Duke forward Theo John joins Timberwolves summer league team
It’s hard to keep track of where all these Duke guys are going following the 2022 season. Four Blue Devils were picked in the first round of last Thursday’s NBA Draft, with an additional guy going in the second round. And now, former Duke big man Theo John has also found a professional home for the summer.
Shams Charania reported that John will partner with the Minnesota Timberwolves for this year’s NBA Summer League which is annually held in Las Vegas. Here was Charania’s full tweet reporting the news:
“Sources: Duke’s Theo John has agreed to play in NBA Summer League with the Minnesota Timberwolves.”
The Duke twitter account also tweeted a congratulatory message and graphic following the announcement of John to the T-Wolves.
Theo John leaves behind a long college career as an enforcer in the paint. If you’ve ever seen John, he’s a hefty fella in every since of the word. He may be the subject of Jimmy Dean’s 1961 song “Big Bad John.” That beefy frame coupled with his veteran toughness made him a man amongst boys at Duke this season as he backed up equally-as-large Mark Williams. Some big, bad men in that front court.
Before attending Duke as a fifth-year senior, John also spent four years at Marquette in a similar role. A bruiser in the paint with little skill but plenty of grit and size to make up for it. He can be just that in the NBA — and won’t be asked to do anything he’s not capable of. Happy trails in Vegas, Theo!
Houston Rockets select Wendell Moore, trade him to Minnesota Timberwolves
By Daniel Morrison
Theo John will know at least one dude on the 2022 Timberwolves Summer League team. With the No. 26 pick of the first round, Wendell Moore was selected by the Houston Rockets — who traded him to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
A four-star recruit in the Class of 2019, Wendell Moore became an increasingly important member of the Duke Blue Devils over the years. His final season at Duke was also Mike Krzyzewski’s last. Moore and his Duke teammates did their best to make Coach K’s final season memorable, but they fell short in their final home game to North Carolina, the ACC Championship Game against Virginia Tech, and the Final Four to the Tar Heels again.
In the 2021-22 season, Wendell Moore made a huge impact on the court. His season-high in scoring came against Syracuse when he put up 26 points. One the year, he was Second-team All-ACC and ACC All-Defensive Team. He also won the Julius Erving Award, as the top collegiate small forward.
On his career, Wendell Moore averaged 10.7 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game. He also shot 45.9% from the field and 35.8% from three-point range.
In the pre-draft process, there was debate as to where Wendell Moore would be drafted. Most experts agreed that he would fit somewhere in the second round. ESPN placed him at 36th overall in a mock draft.
Alas, he went a bit higher than 36th and snuck into the first round to secure that guaranteed money over at least the next two years. He was also the fourth Duke player drafted in the first round.