Jabari Parker To Duke!!

[gumbomoop]

Even best case, Marshall won't be playing 40 minutes. Probably closer to 20, which means somebody else has to play 15 to 20 minutes at C. If Randle is on the team, I'd assume it would be him and he'd play the rest of his time at PF. Alex and Amile can play PF but C would seem to be a stretch. You'd think the same for Josh, although he's probably closer than the other two to be ready to play backup C.

Also, when Randle would (hypothetically, of course) play C for Duke, he wouldn't have to play back-to-the-basket on offense. Kyle didn't play traditional C on offense in 2008; he just had to defend the other team's C. My guess is Randle might not have that big an issue with that sort of arrangement (and same for Alex at PF), but obviously I don't know for sure.

I agree with this analysis, every word of it. Including, either explicitly or [I think, but Kedsy may need to correct me] implicitly:

• When Marshall's not in the game, and Randle is paired with either Hairston or Jefferson as the "bigs," Randle would still be the PF on O, and guard the opposing C only intermittently on D.
• Josh, a solidly-built, experienced senior, even though undersized, would get minutes as backup C.
• K will presumably "sell" Randle on Randle's being a key cog in a "fluid" offense, especially fluid when Marshall is not on the court, i.e., pretty close to half the game.
• Thus, Randle will be a "big" who will get plenty of opportunities to display a variety of O-talents, and will not be the primary C-defender.

[UrinalCake]

My guess is Randle might not have that big an issue with that sort of arrangement (and same for Alex at PF), but obviously I don't know for sure.

If I'm Randle and this is what's being pitched to me, I don't think I'd want to come. Why would a face-up 4 who projects to play the 4 at the next level want to spend half of his minutes playing center? Why not go to a school that already has the center position locked up? I think if I'm Coach K I have to sell him on the notion that we'll bring in another recruit to fill the backup C role. I don't see Hairston playing C at all, I mean he's already undersized at the 4. No way is he going to guard a seven footer. But I do think that Marshall will play more than 20 minutes, hopefully closer to 30.

I also find it kind of interesting that these hypothetical lineups we're envisioning are kind of similar to the Olympic team roster, with Marshall playing the Tyson Chandler role.

[BD80]

If I'm Randle and this is what's being pitched to me, I don't think I'd want to come. Why would a face-up 4 who projects to play the 4 at the next level want to spend half of his minutes playing center? Why not go to a school that already has the center position locked up? I think if I'm Coach K I have to sell him on the notion that we'll bring in another recruit to fill the backup C role. I don't see Hairston playing C at all, I mean he's already undersized at the 4. No way is he going to guard a seven footer. But I do think that Marshall will play more than 20 minutes, hopefully closer to 30.

I also find it kind of interesting that these hypothetical lineups we're envisioning are kind of similar to the Olympic team roster, with Marshall playing the Tyson Chandler role.

The NBA wants its "bigs" trained to play down low, particularly to defend in the post. It would make great sense (& cents?) for a player to come to Duke to play the 5 even though his pro ambitions lie at the 4. It would highlight his "face-up" skills when defended by opposing 5s away from the basket. Danny Ferry anyone?

Not a big fan of predicting minutes, but history should be some guide. Not many bigs at Duke get 30 mpg.

Hairston will play the 5. How many 7' centers does Duke encounter during a season? Out of 35+ games, we may face a 7 footer 6-10 times? And how many times will the back-up center be 7'?

[licc85]

I also find it kind of interesting that these hypothetical lineups we're envisioning are kind of similar to the Olympic team roster, with Marshall playing the Tyson Chandler role.

I was thinking the exact same thing.

Marshall = Chandler
Jabari = Lebron
Sulaimon = Kobe/Westbrook
Cook = Paul
Murphy = KD
Amile = The Brow

Hood = Melo/Iggy? (This is where the similarities kind of end)
Dawkins/Jones = Harden?

Long story short, lots of awesome wing players and guards, but only 1 real big man (who is probably a foul magnet), just like team USA, albeit scaled down to a college talent level (obviously). At least Coach K will already know what to do

[Kedsy]

I think if I'm Coach K I have to sell him on the notion that we'll bring in another recruit to fill the backup C role.

