his mark in the NBA as a prolific three-point shooter. Although much of his game at KU included drawing fouls and driving inside, his niche in the league is to pull it from range. 67.2% of his career shot attempts have been from deep, and he has sunk 722 in his five-year career.

A four-year player at KU, Graham is the blueprint of a Bill Self-developed point guard. The former four-star recruit was a serviceable starting guard in his first two seasons, averaging 12.3 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per game over his sophomore and junior year.

His senior year is when Devonte’ turned it up a notch. In 2017-18, he was a consensus All-American and won Big 12 Player of the Year. He did not miss a game for the Jayhawks that season and followed up Frank Mason’s outstanding season with one of his own.

Unfortunately for Graham, the Jayhawks were pummeled by Villanova in the Final Four. Fans all remember the emotional picture of him hugging head coach Bill Self as he was subbed out in his last game at KU, crying on his mentor’s shoulder. The Wildcats were unbeatable that year. Still, it does not take away from the achievements that Graham compiled in Lawrence. He was one of the best players in program history as a senior.

All Kansas fans know that Graham had a knack for the big moment. One of the shots he will be most remembered for is this ridiculous heave as the shot clock expired against Texas Tech to give the Jayhawks their 14th consecutive Big 12 regular season title:

Kansas fans can rejoice in knowing that Graham is once again succeeding in the NBA. Not many scouts thought that his game would translate to the pros, but he has become a solid rotational piece for several teams now. He has played long enough to the point where he is an NBA veteran, and his career is not going to be over anytime soon.