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Billy Dat
10-08-2013, 09:29 AM
Training camp has started and we need a new thread. I begin this year with a new nickname that may not break big, but is clever nonetheless. I am just happy he's started training camp well enough to potentially earn a nickname...

"Frequent Flier Miles"

http://www.brightsideofthesun.com/2013/10/6/4808250/phoenix-suns-hold-off-late-rally-to-beat-suns-behind-miles-plumlee

sagegrouse
10-08-2013, 10:42 AM
Good thread, Billy Dat.

I found these money quotes interesting and entertaining:


Plumlee was one of the few players who didn't look tired after a week of two-a-days in the high altitude, and his game takes place about a foot higher than Gortat. "Frequent Flyer" Miles regularly plays above the rim - dunks, high rebounds, blocks - while we all know that Gortat prefers to stay closer to the ground.

This doesn't mean that Plumlee is a better player than Gortat. He's not. But at the very worst he appears to be a 7-foot version of Suns fan fave Louis Amundson - always active, beating other players on hustle and pogo sticks for legs, but probably best in a limited role off the bench because his offensive arsenal is limited.

BTW, this was an intrasquad scrimmage up in Flagstaff AZ (7,000 feet, same elevation as here in Grouseland).

sagegrouse

UrinalCake
10-08-2013, 11:29 AM
Towards the bottom of the espn mobile page, in the Videos section, is a link to a clip of Seth hitting a meaningless shot at the buzzer.

http://w88.m.espn.go.com/b/ss/wdgwespmobileweb/5.4/REDIR/0497901486561716731381245920280?D=..&url=http%3A%2F%2Fonce.unicornmedia.com%2Fnow%2Fod% 2Fauto%2F4d993388-8b49-4f34-9e48-87906e690281%2Fba3bbb35-473a-4af7-a649-54de157a3f99%2F3970e7c5-fd43-4263-a7e2-d01e619c937b%2Fcontent.once%3FUMADPARAMreferer%3Dh ttp%3A%2F%2Fespn.go.com%2Fvideo%2Fclip%3Fid%3D9790 368%26UMADPARAMcsid%3Despnmobileweb%3Ahome%3Aindex&pe=media&mediaName=NBA%3A%3AMOBILE_MUST_SEE%3A%3A+MOBILE_NB A+Highlight+%28Steph+Curry%27s+Brother%2C+Seth%2C+ Hits+Buzzer-Beater+For+Warriors%29+2013%2F10%2F07+_9790368&mediaLength=00%3A00%3A28&mediaPlayer=Off+Deck&mediaSession=0-0&c3=videoid%3DNBA%3A%3AMOBILE_MUST_SEE%3A%3A+MOBILE _NBA+Highlight+%28Steph+Curry%27s+Brother%2C+Seth% 2C+Hits+Buzzer-Beater+For+Warriors%29+2013%2F10%2F07+_9790368&v2=videoid%3DNBA%3A%3AMOBILE_MUST_SEE%3A%3A+MOBILE _NBA+Highlight+%28Steph+Curry%27s+Brother%2C+Seth% 2C+Hits+Buzzer-Beater+For+Warriors%29+2013%2F10%2F07+_9790368&v16=manual&events=event1&vid=%5BCS%5Dv1%7C2907B8AE0501123F-4000011520205F30%5BCE%5D

I wonder how long it will be until they no longer refer to him as "Steph's brother" 8-)

Tappan Zee Devil
10-08-2013, 12:51 PM
The NY Times has an article up on Mason and acclimating to a new world

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/06/sports/basketball/for-the-nets-lone-rookie-time-for-relaxation-remains-a-distant-luxury.html?ref=basketball

flyingdutchdevil
10-08-2013, 03:21 PM
Training camp has started and we need a new thread. I begin this year with a new nickname that may not break big, but is clever nonetheless. I am just happy he's started training camp well enough to potentially earn a nickname...

"Frequent Flier Miles"

http://www.brightsideofthesun.com/2013/10/6/4808250/phoenix-suns-hold-off-late-rally-to-beat-suns-behind-miles-plumlee

Wait - 4 years at Duke and no one came up with Frequent Flier Miles?

That makes me sad :(

Dev11
10-08-2013, 08:04 PM
Wait - 4 years at Duke and no one came up with Frequent Flier Miles?

That makes me sad :(

In the nearly 4 years that I've been lurking around here, I've decided that this board is collectively good at many things. None of those things is coming up with good nicknames for Duke basketball players.

dukelifer
10-08-2013, 10:11 PM
It wasn't a thing of beauty but Mason came through in overtime to give his coach his first win. Mason made a dumb foul near the end of regulation and missed a free throw that led to a last second Glen Rice Jr. dunk to send the game into overtime. But in overtime, Mason made his throws and two "dunks/tips" that sealed the deal. He was definitely nervous but once he hit one- he was excited. Got a high five from Garnett.

JasonEvans
10-09-2013, 08:23 AM
In the nearly 4 years that I've been lurking around here, I've decided that this board is collectively good at many things. None of those things is coming up with good nicknames for Duke basketball players.

I need to spread the love around more so someone give this man some pitchforks for this outstanding observation!!

-Jason

Billy Dat
10-09-2013, 09:37 AM
It wasn't a thing of beauty but Mason came through in overtime to give his coach his first win. Mason made a dumb foul near the end of regulation and missed a free throw that led to a last second Glen Rice Jr. dunk to send the game into overtime. But in overtime, Mason made his throws and two "dunks/tips" that sealed the deal. He was definitely nervous but once he hit one- he was excited. Got a high five from Garnett.


The NY Times has an article up on Mason and acclimating to a new world

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/06/sports/basketball/for-the-nets-lone-rookie-time-for-relaxation-remains-a-distant-luxury.html?ref=basketball

The article on Mason is very good. It didn't occur to me that NYC would be such a great NBA destination for recent grads because so many classmates wind up on Wall Street. As a result, sounds like Mason has a good non-basketball social outlet. The thought of he and his parents assembling Ikea furniture into the night cracked me up. You're a pro, son, go buy some stuff that doesn't require glued dowels and scotch tape!!! Maybe he's saving his $ for all the expensive dinners the veterans are going to make him buy.

Dukelifer - I was watching the 3rd quarter of the game and saw him get his first pre-season minutes. He looked like a rookie in a spaz kind of way. At one point, he closed out way too quick when Al Harrington caught the ball at the foul line and Harrington torched him to the hoop for a lay-up. But, he looks like he belongs and I think he'll turn out great. He's going to learn a lot from Garnett and Lopez and Kirilenko, but, as the only rookie on that team, he's gonna have to have a real thick skin. I am glad to hear he ended the game strong.

Ben1029
10-09-2013, 01:55 PM
Wait - 4 years at Duke and no one came up with Frequent Flier Miles?

That makes me sad :(

I always thought tyler hansbrough had a lot of frequent flier miles because he traveled so much.

Billy Dat
10-09-2013, 03:00 PM
With the Nets at Duke last week, there were a bunch of media stories about Net Shaun Livingston finally "playing at Duke". They were very bittersweet.

http://nypost.com/2013/10/03/former-phenom-grows-in-brooklyn/

"Early on the first day of this Brooklyn Nets training camp, as Shaun Livingston grinded through a battery of drills on the floor of the pristine gymnasium, the man for whom it’s named walked in, grabbed a chair, and studied a small piece of might’ve-been.
“You’re looking just like I remember,” Mike Krzyzewski said later, warmly.
“Coach,” Livingston said, laughing, “maybe if you’d had this beautiful building back in the day it would’ve gone different.”
“Maybe a lot of things would’ve been different,” Krzyzewski said, smiling."

Dev11
10-10-2013, 09:08 AM
I need to spread the love around more so someone give this man some pitchforks for this outstanding observation!!

-Jason

Thank you, Jason. My settings page would indicate you have a lot of sway around here, and of course now I am imbued with additional pitchfork power.

timmy c
10-10-2013, 12:51 PM
Thank you, Jason. My settings page would indicate you have a lot of sway around here, and of course now I am imbued with additional pitchfork power.

With great power, comes great responsibility.

subzero02
10-11-2013, 12:00 AM
With the Nets at Duke last week, there were a bunch of media stories about Net Shaun Livingston finally "playing at Duke". They were very bittersweet.

http://nypost.com/2013/10/03/former-phenom-grows-in-brooklyn/

"Early on the first day of this Brooklyn Nets training camp, as Shaun Livingston grinded through a battery of drills on the floor of the pristine gymnasium, the man for whom it’s named walked in, grabbed a chair, and studied a small piece of might’ve-been.
“You’re looking just like I remember,” Mike Krzyzewski said later, warmly.
“Coach,” Livingston said, laughing, “maybe if you’d had this beautiful building back in the day it would’ve gone different.”
“Maybe a lot of things would’ve been different,” Krzyzewski said, smiling."