I'm not sure how practical that is. We already have 10 scholarships committed for 2013-14 (assuming Andre comes back). Unless the other big man recruit is a top ten prospect, when the rotation tightens down to 8 (maybe even 7), if Randle is on the team he'd almost have to play a fair amount of minutes at C.

And if by some miracle we snagged both Randle and Jabari Parker (this is a Jabari Parker thread after all), we'd have 12 scholarships committed before finding another big man recruit. When was the last time Duke carried 13 recruited scholarship players?

[Greg_Newton]

I'm not sure how practical that is. We already have 10 scholarships committed for 2013-14 (assuming Andre comes back). Unless the other big man recruit is a top ten prospect, when the rotation tightens down to 8 (maybe even 7), if Randle is on the team he'd almost have to play a fair amount of minutes at C.

I agree with this. I mean, a second big man prospect is certainly a major goal in this class, but I don't see how any remaining uncommitted C's in 2013 he would make the regular rotation.

OTOH, I'm pretty confident that the prospect of playing center is not a non-factor in this recruitment, unless he's pulled a 180 recently. Randle doesn't even really play PF for his AAU team, he's trying to transition into a more point-forward, LBJ role. And while PF will likely be his NBA position, he's not going to be an All-Star playing in the post - he's simply not vertical enough. Remember, while he's 6'9, he has extremely short arms. We're not talking about Elton Brand going up against college centers here, we're talking about someone who's effectively ~4" shorter. He already struggles against long post players in HS.

Also, I'm not exactly sure how putting him on the floor with a pure PF yet not asking him to play center would make sense - we'd be putting Amile/Josh on centers in that scenario, just because we said we would when we were recruiting Randle? I'm also not sure how he would effectively play the LBJ/Webber hybrid role on offense with that spacing; I guess we could put Amile or Josh the in the "offensive center" role, even though that's not really ideal. Hopefully it would be something more effective than the 5-guys-standing-on-the-3-point-line offense we've seen with the 4-forward lineup in the Olympics.

Barring a disappointing trajectory, I'm of the opinion that Marshall will be getting as many minutes in the Tyson Chandler role in 2014 as he can handle. He should be ready to play that role in his third year, and we'll need him to, IMO.

[Monmouth77]

I agree with this. I mean, a second big man prospect is certainly a major goal in this class, but I don't see how any remaining uncommitted C's in 2013 he would make the regular rotation.

OTOH, I'm pretty confident that the prospect of playing center is not a non-factor in this recruitment, unless he's pulled a 180 recently. Randle doesn't even really play PF for his AAU team, he's trying to transition into a more point-forward, LBJ role. And while PF will likely be his NBA position, he's not going to be an All-Star playing in the post - he's simply not vertical enough. Remember, while he's 6'9, he has extremely short arms. We're not talking about Elton Brand going up against college centers here, we're talking about someone who's effectively ~4" shorter. He already struggles against long post players in HS.

Also, I'm not exactly sure how putting him on the floor with a pure PF yet not asking him to play center would make sense - we'd be putting Amile/Josh on centers in that scenario, just because we said we would when we were recruiting Randle? I'm also not sure how he would effectively play the LBJ/Webber hybrid role on offense with that spacing; I guess we could put Amile or Josh the in the "offensive center" role, even though that's not really ideal. Hopefully it would be something more effective than the 5-guys-standing-on-the-3-point-line offense we've seen with the 4-forward lineup in the Olympics.

Barring a disappointing trajectory, I'm of the opinion that Marshall will be getting as many minutes in the Tyson Chandler role in 2014 as he can handle. He should be ready to play that role in his third year, and we'll need him to, IMO.

I also think it's worth observing that true college centers are a rarity and that having Marshall on the floor for most of the game gives us a size advantage at the position against even other top programs. Having Amile or Josh or Alex (or Randle) defend an opponent's best post player for some portion of a ballgame does not strike me as highly problemmatic. Sometimes an athletic wing with size is a better post defender than a "center."

