The way you and I breathe fresh air, Duane Washington Jr. breathes confidence.
Never once has he been reticent to get shots up in games at all levels, and never once has he seen a stage that he believes is too big for him. That includes the NBA Draft Combine.
“Just a little different route than some of the other guys coming into the combine, but I knew that I should've been here,” Washington said on Friday night after wrapping up a week of workouts. “That hasn't changed from before the G League invite or anything. Just knowing I believe in myself at the highest level – you've probably heard that a ton.”
He’s right. Anybody who’s heard him talk about hooping has heard about his unrelenting self-belief.
That aspect – which, perhaps more than any other quality, defines him – is a big part of the reason he’s where he is right now.
Washington came into the 2021 NBA Draft process without much cache as a prospect. He didn’t show up in any mock drafts. His name wasn’t included in the top-100 prospect lists put out by the most reputable draft analysts out there. He was just another guy. For that reason, he – along with teammate E.J. Liddell – didn’t get an invitation to the NBA’s Combine. Instead, the pair of Ohio State draft hopefuls were among the 40 participants in Chicago’s G League Elite Camp.
Those three days went about as well for Washington as he could have possibly anticipated. He scored 31 points on 12-of-25 shooting across two exhibitions, then became one of just four players to earn coveted invitations to the NBA Combine. That put him in front of coaches, executives and decision-makers for another entire week. He ended with a team-high nine points in Thursday’s combine scrimmage before scoring 17 points on Friday, hitting 10-of-18 shots between the two games. He also had nine assists and nine turnovers across the four games.
“I knew I could compete with these guys,” Washington said. “It's something I've been telling myself before even coming to any of this stuff and making sure I was ready. If you trust your work – Terance Mann said it – trust your work. Eight weeks, I put in a lot, a lot of work and got into the best shape of my life. I feel like I put myself in a good position to make it to the next level and I'm ready – simple as that – I'm ready to attack the challenge ahead of me.”
In short order, Washington has made himself a legitimate NBA Draft prospect – which is exactly how he saw himself all along. Still, he’s not appearing in any mock drafts at this point. But ESPN’s Jonathan Givony now places him at No. 82 overall on his big board and most analysts haven't updated their post-combine rankings. Others, such as The Athletic’s John Hollinger and Sam Vecenie, have commented positively on what they’ve seen of him.
What looms over everything, of course, is the decision Washington will have to make. Will he go through with the NBA draft process or will he pull his name out of draft consideration and choose to stay at Ohio State for his senior season?
Washington said on Friday night that he hasn’t made up his mind yet.
“I have my college eligibility still. The decision date is July 7,” Washington said, noting the date by which he’ll have to make up his mind. “My process is a lot different than a lot of guys, so I'm just utilizing the process and what it holds and taking it day by day. A lot can change in a week. A lot can change in a day. For me, just getting better every single day and attacking the day to become a better player, better person. That's what I'm worried about and everything else will take care of itself.”
Ohio State's Duane Washington going up strong in transition at the NBA Combine yesterday with Isaiah Todd trailing. pic.twitter.com/KIfLekeh2A
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) June 24, 2021
What is Washington weighing in his college vs. pro choice?
More than anything else, he wants to be in the “best position possible” to have long-term success. He has told NBA teams in recent weeks that he prioritizes going somewhere with a “winning culture” – like the one at Ohio State, he says – that can develop him.
“I want to make it to the NBA but I don't want to play in the NBA for three year and be out,” Washington said. “So for me, I want to have a long-lasting career in the NBA. For me, a lot of guys aren't in my situation. If I do return to school, we're a top-five team and we have a chance to go do something great as Buckeyes. That's amazing. For me, just making sure it's the best decision for me and understanding that there's a short window here making it to the NBA. It's very, very hard to do. So for me, I'm two feet forward, trying to put my best feet forward to becoming an NBA player. We'll see how it plays out. I've got a couple weeks left to make a decision.”
So far, Washington has worked out for the Boston Celtics, Atlanta Hawks and Minnesota Timberwolves. By the last day of the NBA combine, he had more workouts with other teams preliminarily set up, and his performance in Chicago might lead some other teams to bring him in.
Along the way, Washington has kept in contact with both Ohio State’s coaches and his college teammates. He spoke on Thursday with Chris Holtmann, Ryan Pedon and Jake Diebler, keeping them in the loop, and has been on the phone with guys like Meechie Johnson and CJ Walker. His college teammates – whom he says he’d “take a bullet for” – have supported him, he said, since “it's their dream just as much as (mine).”
They also lent him their support the last time he put on an Ohio State uniform.
In one of the Buckeyes’ worst postseason losses ever, they fell to 15th-seeded Oral Roberts in the first round of the NCAA tournament. In that defeat, Washington scored 18 points on 7-of-21 shooting, coming up empty on key late-game possessions that could have won or extended the game.
“That game made me who I am right now,” Washington said. “I wouldn't change anything for the world. It turned me into a monster. For me, just keep going, getting better every single day and understanding guys who know basketball know it's not the end of the world. I'm not going to quit, not going to give up after that. As you see, we just went out there and played against each other right now. For me, just having the opportunity to go play at the highest level is what it's always been about and Ohio State has helped me get there.”
Duane Washington Jr. displayed his 3 level scoring ability very well during the G League Elite Camp. pic.twitter.com/wyR91edewE
— Poliseli (Ex-Basketball Scouting Brasil) (@BasketScoutBR) June 21, 2021
For now, he’s put that game in the past, even though staying in the draft would mean he’d have to be OK with that being the last time he plays for the Buckeyes. At the moment, it’s all about readying himself for the next level.
Washington says he’s been studying Jamal Murray for the past several months, identifying with the Denver Nuggets as a fellow high-scoring combo guard who wants to play both on and off of the ball. People have questioned whether he can be a point guard in the NBA, he says, so he’s been out to prove those doubters wrong. He also pointed to defense – specifically on-ball defense – as a point of emphasis, noting that his 6-foot-3 frame and 6-foot-8 wingspan should help at the next level.
But what does his sales pitch to NBA teams revolve around? His ability to get buckets, naturally. Leading the Buckeyes with 16.4 points per game last season, he turned into a legitimate three-level scoring threat with a knack for knocking down tough shots even if it came with some unmistakeable inconsistency that he has spent the past several years trying to shake.
“Obviously I can score the ball at a high level but understand it's a process, man,” Washington said. “I had to go earn it at Ohio State, got to go earn it in the league. They're paying guys 80, 70, 60 million dollars to go score the ball. For me, just being able to shoot it at a high level. Being able to play off the ball, being able to play on the ball, create for others.”
He also touted his vocal nature, calling his on-court communication and connectivity with teammates “an underlying skill that's not on the stat sheet that is very important on the basketball court.”
In order to truly get on the draft radars of teams, he needed to spend the past week and a half backing all of those words up, and he largely did so at both the G League Elite Camp and the NBA Combine. Soon enough, it’ll be decision time.
Does he want to avenge last season’s ending on what would open the season as a top-10 team and a Big Ten title contender while developing one more season in college, or does he think he’s ready for the NBA where he’d have a chance to achieve his lifelong dream of playing at the highest level of basketball even if he might still go undrafted?
Washington says he doesn’t know which route he’ll take. He’ll have to finalize it soon, though. Only 11 days are between now and the NCAA-mandated deadline to make up his mind.
Just know he’ll be confident with whichever route he ends up taking.