That exchange is beyond words... The fluke injuries to our pg's and potential pg's in Livingston's case is unbelievable... Irving, Jwill, Hurley, and Livingston.

UrinalCake
10-11-2013, 09:25 AM
“Coach,” Livingston said, laughing, “maybe if you’d had this beautiful building back in the day it would’ve gone different."

I hate to nitpick, but Cameron hasn't really changed all that much in the last 10 years. I mean they put in air conditioning, named the floor after K, built the hall of fame room, improved the scoreboard, and built the office building next to it, but the stadium itself feels the same as it did 20 years ago.

I'd love to hear if Livingston would have chosen differently if he could go back in time. Same for Avery, Deng, Dunleavy, and others.

Billy Dat
10-11-2013, 09:35 AM
Frequent Flier Miles

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0iKb5U185_o

"Miles Plumlee has been the best big man in the Phoenix Suns camp this fall, and not just that, he has no idea how good a player he is"

(found via @dukeblueplanet)

Billy Dat
10-11-2013, 09:36 AM
I hate to nitpick, but Cameron hasn't really changed all that much in the last 10 years. I mean they put in air conditioning, named the floor after K, built the hall of fame room, improved the scoreboard, and built the office building next to it, but the stadium itself feels the same as it did 20 years ago.

I'd love to hear if Livingston would have chosen differently if he could go back in time. Same for Avery, Deng, Dunleavy, and others.

At the risk of missing, perhaps, your intended sarcasm....I think Livingston was talking about the K Center.

royalblue
10-11-2013, 02:12 PM
I hope he can turn Phoenix into The Valley of the Plum.
Where you can see for Miles and Miles

flyingdutchdevil
10-11-2013, 03:33 PM
At the risk of missing, perhaps, your intended sarcasm....I think Livingston was talking about the K Center.

I am so curious about Miles Plumlee. He has the ideal body for basketball. He is insanely athletic. He understands the game having played for Master K for 4 years. He has the potential to be a good starting 5 in the NBA. But he just hasn't been able to put everything together. It's the Curious Case of Miles Plumlee.

MCFinARL
10-11-2013, 04:28 PM
The article on Mason is very good. It didn't occur to me that NYC would be such a great NBA destination for recent grads because so many classmates wind up on Wall Street. As a result, sounds like Mason has a good non-basketball social outlet. The thought of he and his parents assembling Ikea furniture into the night cracked me up. You're a pro, son, go buy some stuff that doesn't require glued dowels and scotch tape!!! Maybe he's saving his $ for all the expensive dinners the veterans are going to make him buy.



Re the furniture--Mason's recent interview on Duke Blue Planet revealed that he has already had to purchase some expensive things in his role as rookie-of-the-team. Perhaps more important, though, the nice thing about IKEA furniture for someone who could afford better is that if you have to move (not unusual for professional basketball players) you don't feel bad about just selling it or giving it away instead of making arrangements to ship it across the country.

tommy
10-11-2013, 06:44 PM
Dahntay got released (http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2013-10-08/sports/chi-chicago-bulls-dahntay-jones-20131008_1_preseason-game-chicago-bulls-dahntay-jones) the other day by the Bulls. May be close to the end of the line, but hopefully he can still catch on with another team and play another couple of years.

Jeff Frosh
10-17-2013, 08:13 AM
Last night's starters in Pistons--Bulls preseason game included Singler, Boozer, Deng and Dunleavy. Seems very possible that Bulls could start all 3 Dukies when the season starts (Dunleavy vs. Hinrich), which would be a pretty good starting lineup with a healthy Rose and Noah.

flyingdutchdevil
10-17-2013, 09:05 AM
Dahntay got released (http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2013-10-08/sports/chi-chicago-bulls-dahntay-jones-20131008_1_preseason-game-chicago-bulls-dahntay-jones) the other day by the Bulls. May be close to the end of the line, but hopefully he can still catch on with another team and play another couple of years.

Sadly, one of Duke's "Golden Era's of NBA Talent" is coming to a close (1999-2003). Between that time, we had great basketball players who really succeeded in the NBA. A few of these players (Maggette, Jones) seem to be on their way out, a few (Dunleavy, Battier) seem to be on their last real contract, and at least one (Boozer) is going strong. While Boozer will never live up to his insane contract (few big men in their 30s could), he still is a great offensive player and rebounder.

luvdahops
10-17-2013, 10:44 AM
Last night's starters in Pistons--Bulls preseason game included Singler, Boozer, Deng and Dunleavy. Seems very possible that Bulls could start all 3 Dukies when the season starts (Dunleavy vs. Hinrich), which would be a pretty good starting lineup with a healthy Rose and Noah.

I believe you are overlooking Jimmy Butler, who will be the Bulls' starting SG but sat out last night's game with a bruised knee.

flyingdutchdevil
10-18-2013, 09:42 AM
Mark your calendar: October 28

http://ftw.usatoday.com/2013/10/nba-uncle-drew-kyrie-irving-teaser/

roywhite
10-22-2013, 08:33 AM
Plumlee's Offseason Progress Paying Off
(http://www.nba.com/suns/news/plumlees-offseason-progress-paying)

Nice piece on Miles and how pleased the Suns are with his progress.


The production has come in a variety of ways, a big reason why the coaching staff has been impressed. Pick-and-roll sets, hustle plays and isolation opportunities have all proven to be surprisingly reliable options for a player once considered offensively limited.

“I think it’s just his offensive moves from what we saw when he first got here,” Hornacek said. “His athleticism, his ability to block shots, his ability to take it to the hole, I think we knew that about him. I think it was his shooting, his turnaround jump shots, his moves that he’s really worked on this last month and a half that he’s really gotten a lot better. He’s going to continue to improve with those moves. He’s become a real weapon down there.”

mr. synellinden
10-22-2013, 08:57 AM
As you may have seen ESPN is ranking the top 500 NBA players - why anyone cares about who is number 491, I don't know. But they are into the top 10 and Kyrie is ranked #8 (http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/9858020/2013-nba-player-rankings-8). In the write-up about him, they include this fact:

Irving, Grant Hill, Magic Johnson and Oscar Robertson are the only players in NBA history to average at least 18 points and five assists per game while shooting at least 45 percent from the field in each of their first two NBA seasons.

That's pretty amazing company, and it is very nice to see that Duke represents 50% of that group.

Billy Dat
10-22-2013, 09:17 AM
I didn't realize the insane number of injuries that Elliott Williams has suffered since he left Duke, I know about some of them but not the latest Achilles injury. I feel bad for the kid.

http://www.fearthesword.com/2013/10/21/4826640/cavaliers-preseason-why-you-should-root-for-elliot-williams

(found on www.dukeupdate.com)

Billy Dat
10-22-2013, 09:49 AM
Kyrie Top 10 from last season
http://www.youtube.com/watch?annotation_id=annotation_2509206173&feature=iv&src_vid=efUDPD-cbCI&v=0xN1RKVU3xQ

phaedrus
10-22-2013, 04:45 PM
Fair bit of Duke representation in the annual GM survey.

The most significant was probably this:

If you were starting a franchise today and could sign any player in the NBA, who would it be?

1. LeBron James, Miami -- 89.7%

2. Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City -- 6.9%

3. Kyrie Irving, Cleveland -- 3.4%

http://www.nba.com/news/2013-14-nba-gm-survey/index.html

nocilla
10-25-2013, 08:20 PM
It looks like Miles Plumlee will get a chance to show what he can do. The Suns just traded Marcin Gortat to the Wizards for Emeka Okafor.

http://www.nba.com/suns/news/suns-acquire-okafor-first-round-pick

Okafor is currently injured. That leaves Alex Len and Plumlee as potential Centers. They also have the Morris twins and Channing Frye as big bodies.

Another article talks about how pleased the Suns are with Plumlee's work this offseason.

http://www.nba.com/suns/news/plumlees-offseason-progress-paying
"who has been the most pleasant surprise on the Suns’ roster so far?...“If I had to say any one player right now, it’d probably be Miles,” Hornacek said."

sagegrouse
10-25-2013, 08:55 PM
It looks like Miles Plumlee will get a chance to show what he can do. The Suns just traded Marcin Gortat to the Wizards for Emeka Okafor.

http://www.nba.com/suns/news/suns-acquire-okafor-first-round-pick

Okafor is currently injured. That leaves Alex Len and Plumlee as potential Centers. They also have the Morris twins and Channing Frye as big bodies.

Another article talks about how pleased the Suns are with Plumlee's work this offseason.

http://www.nba.com/suns/news/plumlees-offseason-progress-paying
"who has been the most pleasant surprise on the Suns’ roster so far?...“If I had to say any one player right now, it’d probably be Miles,” Hornacek said."