Randle seems like a unique talent who would be well worth having on the roster. If he's anything like Royce White, who I got to see play last year in Lousiville during the Tournament (when he scored on MKG and Davis with ease on more than a few possessions), I'd be happy to add him and figure out how things fit together later. Sounds like a good problem to have.

[Greg_Newton]

I also think it's worth observing that true college centers are a rarity and that having Marshall on the floor for most of the game gives us a size advantage at the position against even other top programs. Having Amile or Josh or Alex (or Randle) defend an opponent's best post player for some portion of a ballgame does not strike me as highly problemmatic. Sometimes an athletic wing with size is a better post defender than a "center."

I'm not so sure that's true; in the ACC alone, that's talking about having those forwards bang with 6'10 280 Joell James (UNC), 7'ers Mike Tobey, Steven Adams and Carson Desrosiers (UVA, Pitt, WFU), 6'11 260 Daniel Miller (GT), 6'8 280 Dajuan Coleman (Cuse) and 6'8 280 Shaquille Cleare (MD) in 2014. Probably a few more I'm not aware of.

Randle would probably be able to hold his own, at least for stretches, but he'd be giving up significant length and/or weight to all of them and have to use a ton of energy; why plan for an unnecessary disadvantage when we've got a 3rd-year 7-footer to plug in?

Plus... I'm just not sure Randle would be crazy about that idea when he's got other blue bloods who would let him play his natural, stretch forward position while someone else takes the brunt of the dirty work inside.

[Olympic Fan]

I'm not so sure that's true; in the ACC alone, that's talking about having those forwards bang with 6'10 280 Joell James (UNC), 7'ers Mike Tobey, Steven Adams and Carson Desrosiers (UVA, Pitt, WFU), 6'11 260 Daniel Miller (GT), 6'8 280 Dajuan Coleman (Cuse) and 6'8 280 Shaquille Cleare (MD) in 2014. Probably a few more I'm not aware of.

Not to dispute your point, but Carson Desrosiers has transferred to Providence. He won't be in the ACC in 2014. Dennis Clifford of BC might be a better example.

And you do list a lot of unproven big men -- Joell James, Steven Adams and/or Shaquille Cleare may be good, but none is a sure-fire star -- in fact, of the freshmen big men who will be playing in the ACC next season, pretty sure that Marshall Plumlee is the only McDonald's All-American among them.

[licc85]

I'm gonna get back to the whole reason why Randle is being discussed so heavily in this thread:

Parker is an amazing player, but he is luxury for the 2013-2014 team with Hood, Murphy, and Jefferson already on board. Randle, on the other hand, fits a much more pressing need.

I understand that Parker is seen as the better player (barely, though. They are both so talented) but, gun to my head, I'd rather have Randle.

I'm not sure we ever REALLY addressed this, purely from an on-the-court perspective. This is what I got, and I'll try to be as fair as I can be:

Jabari Parker

Outstanding characteristics: Basketball IQ, ideal build for an NBA SF, great feel for the game, unselfishness, versatility, plays extremely hard

Strengths on offense: Can score from long range/mid range/high post/low post (basically anywhere), doesn't force the issue, can take a similar sized or bigger defender off the dribble, can post up smaller defenders, excellent passer, good ball handler for his size

Strengths on defense: Good rebounder, excellent length, can defend 3 positions

Weaknesses: Has trouble defending quicker perimeter players, needs to add strength, needs to improve handle to beat intense ball pressure

Julius Randle

Outstanding characteristics: Outstanding motor and strength, plays extremely hard, plays aggressively all the time

Strengths on offense: Great touch around the rim, can begin a drive to the rim from just about anywhere with enough space, tough to stop when he's going to the rim with momentum, has counter moves and power moves to get inside, can take other big men off the dribble

Strengths on defense: Good rebounder, has the ability to leap multiple times in succession to challenge shots and/or fight for rebounds

Weaknesses: Jump shot needs work, decent ball handler for his size, but will have a lot of trouble driving to the paint from the perimeter against college defenders, not a good shot blocker, somewhat of a ball stopper when utilizing his face up game, average length for his size, can only play 1 position

