Indiana Pacers Rookie Chris Duarte Named To NBA Rising Stars Roster

The Indiana Pacers haven’t had a rookie like Chris Duarte in a while. The 13th overall selection in the 2021 NBA Draft has been a bright spot for the 19-33 Pacers, and his ability to have a strong impact on both ends of the court has Indiana excited about his future.

Duarte’s impressive rookie season, in which he is averaging 13.2 points per game, has landed him a spot on the NBA’s 2022 Rising Stars roster. He will play in a mini-tournament at All-Star weekend with some of the league’s best first-and-second year players.

“We’ve seen a lot of improvement this year with him,” Rick Carlisle said of Duarte one day after he was named to the Rising Stars roster. Carlisle congratulated Duarte last night on making the event.

“It’s easy to look at a player like Chris, or a lot of the guys in this game, and focus on the offensive stats… defense is a part of the game that gets overlooked a lot. Chris has made some real improvements defensively. He’s had tough assignments all year,” Carlisle added, specifically highlighting how well Duarte contained two-time All Star Trae Young when the Pacers battled the Hawks earlier this season.

Duarte has been one of the best rookies in the NBA this season. He is seventh amongst players drafted in 2021 in minutes played and ranks fifth in points scored, ninth in total rebounds, and 11th in total assists within his draft class. The former Oregon Duck can fill up the stat sheet offensively while also providing impressive, aggressive defense. He has outperformed his draft slot so far.

The guard has a wide-ranging skillset that allows him to fit in many lineups that Indiana trots out. And the team needs him to succeed — the Pacers have a better offensive and defensive rating with Duarte on the court than they do with him on the bench. His abilities make any unit better.

“I see a lot of areas that he has gotten better, and I see a lot of areas where he’ll continue to improve,” Carlisle stated of the rookie. Duarte has sored 24 or more points twice in the last three weeks.

Duarte’s strong play throughout the season has drawn praise from several other players and coaches around the association, including superstars LeBron James and Kevin Durant.

“I like Duarte,” Durant said last November. “He reminds me of an old-school shooting guard. He’s quick off the catch, can shoot the mid-range off of a couple dribbles too, got good size. I like him, I like him a lot.”

Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd also offered up high praise for Duarte earlier this campaign.

“Chris is playing at a high level. He’s not afraid,” Kidd said. “He starts, he plays well. [He] understands how to play the game, has a high basketball IQ.”

Duarte is third on the Pacers in total minutes this season — he has been one of the squad’s more reliable members in a season filled with injuries. If his current scoring average holds, he will become the sixth Pacer ever to average over 13 points per game as a rookie, and the first to do it for the franchise since 1987.

As a part of the Rising Stars action, Duarte will compete in a mini-tournament on one of four rosters, which will be drafted at a later date. The action will take place on February 18 during NBA All-Star weekend.