From the AP article on ESPN --


Sources said the deal sends Gortat and guards Shannon Brown, Malcolm Lee and Kendall Marshall to the Wizards for the expiring contract of veteran big man Emeka Okafor and a protected 2014 first-round pick (to No. 12).

Kendall Marshall moves back to the Eastern Time zone. We'll see what he's got.

Ya gotta believe, as Nocilla stated, that Miles Plumlee will see a bunch of minutes for the Suns this year. Go Miles! Go Duke!

sagegrouse

nocilla
10-26-2013, 07:03 AM
Also, one of the Morris twins is suspended for the first game for a flagrant elbow I believe. So Miles will get some minutes on opening night.

theAlaskanBear
10-26-2013, 10:57 AM
From the AP article on ESPN --



Kendall Marshall moves back to the Eastern Time zone. We'll see what he's got.

Ya gotta believe, as Nocilla stated, that Miles Plumlee will see a bunch of minutes for the Suns this year. Go Miles! Go Duke!

sagegrouse

Actually Sage, I read that the wizards are going to waive everyone except for Gortat....so Kendall Marshall will have to find a new team.

DukieInBrasil
10-26-2013, 12:06 PM
Actually Sage, I read that the wizards are going to waive everyone except for Gortat....so Kendall Marshall will have to find a new team.

KM sure did make a smart move to go to the NBA when he did. I doubt he would have even gotten drafted if he had waited another year, or two. He made some money, maybe learned a few things in the pros and will certainly be able to play in Europe or elsewhere if he wants, where he can make a formidable amount of money. He's a great passer, but not much else.

sagegrouse
10-26-2013, 12:06 PM
Actually Sage, I read that the wizards are going to waive everyone except for Gortat....so Kendall Marshall will have to find a new team.

That's what the WaPo said this AM. We may have to have awhom scout Kendall for us overseas.

sage

awhom111
10-26-2013, 08:27 PM
KM sure did make a smart move to go to the NBA when he did. I doubt he would have even gotten drafted if he had waited another year, or two. He made some money, maybe learned a few things in the pros and will certainly be able to play in Europe or elsewhere if he wants, where he can make a formidable amount of money. He's a great passer, but not much else.

People seem to think that it is easy to just go to Europe and make a ton a of money. It is a lot of hard work to adjust your game and find success and get one of the higher paying gigs. Marshall or any other borderline NBA player is unlikely to just go there and become a star right away.


That's what the WaPo said this AM. We may have to have awhom scout Kendall for us overseas.

sage

Wait, now I am obligated to follow the careers of players I don't like too?

sagegrouse
10-26-2013, 08:52 PM
Wait, now I am obligated to follow the careers of players I don't like too? [Referring to Kendall Marshall]

From the Godfather, Part II: "This is the business we have chosen."

Or, to state it differently, "Life is a gangster movie."

sagegrouse

theAlaskanBear
10-29-2013, 07:05 AM
Here is an in interesting article on the Redick to the Clippers deal. I had no clue about any of the behind-the-scenes stuff. It kind of shows you why the Clips have been the doormat. I am glad Doc stepped in where a smaller man might have been cowed by his boss.

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/nba--clippers--summer-of-success-nearly-thrown-into-chaos-by-owner-012846814.html

theAlaskanBear
10-29-2013, 11:09 AM
NBA Opening Day:

Despite only having three games today, it is a great chance to get a first look at our Duke NBAers. The teams are practically a showcase of the Duke NBA talent.

ORL-IND 700pm -- not much here, with the departure of JJ from the Magic. Orlando looks to be an improved team, but Indiana should be a top-4 Eastern Conference team again this year.

MIA-CHI 800pm TNT -- this is big time. Watch a reunion of the 2001 squad as Battier faces off against Boozer and Dunleavy. Throw in Duke super-frosh-cum-laude Luol Deng guarding LeBron James, and this is much must-see Duke TV as it gets in the NBA.

LAC-LAL 1030pm TNT -- a nice night-cap featuring JJ Redick and a revamped Clipper squad. Doc Rivers stuck his neck out for Redick, so expect him to be an import cog for the Clippers. On the Laker's side, it will be Ryan Kelly with his first NBA game. He's been recovering from foot surgery, and only had 30 minutes in three preseason games to get up the speed. Chances of seeing him in this game are slim, but I feel like he could crack the rotation as a stretch-4 as the season progresses.

Also of note, for those who want to see Mason Plumlee's first NBA game, or Kyrie's opening day -- BRK-CLE is Wednesday at 700pm on NBA TV.

kAzE
10-30-2013, 12:19 AM
JJ is gonna have his best year as pro. He's probably never been this open in his entire career. I'm really excited for him.

kAzE
10-30-2013, 12:43 AM
Quick anecdote about J.J. (sorry if this is a bit sophomoric): So I'm dating a Chinese girl, and I told her about how J.J. was my favorite player when he played at Duke. She thought his name was kind of funny, and now she calls him "鸡鸡红鸡鸡," which in pinyin is "ji ji hong ji ji." If you don't understand Chinese, you can use google translate to figure out what's going on there. Cracks me up everytime.

JasonEvans
10-30-2013, 08:27 AM
Regular season debut for several Dukies last night.

Carlos Boozer was the best with 31 points and 7 rebounds on 13-18 shooting from the field in a losing effort for the Bulls against the Heat. Deng had a very poor game getting just 4 points in 29 minutes though he did have 5 rebounds and 4 assists. Luol was 0-5 on three pointers. Dunleavy did a decent job off the bench scoring 10 points in 23 minutes.

For the Heat, Shane had a strong start to the season, connecting on all 4 of his 3 pointers and scoring 14 points in 22 minutes of action.

JJ's first game in the Clipper uniform was just ok -- 13 points on 5-12 shooting including 2-5 from three. He was on the floor in the 4th quarter when the Lakers reserves just torched the Clippers though and his +- was minus 19. Ouch!

Ryan Kelly recorded a DNP-CD for the Lakers.

-Jason "pro basketball is back... now I want my college hoops too!!" Evans

JBDuke
10-30-2013, 08:36 AM
NBA Opening Day:

Despite only having three games today, it is a great chance to get a first look at our Duke NBAers. The teams are practically a showcase of the Duke NBA talent.

ORL-IND 700pm -- not much here, with the departure of JJ from the Magic. Orlando looks to be an improved team, but Indiana should be a top-4 Eastern Conference team again this year.

MIA-CHI 800pm TNT -- this is big time. Watch a reunion of the 2001 squad as Battier faces off against Boozer and Dunleavy. Throw in Duke super-frosh-cum-laude Luol Deng guarding LeBron James, and this is much must-see Duke TV as it gets in the NBA.

LAC-LAL 1030pm TNT -- a nice night-cap featuring JJ Redick and a revamped Clipper squad. Doc Rivers stuck his neck out for Redick, so expect him to be an import cog for the Clippers. On the Laker's side, it will be Ryan Kelly with his first NBA game. He's been recovering from foot surgery, and only had 30 minutes in three preseason games to get up the speed. Chances of seeing him in this game are slim, but I feel like he could crack the rotation as a stretch-4 as the season progresses.

Also of note, for those who want to see Mason Plumlee's first NBA game, or Kyrie's opening day -- BRK-CLE is Wednesday at 700pm on NBA TV.

A big night for Carlos, as he led all scorers with 31 points to go with 7 rebounds and a great blocked shot. He was one of the few Bulls playing well, though, as Rose, Noah, and Luol Deng all struggled, especially on offense. Mike Dunleavy started slow in his Bulls debut, but heated up later, scoring 10 points and going 2-4 from 3-point land. Luol struggled, getting in early foul trouble (Guarding Lebron will do that to you.) and tallying only 4 points to go with 5 boards and 4 assists.

On the other side of the court, Shane started off pretty much where he ended last season - shooting well. Battier was 4-4 from "3" land to tally 14 points. He drew at least one charge and played his typical solid, no stats game. (He tips a lot of rebounds and loose balls, and I never see that stat tracked.) He was the Bulls leading scorer for the first half, as the starters struggled out of the gate and fell behind. When Shane entered the game, the Heat offense started to warm up, with Shane playing a key role in a 17-0 run to take the lead they would never relinquish. Nice game from the old man. :-)

I only saw the opening quarter or so of the Lakers-Clippers game, (I'm getting old.) but JJ Redick got off to a hot start, draining the Clippers' first shot - a 3 pointer. He was the leading scorer at the end of the first period when I went to bed, but apparently hardly saw the ball after that. Here is Dan Arritt's note from the nba.com write-up:

BAD MOVE: Clippers shooting guard J.J. Redick got off to a great start with his new team, shooting 5-for-7 from the field in the opening quarter and scoring 12 points. But the Clippers didn't make much of an effort to find him after that, as he took just one shot in each of the second and third quarters, missing both. He played 11 minutes of the fourth quarter and still came up empty, missing all three of his shots.
Chris Paul seemed to be looking for JJ quite a bit at the start, so I don't know what happened after that. He was matched against Steve Blake, so I'm pretty sure JJ wasn't the victim of shut-down defense.