Now, with that said, let's look at our current projected roster for 2013-14:

Centers:
Marshall Plumlee

Forwards:
Alex Murphy
Amile Jefferson
Josh Hairston
Rodney Hood

Guards:
Quinn Cook
Andre Dawkins
Rasheed Sulaimon
Tyler Thornton
Matt Jones

Out of those players, how many of them could potentially become a go-to scorer with the ability to create their own shot? I think out of this group, 3 players stand out to me as potential playmakers: Sulaimon, Murphy, and Cook. I think asking a sophomore Sulaimon or Alex Murphy to take on that role would be a bit of a stretch. Therefore, we would be relying quite a bit on Quinn Cook to create shots for our team, which I don't doubt that he can. However, are we 100% comfortable with Quinn Cook being our go-to guy in the clutch? I dunno . . . it's too early to tell.

However, I think I'd be 100% comfortable with giving the ball to Jabari Parker down 1 with 10 seconds to go. Not only is the guy capable of scoring from just about anywhere, he's got the vision and the passing skills to make plays for others. He's the perfect go-to guy. He could be for us exactly what LeBron is to team USA. Not necessarily the leading scorer, but the guy who has the ball when things are tight, and we need a bucket. He definitely has the ability to create a scoring opportunity for himself, or set up someone else (one of our shooters, take your pick: Dawkins, Jones, Sulaimon, Hood, Murphy, Cook). It's really almost the perfect team for someone like Jabari, who has the ball skills to get in the paint, and has the space to do so because he is surrounded by good shooters, many of whom are also able to make plays. The key here is that Jabari is a good ball handler and passer.

Could I say the same for Julis Randle? Yeah, some of that helps him. Having shooters around a good interior player is always a good thing, but I definitely wouldn't feel great about trying to get the ball to Randle in the final seconds of a big game. Jabari can just come to the ball on the perimeter and get a hand off. It would be a nightmare trying to feed a post player as our go-to guy in a tight game. Also, I don't feel great about Randle's ability to pass out from the post, or his ball handling against tight defense.

Bottom line is, even though the team will lack size, I'd argue Jabari is a way more important player for our needs than Randle. Randle brings maybe 1 or 2 things that the rest of our team doesn't already have, that being a big, tough rebounder, and perhaps a big guy with some perimeter skills. Not to mention, he doesn't fit very well with our roster as it is, and would need to play significant minutes at center, which he is not ideally suited for. Jabari brings about 4 or 5 things that we need, that can't be replaced by anyone else on the team, and I just think he fits our system better. All that said, I'd still rather get them both, but if I had to pick 1, it's Jabari, and it's not close.

[Greg_Newton]

Not to dispute your point, but Carson Desrosiers has transferred to Providence. He won't be in the ACC in 2014. Dennis Clifford of BC might be a better example.

And you do list a lot of unproven big men -- Joell James, Steven Adams and/or Shaquille Cleare may be good, but none is a sure-fire star -- in fact, of the freshmen big men who will be playing in the ACC next season, pretty sure that Marshall Plumlee is the only McDonald's All-American among them.

Ah - I assume RSCI top 25 2012 C Robert Carter would fill his spot then, who's a smaller but still hefty 6'9 245. And while Marshall was the only one to play in the McD's game, I count at least 5 centers in that group who were ranked higher than him in their respective classes.

I wasn't meaning to imply that they would all be stars, merely that they're all odds-on favorites to be starting or seeing big minutes at C in the ACC 2013-2014 (unless Adams goes pro). So, stars or not, asking Josh, Alex or Amile to battle around the rim all game against those guys would be giving them a fairly substantial and unnecessary (and bruising) challenge, IMO. That's what we recruited Marshall to do.

[CDu]

Out of those players, how many of them could potentially become a go-to scorer with the ability to create their own shot? I think out of this group, 3 players stand out to me as potential playmakers: Sulaimon, Murphy, and Cook. I think asking a sophomore Sulaimon or Alex Murphy to take on that role would be a bit of a stretch. Therefore, we would be relying quite a bit on Quinn Cook to create shots for our team, which I don't doubt that he can. However, are we 100% comfortable with Quinn Cook being our go-to guy in the clutch? I dunno . . . it's too early to tell.

