Scarlet and Game
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Former Ohio State basketball player kills Summer League debut

By Ryan Stano

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - MARCH 13: Duane Washington Jr. #4 of the Ohio State Buckeyes reacts after a play in the game against the Michigan Wolverines during the first half of the Big Ten men's basketball tournament semifinals at Lucas Oil Stadium on March 13, 2021 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - MARCH 13: Duane Washington Jr. #4 of the Ohio State Buckeyes reacts after a play in the game against the Michigan Wolverines during the first half of the Big Ten men's basketball tournament semifinals at Lucas Oil Stadium on March 13, 2021 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images) /
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Former Ohio State basketball player Duane Washington played absolutely brilliantly in his Summer League debut for the Indiana Pacers.

Former Ohio State basketball player Duane Washington signed a two-way deal with the Indiana Pacers after going undrafted in the NBA Draft. He decided to forego his senior year at Ohio State for his chance to play in the NBA. He gets that chance with the Pacers.

Washington is on the Summer League team like most young players are. He made his debut today in the first Summer League game the Pacers played. In that game, Washington showed everyone in Indiana what he is capable of doing as a shooting guard at the next level.

Simply put, he was sensational. Washington could not miss in this game, only missing a single shot from the field. He finished 8-9 and led the team with 23 points. He was also a scorching 5-5 from three-point range in this one. Washington was even one of the guys playing down the stretch in crunch-time.

This was the best possible start for Washington to his NBA career. He didn’t look out of place defensively either, and that was the big concern with him coming into the league. He was able to stay in front of his man and make them take a tough shot the majority of the time.

As both a Buckeye fan and a Pacers fan, this game really excites me about his potential in the NBA. He did more than just stand around on offense too. He was able to dish out some good passes and had a really nice alley-oop feed inside.

Make no mistake though, Washington is here to do what he did for Ohio State; get buckets. That’s exactly what he did today. He probably won’t play much in Indiana this season, but will get a lot of time in Fort Wayne with the Pacers’ G-League team. If he plays well enough there, he might find himself on the Pacers’ roster later this season.

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It’s just Summer League, but Washington made a great first impression on Pacers coach Rick Carlisle. That’s all you can ask for.

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