Looking forward to MP2 and Kyrie in tonight's game!

pfrduke
10-30-2013, 08:55 AM
JJ's first game in the Clipper uniform was just ok -- 13 points on 5-12 shooting including 2-5 from three. He was on the floor in the 4th quarter when the Lakers reserves just torched the Clippers though and his +- was minus 19. Ouch!

Only one game, small sample size, etc., but it's probably not a good sign for the Clippers that their starters got trounced by a Jordan Farmar-Xavier Henry-Jodie Meeks-Wesley Johnson-Jordan Hill lineup.


-Jason "pro basketball is back... now I want my college hoops too!!" Evans

136 games tip off a week from Friday.

Billy Dat
10-30-2013, 12:54 PM
Now that the opening night rosters are set and the season has begun, I thought it would be cool to assess the status of each Dukie in the NBA.

More Bling?
Props to Shane Battier for collecting his second NBA title ring last night, which moves him, if I am not mistaken, into the lead for Duke alums (ahead of Ferry and Mullins one title each). Shane answered the bell with a great opening night nailing his first 3 three pointers – a continuation from his torrid Game 7 vs the Spurs in June. Everyone in the NBA knows exactly what Shane is at this point – a key Championship cog. All that is left is trying to get #3.

Gunning for that #1 Spot
It was really exciting last night to see Carlos Boozer and Luol Deng starting for the Bulls with Mike Dunleavy the first man off the bench. Like Shane, Boozer and Dunleavy are known veteran quantities who have made their money and now want the ultimate prize. Luol, at 28, is firmly in his prime, but also a pretty much known quantity at this point. The Bulls are built to win it all now and its great that, with Shane, 4 of our guys are playing important role on major title contenders.

The Supernova
Kyrie Irving is at an extremely important point in his career. In his first two years, his remarkable offensive chops, clutch shot making and Uncle Drew alter-ego , all ready-made for YouTube, have almost pushed him to the “over-rated” point simply because the hype is so enormous. Can he stay healthy? Can he become a defensive force? Can he go from All Star to All NBA? Can he lead the Cavs into the playoffs? Many have him on a march to the Hall of Fame. If that’s the case, an All Star, All NBA caliber year with a postseason appearance seems warranted.

Finally, the Right Situation
How many years have DBR denizens been saying, “If only JJ Redick could get a chance to start on a decent team with a coach who appreciates what he can do…” I’d argue that Orlando under Stan Van satisfied 2 of the 3, but now he’s 3 for 3 – the playoff-ready Clips, starting at the 2, next to CP3 with Doc on the sidelines. The Clippers lost a bad opener to the Lakers last night, but JJ came out scorching. In my opinion, no NBA player has maximized his ability like JJ. Like Luol, he is squarely in his prime and getting the respect he has worked hard for all these years. It should be a great year for him.

The Wiley Vet
By all accounts, Elton Brand has had a great NBA career. He’s been an All Star, played on a Coach K-led Team USA squad, made gobs of money, and been considered one of the Top 15 players in the league at his peak. While his career has been diminished by injuries, he’ll be long remembered as a pro's pro who flew high once but always played the right way. For the Atlanta Hawks, he should be a solid contributor off the bench, an invaluable resource for young bigs like Al Horford and Paul Milsap, and, in general, just a fun guy to have around.

Does He Have Another Gear?
Gerald Henderson has had a really solid start to his NBA career. He has built himself into a 15 ppg scorer who has become a more efficient player and nail down a starting spot on a bad young team. Is this where he will settle, or can he continue to get better? Can he increase his 3 point shooting percentage from 33%? Can he emerge as an elite lock-down defender? Can he emerge as a real leader on his very young team? He currently makes about $6MM per year. As he starts his prime, will he improve to the point where he is in the All Star conversation and someone ready to make him a $10MM per year offer?

On Solid Ground
Hats off to Josh McRoberts who, starting his 7th season with his 6th team has gutted it out and seems to have gotten over the “is he or isn’t he an NBA player” question. There are a lot of Duke guys (see below) who still need to answer that questions, but it seems like Josh has solidified his spot and should get a bunch of starts in Charlotte battling with Cody Zeller. Kyle Singler, starting his 3rd pro season and 2nd with the Pistons, also seems to have nailed down a place in the league, especially as people talk about him fighting for a starting 2 guard spot with the suddenly “hot” Pistons team. While Josh is likely more or less a finished product, Kyle still has room to evolve, especially if he can up that 3 point shooting % closer to 40%.

WTF – I’m a Starter?
Miles Plumlee may be the starting center for the Phoenix Suns, and if he doesn’t start, he’s going to get major minutes. Before we pop the champagne, let’s remember that Demarcus Nelson was an improbably opening night starter for the Warriors a few years back, and then was waived a few weeks later. Miles seems to be in a more solid position, and although the Suns seem to be in the 2014 Draft Tanking Parade, they also seem excited by his potential and improved skills, honed in the D-League last year and showcased in this year’s Summer League. Please save any, “If he could start in the NBA why wasn’t he GREAT at Duke” for a separate thre

Temporary Immunity with a real Chance at Success
Those who watch reality television competition shows (e.g. ‘Survivor’, ‘Top Chef’) know the concept of ‘immunity’ where a participant can avoid being kicked off the show by winning some lesser challenge. For young NBA players, immunity comes in the form of a guaranteed contract. Mason Plumlee, as a result of being a first round pick, is guaranteed to be in the NBA this year and next. Austin Rivers, thanks to the Beaks picking up his 3rd year option, is in the same situation. However, reality show contestants know that immunity can be a false idol as it can lead to temporary complacency. I don’t think that will be a problem for either player. Austin is coming off of one of the most widely panned, by the media, rookie years ever. His PER was historically low and, unfortunately, people like to pick on the kid, likely for perceived arrogance. He played great in the summer league and I think he’s too talented and surrounded by too many smart people for him to fail. Mason is likely to spend huge chunks of time in the D-League thanks to being the only rookie on a Nets team with KG, Brook Lopez, Andre Kirilenko, Reggie Evans, etc. But, 6’11” players with his athleticism and smarts are rare so I expect this to be the start of a long career.

Living on a Thin Line
Huge props to Ryan Kelly and Lance Thomas for being on opening night NBA rosters. Unlike Mason and Austin, these guys are on thin contract ice. Lance, to his credit, has spent his entire pro career in this kind of limbo and continues to grind anything in his path to stick in the league. I’d hate to be going against him in practice every day as he is literally killing to eat every minute (plus, he has to pay for that bling!). Ryan is in a similar position, and I am sure he knows it. Here’s hoping both players continue to prove their value so that they are still on the team after the “guaranteed contracts” deadline on January 10th.

Billy Dat
10-30-2013, 01:22 PM
Additionally, as the season opens, our alumni base in the league took a big hit. 6 Dukies who played some or all of last season are no longer in the league. While I think we all hope Nolan will get another shot, and I can't rule out Dahntay and Duhon (or even Shav) being out, I thought it would be fun to look at some topline stats from their careers to recognize how hard it is to get to that level and to celebrate what they were able to achieve:

(note - I tried to get this to format like a table but I failed)

Player Games Played Minutes Played Points Scored Career Earnings
Grant Hill 1,026 34,776 17,137 $143MM
Corey Maggette 827 23,358 13,198 $89MM
Chris Duhon 606 15,526 3,946 $31.5MM
Dahntay Jones 589 9,622 3,310 $17.5MM
Shavlik Randolph 111 981 296 $3.6MM
Nolan Smith 84 829 277 $2.7MM

Grant's is the best NBA resume ever compiled by a Duke graduate, which is amazing considering how much of his prime he lost to injuries. While Maggette will be surpassed as others retire (Boozer, Brand, etc.) he really accomplished a lot in his NBA career. It's also amazing to compare the relatively similar careers of Chris and Dahntay - nearly identical in games played and points scored but a huge advantage for Chris in minutes and career earnings. I always like to give props to Shav for his determination and work ethic in carving out an NBA footprint - he's forever a part of the exclusive fraternity who can say they played in the NBA.

sagegrouse
10-30-2013, 02:56 PM
Additionally, as the season opens, our alumni base in the league took a big hit. 6 Dukies who played some or all of last season are no longer in the league. While I think we all hope Nolan will get another shot, and I can't rule out Dahntay and Duhon (or even Shav) being out, I thought it would be fun to look at some topline stats from their careers to recognize how hard it is to get to that level and to celebrate what they were able to achieve:

(note - I tried to get this to format like a table but I failed)


Player Games Played Minutes Played Points Scored Career Earnings
Grant Hill 1,026 34,776 17,137 $143MM
Corey Maggette 827 23,358 13,198 $89MM
Chris Duhon 606 15,526 3,946 $31.5MM
Dahntay Jones 589 9,622 3,310 $17.5MM
Shavlik Randolph 111 981 296 $3.6MM
Nolan Smith 84 829 277 $2.7MM


Grant's is the best NBA resume ever compiled by a Duke graduate, which is amazing considering how much of his prime he lost to injuries. While Maggette will be surpassed as others retire (Boozer, Brand, etc.) he really accomplished a lot in his NBA career. It's also amazing to compare the relatively similar careers of Chris and Dahntay - nearly identical in games played and points scored but a huge advantage for Chris in minutes and career earnings. I always like to give props to Shav for his determination and work ethic in carving out an NBA footprint - he's forever a part of the exclusive fraternity who can say they played in the NBA.