I would add Hood to the mix of guys who can become a go-to scorer with the ability to create his own shot. And having 3-4 guys who can do that is more than enough, especially when you can toss in weapons like Jones and Jefferson who can make things happen off the ball. So I don't think the "need for a go-to player" argument is the best argument for Parker at Duke. That's not to say that Parker might not still be the preferred target - just that I don't think we'll suffer from a lack of go-to options without him.

[ChillinDuke]

I'm gonna get back to the whole reason why Randle is being discussed so heavily in this thread:



I'm not sure we ever REALLY addressed this, purely from an on-the-court perspective. This is what I got, and I'll try to be as fair as I can be:

Jabari Parker

Outstanding characteristics: Basketball IQ, ideal build for an NBA SF, great feel for the game, unselfishness, versatility, plays extremely hard

Strengths on offense: Can score from long range/mid range/high post/low post (basically anywhere), doesn't force the issue, can take a similar sized or bigger defender off the dribble, can post up smaller defenders, excellent passer, good ball handler for his size

Strengths on defense: Good rebounder, excellent length, can defend 3 positions

Weaknesses: Has trouble defending quicker perimeter players, needs to add strength, needs to improve handle to beat intense ball pressure

Julius Randle

Outstanding characteristics: Outstanding motor and strength, plays extremely hard, plays aggressively all the time

Strengths on offense: Great touch around the rim, can begin a drive to the rim from just about anywhere with enough space, tough to stop when he's going to the rim with momentum, has counter moves and power moves to get inside, can take other big men off the dribble

Strengths on defense: Good rebounder, has the ability to leap multiple times in succession to challenge shots and/or fight for rebounds

Weaknesses: Jump shot needs work, decent ball handler for his size, but will have a lot of trouble driving to the paint from the perimeter against college defenders, not a good shot blocker, somewhat of a ball stopper when utilizing his face up game, average length for his size, can only play 1 position

Now, with that said, let's look at our current projected roster for 2013-14:

Centers:
Marshall Plumlee

Forwards:
Alex Murphy
Amile Jefferson
Josh Hairston
Rodney Hood

Guards:
Quinn Cook
Andre Dawkins
Rasheed Sulaimon
Tyler Thornton
Matt Jones

Out of those players, how many of them could potentially become a go-to scorer with the ability to create their own shot? I think out of this group, 3 players stand out to me as potential playmakers: Sulaimon, Murphy, and Cook. I think asking a sophomore Sulaimon or Alex Murphy to take on that role would be a bit of a stretch. Therefore, we would be relying quite a bit on Quinn Cook to create shots for our team, which I don't doubt that he can. However, are we 100% comfortable with Quinn Cook being our go-to guy in the clutch? I dunno . . . it's too early to tell.

However, I think I'd be 100% comfortable with giving the ball to Jabari Parker down 1 with 10 seconds to go. Not only is the guy capable of scoring from just about anywhere, he's got the vision and the passing skills to make plays for others. He's the perfect go-to guy. He could be for us exactly what LeBron is to team USA. Not necessarily the leading scorer, but the guy who has the ball when things are tight, and we need a bucket. He definitely has the ability to create a scoring opportunity for himself, or set up someone else (one of our shooters, take your pick: Dawkins, Jones, Sulaimon, Hood, Murphy, Cook). It's really almost the perfect team for someone like Jabari, who has the ball skills to get in the paint, and has the space to do so because he is surrounded by good shooters, many of whom are also able to make plays. The key here is that Jabari is a good ball handler and passer.

Could I say the same for Julis Randle? Yeah, some of that helps him. Having shooters around a good interior player is always a good thing, but I definitely wouldn't feel great about trying to get the ball to Randle in the final seconds of a big game. Jabari can just come to the ball on the perimeter and get a hand off. It would be a nightmare trying to feed a post player as our go-to guy in a tight game. Also, I don't feel great about Randle's ability to pass out from the post, or his ball handling against tight defense.