Somewhat better, maybe.

sage

AnotherNYCDukeFan
10-30-2013, 05:17 PM
WTF – I’m a Starter?
Miles Plumlee may be the starting center for the Phoenix Suns, and if he doesn’t start, he’s going to get major minutes. Before we pop the champagne, let’s remember that Demarcus Nelson was an improbably opening night starter for the Warriors a few years back, and then was waived a few weeks later. Miles seems to be in a more solid position, and although the Suns seem to be in the 2014 Draft Tanking Parade, they also seem excited by his potential and improved skills, honed in the D-League last year and showcased in this year’s Summer League. Please save any, “If he could start in the NBA why wasn’t he GREAT at Duke” for a separate thread.


Obviously Biff Tannen's Sports Almanac from Back to the Future 2 didn't include tonight's start. Otherwise we might have noticed the person making outsized bets on "Who from the 2010 championship team will be an opening night starter for the 2013-14 NBA season?"

nmduke2001
10-30-2013, 10:31 PM
If you have Directv, change it to channel 767. Miles is dominating this game.

luburch
10-30-2013, 10:40 PM
Mason with a DNP tonight. Hope that's not a trend. In the same game Kyrie put up 15pts, 7 rebs, and 9 assists.

Phoenix22
10-30-2013, 10:44 PM
As a Dukie from AZ, Miles is the only thing in this Suns season to get excited about. Miles is a star! 10 pts, 6 rbs, 2 blks in the 1st!

tommy
10-30-2013, 11:02 PM
As a Dukie from AZ, Miles is the only thing in this Suns season to get excited about. Miles is a star! 10 pts, 6 rbs, 2 blks in the 1st!

He's now got 16 and 8 w 3 mins to go in the first half. Unbelievable!

FerryFor50
10-30-2013, 11:04 PM
Austin Rivers - DNP, Coach's Decision. I think we'll see a lot of those this season... unless Brian Roberts gets hurt/traded/starts stinking.

kAzE
10-30-2013, 11:34 PM
MP1 doin some serious work: 18 pts 12 rbs 2 blks with 6:30 left in the 3rd

WOW. Glad I picked him up on my fantasy team right before this game tipped :)

MChambers
10-31-2013, 07:28 AM
MP1 doin some serious work: 18 pts 12 rbs 2 blks with 6:30 left in the 3rd

WOW. Glad I picked him up on my fantasy team right before this game tipped :)
Finished with 18 points, 15 rebounds, and 3 blocks. Think how good he'd be if Duke had a tall big man coach.

Jeff Frosh
10-31-2013, 07:32 AM
Has now scored more points this season (18) than ALL of last season (13).

zoroaster
10-31-2013, 08:39 AM
He didn't do too badly in the preseason games, either, though in more limited minutes, if you look at per minute.

http://espn.go.com/nba/player/gamelog/_/id/6616/miles-plumlee

flyingdutchdevil
10-31-2013, 08:45 AM
Finished with 18 points, 15 rebounds, and 3 blocks. Think how good he'd be if Duke had a tall big man coach.

Miles also goes to show that athleticism gets you super far in the NBA. You'd be hard pressed to find many centers who can run, jump, and push as effectively as Miles.

Way to go, buddy. Way to go.

weezie
10-31-2013, 09:37 AM
Lovely, heart-warming scene last night during espn Coast to Coast check in during wizards @ Pistons: john wall getting DEEEE-NIED by Kyle Singler (sporting a swell new haircut) who was not having any of IT from wall.
Singler! Can't wait to get up to the Palace and see what's up with my 'Stons this year.

It was better than scouring the bucket of Halloween candy for the Almond Joy minis.

BD80
10-31-2013, 09:46 AM
Lovely, heart-warming scene last night during espn Coast to Coast check in during wizards @ Pistons: john wall getting DEEEE-NIED by Kyle Singler (sporting a swell new haircut) who was not having any of IT from wall.
Singler! Can't wait to get up to the Palace and see what's up with my 'Stons this year.

It was better than scouring the bucket of Halloween candy for the Almond Joy minis.

Singler in the game at crunch (not Nestles) time. New coach already trusts him. His teammates do too.

DukieInBrasil
10-31-2013, 01:07 PM
OMG Miles Plumlee!!! Huge double-double with 18pts+15rebs.
I remember a game he had against Wake his Jr or So. season with almost identical stats, and many here said "Miles has arrived", which may have been premature, as he did not reach that level of production consistently, or ever again at Duke. Seems like PHX may have the type of offense in which Miles can excel. The opposing PF, Aldridge, however went off for 28 pts, in a losing effort, although he only had like 4 rebs.

nmduke2001
10-31-2013, 01:19 PM
OMG Miles Plumlee!!! Huge double-double with 18pts+15rebs.
I remember a game he had against Wake his Jr or So. season with almost identical stats, and many here said "Miles has arrived", which may have been premature, as he did not reach that level of production consistently, or ever again at Duke. Seems like PHX may have the type of offense in which Miles can excel. The opposing PF, Aldridge, however went off for 28 pts, in a losing effort, although he only had like 4 rebs.

Miles played mostly center and guarded Robin Lopez most of the night.

sagegrouse
10-31-2013, 04:11 PM
OMG Miles Plumlee!!! Huge double-double with 18pts+15rebs.
I remember a game he had against Wake his Jr or So. season with almost identical stats, and many here said "Miles has arrived", which may have been premature, as he did not reach that level of production consistently, or ever again at Duke. Seems like PHX may have the type of offense in which Miles can excel. The opposing PF, Aldridge, however went off for 28 pts, in a losing effort, although he only had like 4 rebs.


Miles played mostly center and guarded Robin Lopez most of the night.

The recap of the game mentioned that Miles scored only 13 points in all of 2012-13. I dunno if it's a trend, but it sounds like this guy can play ... "on Sunday" ... uh, "in the League" ... uhhh, "with the big boys." Well, whatever.

sagegrouse

elvis14
10-31-2013, 04:33 PM
The recap of the game mentioned that Miles scored only 13 points in all of 2012-13. I dunno if it's a trend, but it sounds like this guy can play ... "on Sunday" ... uh, "in the League" ... uhhh, "with the big boys." Well, whatever.

sagegrouse

I really hope that Miles just started a solid year in the NBA. His senior season, he was my favorite Duke player. I was pretty geeked when Gortat was traded and I'm so happy that Miles had such a strong first game. Hopefully it's not a one game anomaly!

I'm also glad that Miles was guarding Aldridge because I need all 28 of those points in my fantasy basketball matchup vs FerryFor50 (who picked up Miles last night before I could get him!).

dball
10-31-2013, 07:37 PM
Great beginning for Miles in Phoenix!

http://www.abc15.com/dpp/sports/sports_blogs_local/suns-miles-plumlee-shines-in-season-opener-against-the-trail-blazers

18 pts/15 rebounds

WillJ
10-31-2013, 09:33 PM
Really good to see. He's got the athletic ability, that's for sure.

kAzE
10-31-2013, 09:58 PM
I really hope that Miles just started a solid year in the NBA. His senior season, he was my favorite Duke player. I was pretty geeked when Gortat was traded and I'm so happy that Miles had such a strong first game. Hopefully it's not a one game anomaly!

I'm also glad that Miles was guarding Aldridge because I need all 28 of those points in my fantasy basketball matchup vs FerryFor50 (who picked up Miles last night before I could get him!).

Speaking of fantasy, I just dropped my 10th round pick in a 12 team league, Cody Zeller for . . . . Josh McRoberts. Guy had 15 points, 4 rbs, 3 asts, 1 stl, and 1 blk on 3/4 shooting from behind the arc. I had to make the move, Zeller had 2 points on 1/6 shooting in 10 minutes. Since when did he become a long range sniper? I dunno, but I'm now up to 3 Dukies on my team (which is named "Kareem Abdul Jabari") - JJ, Miles, and now J-McBobs :)

FerryFor50
10-31-2013, 10:01 PM
I really hope that Miles just started a solid year in the NBA. His senior season, he was my favorite Duke player. I was pretty geeked when Gortat was traded and I'm so happy that Miles had such a strong first game. Hopefully it's not a one game anomaly!

I'm also glad that Miles was guarding Aldridge because I need all 28 of those points in my fantasy basketball matchup vs FerryFor50 (who picked up Miles last night before I could get him!).

I'm dumb. I forgot to attend the draft and ended up with, like, 10 centers. This season might be interesting.

DukieInBrasil
11-01-2013, 08:06 AM
Speaking of fantasy, I just dropped my 10th round pick in a 12 team league, Cody Zeller for . . . . Josh McRoberts. Guy had 15 points, 4 rbs, 3 asts, 1 stl, and 1 blk on 3/4 shooting from behind the arc. I had to make the move, Zeller had 2 points on 1/6 shooting in 10 minutes. Since when did he become a long range sniper? I dunno, but I'm now up to 3 Dukies on my team (which is named "Kareem Abdul Jabari") - JJ, Miles, and now J-McBobs :)

People seem to think McBobs is the same player he was at Duke. Josh has had a couple of poor-shooting years in the NBA, but he's had several very solid 3FG shooting years. Overall he's a ~33% 3FG shooter in his NBA career. Some people think this makes him a terrible 3pt shooter, i think it makes him an adequate option. He's never really had the available PT that he's gonna have in Charlotte this year, so maybe he'll be able to change some minds, maybe not.

nocilla
11-01-2013, 08:33 AM
Plumlee alley-oop from Beldsoe.


http://www.nba.com/suns/video/games/suns/2013/10/30/0021300015-por-phx-play1.nba

Billy Dat
11-01-2013, 09:08 AM
While I am angry that the Knicks blew a chance to steal a road game that the Bulls controlled for 3.5 quarters, I can find the bright side. The Knicks battled back from, basically, a game-long 10 point deficit to take a lead with only a few minutes left. They then went to their predictable Melo isolation, but even a great defensive squad like Chicago can have hard time shutting down a gifted scorer like Melo. Bottom line, our boy Luol drew the assignment and essentially prevented Melo from getting a decent look, save for one nifty shimmy shake turn-around, for the last 4 minutes of the game. The dude is rock solid.

Billy Dat
11-01-2013, 10:40 AM
Last night, I also caught the first half of a wildly entertaining Clippers v Warriors game, one that ended with both teams over 115 points. JJ is a perfect fit with this squad, who are also a title contender. He's starting, getting lots of PT, and is on a legit team....even if the owner tried to kill his deal AFTER it was announced...

"Clippers' summer of success nearly thrown into chaos by owner"
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/nba--clippers--summer-of-success-nearly-thrown-into-chaos-by-owner-012846814.html

HaveFunExpectToWin
11-01-2013, 02:42 PM
Great beginning for Miles in Phoenix!

http://www.abc15.com/dpp/sports/sports_blogs_local/suns-miles-plumlee-shines-in-season-opener-against-the-trail-blazers

18 pts/15 rebounds

Had a double double by halftime. Nice.

My favorite MP1 game, besides that MD game in 2012, was the one against Wake his sophomore year, where out of nowhere he had 19 and 14. I believe that first time we saw all the potential come together.

Bob Green
11-01-2013, 02:58 PM
Plumlee alley-oop from Beldsoe.


http://www.nba.com/suns/video/games/suns/2013/10/30/0021300015-por-phx-play1.nba

That's beautiful execution of the pick-n-roll! Both defenders go with Bledsoe leaving Miles free for the power dunk.

moonpie23
11-01-2013, 03:00 PM
Last night, I also caught the first half of a wildly entertaining Clippers v Warriors game, one that ended with both teams over 115 points. JJ is a perfect fit with this squad, who are also a title contender. He's starting, getting lots of PT, and is on a legit team....even if the owner tried to kill his deal AFTER it was announced...

"Clippers' summer of success nearly thrown into chaos by owner"
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/nba--clippers--summer-of-success-nearly-thrown-into-chaos-by-owner-012846814.html



just WOW…..i can't fathom what may have happened if sterling had not found his medication…...

timmy c
11-01-2013, 04:21 PM
Sports Illustrated brings you Mason Plumlee working his comedy video (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/video/nba/20131101/geico-funniest-people-mason-plumlee-autograph.sportsillustrated/
) styling on the streets by asking for autographs...


MP2: Can you sign my autograph book and make it out to my brother?

MP2: "I'm with the Nets. Who are you working with?

duke4ever19
11-01-2013, 11:12 PM
Spending my Friday night watching Miles play vs Enes Kanter. He is absolutely ballin'
He had a massive block on a Kanter dunk attempt and has been a disruptive force on the defensive end in general.
The announcers are raving and trying to come up with a nickname for him. So proud for the guy. It's obvious that he learned a thing or two in Indiana.

DavidBenAkiva
11-01-2013, 11:40 PM
Plumlee looks amazing. He has 12 points, 10 rebs, and at least 3 blocks so far in the 3rd quarter against the talented and young frontcourt of Utah (Canter and Favors). I am so happy to see him exceed in the NBA. He looks so decisive when he gets the ball in the low post in isolation. It looks like it is all starting to click for him.

duke4ever19
11-01-2013, 11:43 PM
Glad somebody else is watching this. Love the baby hook. Earlier he had a nice Duncan-like bank shot.
I could do without seeing Alex Len, though.

loran16
11-02-2013, 12:29 AM
Very Amusing Top Performers from ESPN:



Top Performers

Utah: G. Hayward 18 Pts, 10 Reb, 8 Ast, 1 Stl

Phoenix: M. Plumlee 13 Pts, 13 Reb, 1 Ast, 3 Blk

Gee this is familiar.

gep
11-02-2013, 12:30 AM
Spending my Friday night watching Miles play vs Enes Kanter. He is absolutely ballin'
He had a massive block on a Kanter dunk attempt and has been a disruptive force on the defensive end in general.
The announcers are raving and trying to come up with a nickname for him. So proud for the guy. It's obvious that he learned a thing or two in Indiana.

Don't forget DUKE... that's where it started :cool:

duke4ever19
11-02-2013, 12:35 AM
Don't forget DUKE... that's where it started :cool:

True that!
It's so funny to hear the announcers ooh and ahh over his vertical leaping ability and physicality around the rim.
He really is a difference maker out there.

ikiru36
11-02-2013, 08:32 AM
True that!
It's so funny to hear the announcers ooh and ahh over his vertical leaping ability and physicality around the rim.
He really is a difference maker out there.

So confused. Didn't he play on one of the most alarmingly unathletic teams of our time?

DukieInBrasil
11-02-2013, 09:56 AM
So confused. Didn't he play on one of the most alarmingly unathletic teams of our time?

Could be why Gottleib is a commentator and not a coach.

Cue the haters: "Well if he's playing so well now, why didn't he play like this at Duke. This shows that Duke can't develop big men", which of course ignores that Miles was on nobody's NBA radar coming out of HS, he in fact did improve (develop) quite a lot at Duke, and that he learned how to do a lot of the things he is having success with now while at Duke. I'm also guessing that he may have learned how to be coachable while at Duke.
Don't listen to the haters Miles! Just keep playing your game and racking up those double-doubles!!!

sagegrouse
11-02-2013, 11:50 AM
Could be why Gottleib is a commentator and not a coach.

Cue the haters: "Well if he's playing so well now, why didn't he play like this at Duke. This shows that Duke can't develop big men", which of course ignores that Miles was on nobody's NBA radar coming out of HS, he in fact did improve (develop) quite a lot at Duke, and that he learned how to do a lot of the things he is having success with now while at Duke. I'm also guessing that he may have learned how to be coachable while at Duke.
Don't listen to the haters Miles! Just keep playing your game and racking up those double-doubles!!!

Miles was a late bloomer, and it looks like age 25 might be the year of maturation. The story behind the Plumlee brothers' transfer from Warsaw, Indiana was the need for Miles to get an extra year of high school. Thus, the Christ School option arose, and Mason went as well. The HS coach was livid at the transfer of the brothers. But as Dad Perky said recently, he heard more from the IU coach about Miles than from the HS coach -- Miles was rooted to the bench his sophomore year. Mason was much more coordinated at the same age and probably didn't need another year in HS.

sagegrouse

flyingdutchdevil
11-05-2013, 09:50 AM
Surprised that no one posted this yet: Redick led an insanely high octane offense last night with 26 points off 8-15 shooting (8-8 from the strip).

The Clippers scored 137 POINTS! In a game. My god - they are incredible on offense (defense is another question. They need to trade DeAndre Jordan for a defensive specialist).

http://espn.go.com/nba/dailydime/_/page/dime-131104/daily-dime

elvis14
11-05-2013, 10:27 AM
Surprised that no one posted this yet: Redick led an insanely high octane offense last night with 26 points off 8-15 shooting (8-8 from the strip).