Bottom line is, even though the team will lack size, I'd argue Jabari is a way more important player for our needs than Randle. Randle brings maybe 1 or 2 things that the rest of our team doesn't already have, that being a big, tough rebounder, and perhaps a big guy with some perimeter skills. Not to mention, he doesn't fit very well with our roster as it is, and would need to play significant minutes at center, which he is not ideally suited for. Jabari brings about 4 or 5 things that we need, that can't be replaced by anyone else on the team, and I just think he fits our system better. All that said, I'd still rather get them both, but if I had to pick 1, it's Jabari, and it's not close.

I look at that lineup of players, and I'm just embarrassed that we are discussing what the #1 recruit in the country will add to that team.

That lineup as it stands is already an imposing, versatile group with a ton of play-making potential, IMHO.

Carry on...

- Chillin

[Kedsy]

I look at that lineup of players, and I'm just embarrassed that we are discussing what the #1 recruit in the country will add to that team.

That lineup as it stands is already an imposing, versatile group with a ton of play-making potential, IMHO.

Carry on...

I agree, there's a lot of firepower on that team. To me, the only thing the roster lacks is a second player who can defend the center position. That's why I think this debate between Parker and Randle has legs. On the other hand, if neither Parker nor Randle can meet that need, then perhaps neither of them would be our most important recruit. Having said that, putting the #1 or #2 recruit on the above roster would really give us something. And I'm not sure there's an impact big man out there we could recruit. It will be interesting to see how K handles all this.

[flyingdutchdevil]

I would add Hood to the mix of guys who can become a go-to scorer with the ability to create his own shot. And having 3-4 guys who can do that is more than enough, especially when you can toss in weapons like Jones and Jefferson who can make things happen off the ball. So I don't think the "need for a go-to player" argument is the best argument for Parker at Duke. That's not to say that Parker might not still be the preferred target - just that I don't think we'll suffer from a lack of go-to options without him.

Exactly. Plus, hasn't Duke disproved the notion of having a player who can "create his own shot"? You only need to look at the 2010 season to see how you can win without having that type of player. I am not disputing the notion of a go-to scorer (we had the fortune of having 3 of them in 2010), but in a year from now, we'll have plenty: Cook, Hood, Sulaimon (TBD), Murphy, and Dawkins. Next year (and this year), I really don't see scoring as an issue. It's defense and versatility. In 2012-2013, we'll be extremely diverse from the 1-3 (possibly the 4 as well), but the 5 (and maybe the four) will need to be beefed up. That's why I value Randle more than Parker. Having the best player in the country will undoubtedly make your team better, but adding the missing piece, IMO, is vastly more important to winning the NC-Double-A.

[licc85]

I would add Hood to the mix of guys who can become a go-to scorer with the ability to create his own shot. And having 3-4 guys who can do that is more than enough, especially when you can toss in weapons like Jones and Jefferson who can make things happen off the ball. So I don't think the "need for a go-to player" argument is the best argument for Parker at Duke. That's not to say that Parker might not still be the preferred target - just that I don't think we'll suffer from a lack of go-to options without him.

I mean, I didn't say we didn't have enough go-to options. It's a good team, obviously. I'm just saying Parker does so many things well that he would easily be the best go-to player on the roster if we had him. I'm not completely clear what your logic is here. So you're saying we're good enough without the best possible player that we are recruiting, so it doesn't matter if we don't get him? I thought we were going for national championships here. Parker makes a final four team a title contender immediately.

[COYS]

Exactly. Plus, hasn't Duke disproved the notion of having a player who can "create his own shot"? You only need to look at the 2010 season to see how you can win without having that type of player. I am not disputing the notion of a go-to scorer (we had the fortune of having 3 of them in 2010), but in a year from now, we'll have plenty: Cook, Hood, Sulaimon (TBD), Murphy, and Dawkins. Next year (and this year), I really don't see scoring as an issue. It's defense and versatility. In 2012-2013, we'll be extremely diverse from the 1-3 (possibly the 4 as well), but the 5 (and maybe the four) will need to be beefed up. That's why I value Randle more than Parker. Having the best player in the country will undoubtedly make your team better, but adding the missing piece, IMO, is vastly more important to winning the NC-Double-A.