The Clippers scored 137 POINTS! In a game. My god - they are incredible on offense (defense is another question. They need to trade DeAndre Jordan for a defensive specialist).

http://espn.go.com/nba/dailydime/_/page/dime-131104/daily-dime

I watched much of the first half of this game. I think JJ had 15 in the first quarter scoring in a variety of ways. I still love watching him play and I swear it's just different when he's shoots FT's they are just so pure. He was 8 for 8 from the stripe last night. The Clippers need JJ to help spread the floor but they have much more than a 3pt shooter in JJ. I'm always impressed with his decision making. Good things happen when he has the ball in his hands. Wish I could have stayed awake to watch the rest of the game. It was a fun game to watch with both teams nailing lots of 3's and playing at a quick pace.

Billy Dat
11-05-2013, 10:41 AM
I watched much of the first half of this game. I think JJ had 15 in the first quarter scoring in a variety of ways. I still love watching him play and I swear it's just different when he's shoots FT's they are just so pure. He was 8 for 8 from the stripe last night. The Clippers need JJ to help spread the floor but they have much more than a 3pt shooter in JJ. I'm always impressed with his decision making. Good things happen when he has the ball in his hands. Wish I could have stayed awake to watch the rest of the game. It was a fun game to watch with both teams nailing lots of 3's and playing at a quick pace.

Those 10:30PM EST start times are killers, but since JJ seems to have started the season as more of a first half scoring threat, maybe I am better off just watching the first half.

A whopping 3 games in, the pundits feel the Clips are one player, a rim protector, away from being a real title threat. If Jamal Crawford gets dangled as trade bait, JJ would like get more minutes. It's very early to forecast such a move. I am glad he's gotten off to such a good start.

Today's Zach Lowe column (http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/9928311/the-murky-waters-restricted-free-agency-their-way-2014) has a bit of snark about Kyle's new hairdo...a sign that he has arrived!

"7. Kyle Singler's hair
I'm no stylist, so this is neither a "like" nor a "dislike" of Singler's follicular fashion choices. It is mostly a call for all of us to appreciate, even just for a moment, whatever the heck is going on in Detroit with Singler and Jonas Jerebko."

flyingdutchdevil
11-05-2013, 11:09 AM
"7. Kyle Singler's hair
I'm no stylist, so this is neither a "like" nor a "dislike" of Singler's follicular fashion choices. It is mostly a call for all of us to appreciate, even just for a moment, whatever the heck is going on in Detroit with Singler and Jonas Jerebko."

Kyle has never had a good haircut. Kind of like UNC players have never taken an academic test. It's just one of those things...

Billy Dat
11-05-2013, 01:06 PM
His Airness loves him some McBob (http://robertogato.com/2013/11/01/michael-jordan-success-bobcats-mcroberts/)

“The success of the team is McRoberts and how he can connect the dots,” said Jordan. “Hopefully he doesn’t opt out of his contract. We need to do everything we can to keep him.“"

(link found on www.dukeupdate.com)

elvis14
11-05-2013, 03:16 PM
Surprised that no one posted this yet: Redick led an insanely high octane offense last night with 26 points off 8-15 shooting (8-8 from the strip).

The Clippers scored 137 POINTS! In a game. My god - they are incredible on offense (defense is another question. They need to trade DeAndre Jordan for a defensive specialist).

http://espn.go.com/nba/dailydime/_/page/dime-131104/daily-dime

A great quote from Blake Griffin re JJ:

"Guy can shoot the basketball. It's unbelievable," Griffin said. "The best part of playing with him is he never stops moving. That's how he gets his shots, he really works for them."

moonpie23
11-05-2013, 07:10 PM
i am loving this for JJ….hope it continues for him and the team….i've given Paul a 2 year hater-free pass…

duke09hms
11-05-2013, 09:06 PM
Tuned into the Miami-Toronto game just in time to see Tyler Hansbrough called for traveling. Finally!

vick
11-05-2013, 09:13 PM
A great quote from Blake Griffin re JJ:

"Guy can shoot the basketball. It's unbelievable," Griffin said. "The best part of playing with him is he never stops moving. That's how he gets his shots, he really works for them."

Yep. The NBA released a bunch of stats from the video-tracking system for the first time this year, and early on in the season, Redick is near the top in distance traveled per 48 minutes (http://stats.nba.com/playerTrackingSpeed.html?pageNo=1&rowsPerPage=25&sortField=DIST_48&sortOrder=DES&filters=MIN*G*20) (filltering out low-minutes players).

FerryFor50
11-05-2013, 10:41 PM
Ryan Kelly sighting! In with 3 min left in 4th with Lakers getting destroyed...

And his first NBA shot? A made 3!

Dukehky
11-05-2013, 10:47 PM
I know the Phoenix Suns are terrible, but Miles is a solid contributor to an NBA team!!!! 10 points 5 boards tonight against a not terrible New Orleans team. Take that Anthony Davis!!! Fohawk>Unibrow. Not to toot my own horn, but i called that one. I thought that Miles was always his own worst enemy. The pressures you face as a Duke basketball player I think outweigh that of being on bad NBA team. Granted, he's playing for his livelihood so maybe I'm off base here, but he's just kind of free to do him. K's a scary dude, I think that got to Miles a little bit. I'm just proud of him, and I'm glad that he's playing free and playing well, absolutely great to see.

Also, tonight Kyle is +26 on the court. Granted it was in a loss, but a loss to arguably the best team in the NBA. 13 Points, 0 turnovers. That kid is a ball player. I wouldn't be surprised to see him get traded to a contender this year so Detroit can get a true PG due to his incredibly low salary.

Good to see Mason get some run tonight. He has more field goals than the number 1 overall pick this year. Granted, Anthony Bennett has yet to make FG in the NBA. He's going to be one of the worst overall number 1 picks of all time. Like Olowokandi bad.

NBA League Pass is awesome.

mr. synellinden
11-05-2013, 10:50 PM
Kyle has never had a good haircut. Kind of like UNC players have never taken an academic test. It's just one of those things...

Check out the +/- numbers (http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/boxscore?gameId=400488926) in the Detroit game tonight. Stunning.

UrinalCake
11-05-2013, 11:14 PM
I see that Mason got in the game during an easy victory for Brooklyn. A rather pedestrian 2 of 6 for 5 points and four fouls, but at least he's getting some run. I also noticed on looking at the box score that all thirteen players for the Nets clocked in double-digit minutes. I assume this was simply a factor of it being a blowout and them wanting to conserve their starters, especially Pierce and Garnett, but still... it's the kind of distribution of minutes only a DBR reader could love ;)

UrinalCake
11-05-2013, 11:22 PM
Also saw that Chris Paul had 17 assists in yesterday's game - wow! He and JJ are like a perfect pairing. So glad for JJ that he finally got out of Orlando, where nobody ever seemed to give him the ball. Also LOL at Reggie Bullock and his total of 1-3 shooting in six minutes of playing time this entire season. He has a great view of JJ from the bench. I bet UNC fans wish he had listened to Roy and come back (and that PJ was the one who didn't).

Dukehky
11-05-2013, 11:32 PM
Also saw that Chris Paul had 17 assists in yesterday's game - wow! He and JJ are like a perfect pairing. So glad for JJ that he finally got out of Orlando, where nobody ever seemed to give him the ball. Also LOL at Reggie Bullock and his total of 1-3 shooting in six minutes of playing time this entire season. He has a great view of JJ from the bench. I bet UNC fans wish he had listened to Roy and come back (and that PJ was the one who didn't).

While I agree with your statement that it's fantastic to see the more "athletic" Bullock riding the pine behind Redick (Go ahead and make that money though Reggie), via my conversations with Carolina fans, you're right they were bummed when Bullock went pro, but they wanted McAdoo gone, not Hairston, even now. They call him McAdon't, which I find hilarious.

I do not like the Clips and I hate that I have to root for them because my NBA fandom depends solely on which teams have Duke players, and JJ has always been one of my favorites. Blake, Deandre, and CP3 are all so whiny, I do not like them at all. Never did like Chris Paul. Loved it when he cried after a loss in CIS. Don't let the media fool you, I think this is more what CP3 is about...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9F3tptzEWmM

Maybe not actually, I'm just not a fan. But if he racks up assists while JJ drains 3's, I'm good. It's a lot better than him giving the ball the Matt Barnes... ick (another clipper that I think is a punk).

DukieInBrasil
11-06-2013, 11:05 AM
Miles bounced back after a pretty atrocious game (0-5 FG, 5rebs) with 10 pts and 5 boards, while his brother got his first extended play in the NBA, although Mason's stat line wasn't all that great (2-6 FG, 5pts 4 boards but 3 Oboards) he did play 17 minutes in the win.
Battier rebounded from a horrid shooting slump to score 8pts on 4 shots.
Singler got 13 and 3 off the bench in the Pistons loss.
After receiving high praise from his boss, MJ, McBobs had a pretty weak performance in a road win at NY while Gerald had his first quality game of the year, scoring 18 on 13 shots.
Neither Lance nor Austin got off the bench in the Pelicans loss to Miles' Suns; anybody know why Austin is getting so many DNP-CDs so far this year? Not a good sign.
Ryan Kelly got his first game action and hit his only shot, a 3! Off to a good start in LA, although he only played 3 minutes.