I thought Nolan's ability to create his own shot played a very important role in making the 2010 team click. Scheyer was underrated at creating his own shot, as well, but there were many times late in the shot clock when Nolan made something out of nothing.

Otherwise, I totally agree. The key will be how much our defense improves. It certainly seems that we'll be strong on the perimeter, just as you say, but depending on how Marshall develops, we might need a little more help in the post on defense.

[licc85]

That's why I value Randle more than Parker. Having the best player in the country will undoubtedly make your team better, but adding the missing piece, IMO, is vastly more important to winning the NC-Double-A.

I'm using the exact argument as you, I just think Parker fills more holes than Randle because he just does so many things well, whereas Randle does like 3-4 things well. I mean, Parker is undoubtedly the better defensive player, so that argument is moot. Both of them can play the 4. Parker has a longer wingspan too, I don't even think Randle is a significantly better rebounder. Parker is 6'8" and jumps higher . . so he's just chopped liver in the post on D? I mean, he's the EXACT same size as Lance Thomas. Just because he's labeled as a 3 doesn't mean he can't defend the post. Parker is a better offensive player as well. I really don't see how Randle supposedly is "the missing piece." Just because he's about an inch taller and weighs about 20 pounds more? Size isn't everything.

[UrinalCake]

I really don't see how Randle supposedly is "the missing piece." Just because he's about an inch taller and weighs about 20 pounds more? Size isn't everything.

First off, there's inherently a lot of unknowns as we're discussing what our team could look like 14 months from now. High school ratings must always be taken with a grain of salt, and we have a lot of young guys on our team that have a whole season of development ahead. Guys can leave early. So none of us really knows for sure exactly what each of these guys can do or what our needs will be. We're all just making educated guesses.

I like your breakdown of our team and how Parker could be used in our offense, the way LeBron is used in the Olympic team. I do think that we have other guys that could fill that role too, if Parker were to go elsewhere. Murphy seems like the most likely candidate to me due to his versatility, but again we've never actually seen him play (except for like 30 seconds in China). Murphy, Hood, Jefferson, and Rasheed all seem to have the ability to do the kinds of things you're talking about - being the guy with the ball in his hands and the go-to guy in the clutch, scoring and distributing. It may very well be that Parker is better at these things than any of our guys, but we don't know that. In the case of Randle though, his strengths don't seem to overlap as much with the guys we already have, so I think that's why some of us see him as the so-called "missing piece."

[licc85]

First off, there's inherently a lot of unknowns as we're discussing what our team could look like 14 months from now. High school ratings must always be taken with a grain of salt, and we have a lot of young guys on our team that have a whole season of development ahead. Guys can leave early. So none of us really knows for sure exactly what each of these guys can do or what our needs will be. We're all just making educated guesses.

I like your breakdown of our team and how Parker could be used in our offense, the way LeBron is used in the Olympic team. I do think that we have other guys that could fill that role too, if Parker were to go elsewhere. Murphy seems like the most likely candidate to me due to his versatility, but again we've never actually seen him play (except for like 30 seconds in China). Murphy, Hood, Jefferson, and Rasheed all seem to have the ability to do the kinds of things you're talking about - being the guy with the ball in his hands and the go-to guy in the clutch, scoring and distributing. It may very well be that Parker is better at these things than any of our guys, but we don't know that. In the case of Randle though, his strengths don't seem to overlap as much with the guys we already have, so I think that's why some of us see him as the so-called "missing piece."

I guess everyone entitled to their own opinions, but I just feel a bit strange having to defend the best player in the country (and possibly the best prospect in several years) in his own recruiting thread, especially considering neither Parker nor Randle have given any indication that their commitments to Duke are mutually exclusive. I just think it's a bit outrageous that people on this board seem almost indifferent as to whether or not we land Parker. I still stand by the opinion that Parker gives Duke the best chance of any single recruit to carry the program to another national title in 2014, but it's so far from now, I guess it pointless to waste any more effort arguing.