UrinalCake
11-06-2013, 11:39 AM
Ryan Kelly got his first game action and hit his only shot, a 3! Off to a good start in LA, although he only played 3 minutes.

I hope he ran down the court after that shot screaming "I STILL GOT IT!!!"

Billy Dat
11-06-2013, 03:05 PM
anybody know why Austin is getting so many DNP-CDs so far this year? Not a good sign.

First off, nice summary of the action last night.

Austin is stuck in a major guard log-jam. According to this article (http://www.nola.com/pelicans/index.ssf/2013/11/are_you_surprised_new_orleans.html), he got beat out for several back-up rolls. All Star Jrue Holliday is the starter at PG and Brian Roberts beat Austin out for the back-up spot. Former Team USAer Eric Gordon is the starting SG and Anthony Morrow (yes, former GT player Anthony Morrow) beat him out for the back-up SG spot. The Pelicans did pick up his 3rd year option, so he's got some monetary security, but if he can't crack the rotation, the article opines that he may be trade fodder in a package targeting a big.

DukieInBrasil
11-06-2013, 06:27 PM
First off, nice summary of the action last night.

Austin is stuck in a major guard log-jam. According to this article (http://www.nola.com/pelicans/index.ssf/2013/11/are_you_surprised_new_orleans.html), he got beat out for several back-up rolls. All Star Jrue Holliday is the starter at PG and Brian Roberts beat Austin out for the back-up spot. Former Team USAer Eric Gordon is the starting SG and Anthony Morrow (yes, former GT player Anthony Morrow) beat him out for the back-up SG spot. The Pelicans did pick up his 3rd year option, so he's got some monetary security, but if he can't crack the rotation, the article opines that he may be trade fodder in a package targeting a big.

thanks for the info. Austin definitely had(s?) some holes in his game, like his reputation for not going left. If he can't fix those holes he'll have a tough time in the Show. He has a (very) good "shake n bake" (h/t Ricky Bobby), but his mid-range jumper has been weak. He loves to drive but can't go left and isn't all that adept at finishing through contact. If he draws contact he has not had good touch at the FT line. His 3FG% was decent at Duke, but not all that great his rookie season in the NBA.

I wasn't all that thrilled with him as a player at Duke, although he was the leading scorer in his 1 year. He definitely has/d talent, but needs to develop physically, mentally and skill-wise. He would have been well-served by playing for K one more year, and likely would have been an asset to the team last year, though we'll never know.

wilson
11-06-2013, 06:33 PM
Check out the +/- numbers (http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/boxscore?gameId=400488926) in the Detroit game tonight. Stunning.I dunno about you, but as a Hawks fan, I'm just astounded that Josh Smith was detrimental overall to his team owing to bad decisions and low-percentage outside shooting!:rolleyes:
Yup, Detroit, y'all can have him. Paul Millsap is cheaper and better, not to mention an attractive trade chip for our ongoing
(re-)rebuild.

DukieInBrasil
11-07-2013, 09:44 AM
Several Duke alums went to town yesterday in the NBA: Miles Plumlee had 15pts, 6rebs, 1asst, 1steal & 2blocks (L), Kyrie had 29pts and 8assts (L), JJ Redick had 17pts, 4rebs & 4assts (L), Gerald Henderson had 23pts, 3rebs, 4assts, 2steals (W) and McBobs had 13pts, 6rebs, 5assts, 1steal & 1block (W).
A few others didn't fare so well: Boozer had 9pts (3-10FG), Deng had 17 pts (6-18FG) and Dunleavy had 6pts (2-6FG) in the loss to the Pacers. Neither Lance Thomas nor Austin Rivers accumulated any stats, though both got off the bench in the Pelicans win.
Duke alums amassed a 4-6 record yesterday although their teams went 2-4.
I gotta say, Miles Plumlee has finally found a way to corral that athleticism and be effective with it, although he had the worst +/- on the team (-17). I didn't watch the game so i don't know if he was guarding Tim Duncan primarily or Diaw. It also seems that McBobs has also finally found a way to channel his skillset into productive play in the NBA, and also withe right team. Surprisingly, the Bobcats have a winning record early in the year (3-2). The Clippers (JJ) are 3-2, as are the Suns (MP I). The Bulls are a surprising 1-3 (Booz, Deng, Dunleavy), while the Pelicans (LT, Austin Rivers) and Cavs (Kyrie) are both 2-3.

flyingdutchdevil
11-07-2013, 10:52 AM
Several Duke alums went to town yesterday in the NBA: Miles Plumlee had 15pts, 6rebs, 1asst, 1steal & 2blocks (L), Kyrie had 29pts and 8assts (L), JJ Redick had 17pts, 4rebs & 4assts (L), Gerald Henderson had 23pts, 3rebs, 4assts, 2steals (W) and McBobs had 13pts, 6rebs, 5assts, 1steal & 1block (W).
A few others didn't fare so well: Boozer had 9pts (3-10FG), Deng had 17 pts (6-18FG) and Dunleavy had 6pts (2-6FG) in the loss to the Pacers. Neither Lance Thomas nor Austin Rivers accumulated any stats, though both got off the bench in the Pelicans win.
Duke alums amassed a 4-6 record yesterday although their teams went 2-4.
I gotta say, Miles Plumlee has finally found a way to corral that athleticism and be effective with it, although he had the worst +/- on the team (-17). I didn't watch the game so i don't know if he was guarding Tim Duncan primarily or Diaw. It also seems that McBobs has also finally found a way to channel his skillset into productive play in the NBA, and also withe right team. Surprisingly, the Bobcats have a winning record early in the year (3-2). The Clippers (JJ) are 3-2, as are the Suns (MP I). The Bulls are a surprising 1-3 (Booz, Deng, Dunleavy), while the Pelicans (LT, Austin Rivers) and Cavs (Kyrie) are both 2-3.

Quick note - I watched the Pacers-Bulls game and the Deng-George match-up was absolutely insane. Both players didn't do so well offensively because they were guarded by each other. If there is one player out there who I wish was a Duke alum, it would be Paul George. I love his game, love his demeanor, and love his team (especially now that they updated from Bug Eyes to Luis Scola).

wilson
11-07-2013, 12:47 PM
...It also seems that McBobs has also finally found a way to channel his skillset into productive play in the NBA, and also withe right team. Surprisingly, the Bobcats have a winning record early in the year (3-2).This season is our very last chance, ever, to call them the McBobcats. Clearly, we have to institute this as board policy for the 2013-14 NBA season, right?

flyingdutchdevil
11-07-2013, 01:10 PM
This season is our very last chance, ever, to call them the McBobcats. Clearly, we have to institute this as board policy for the 2013-14 NBA season, right?

That nickname sounds like McDonalds's new breakfast sandwich. "100% white Bobcat meat!"

BTW, absolutely love the nickname.

wilson
11-07-2013, 01:16 PM
That nickname sounds like McDonalds's new breakfast sandwich. "100% white Bobcat meat!"*Available only in [insert stereotypically, ahem, "rustic" state that I'm not going to specifically choose here since, with our wide range of geographic coverage on the board, I'm almost guaranteed to offend someone]

flyingdutchdevil
11-07-2013, 01:24 PM
*Available only in [insert stereotypically, ahem, "rustic" state that I'm not going to specifically choose here since, with our wide range of geographic coverage on the board, I'm almost guaranteed to offend someone]

*Comes with a Happy Meal toy of Michael Jordan.

Collect them all, including our ultra popular GM Michael Jordan. It helps you to make poor choices in running your own business.

arnie
11-07-2013, 07:36 PM
JJ with 10 against the Heat in first 8 minutes. Wade can't keep up.

kAzE
11-07-2013, 08:36 PM
JJ's season stats: 17.2 pts, .492 fg%, 2.8 rbs, 2.8 asts, 4.7 ast/to, 21.6 PER

It's only 5 games in, but I think it's safe to say that he's going to have his best year as a pro, barring injury (knock on wood)

It's also notable that Chris Paul is averaging 12.6 assists, leading the league now with the offseason additions of JJ and Dudley. And he already has 9 in the first half in this Miami game. What a beast.

FerryFor50
11-07-2013, 08:40 PM
Quick note - I watched the Pacers-Bulls game and the Deng-George match-up was absolutely insane. Both players didn't do so well offensively because they were guarded by each other. If there is one player out there who I wish was a Duke alum, it would be Paul George. I love his game, love his demeanor, and love his team (especially now that they updated from Bug Eyes to Luis Scola).

Yea but they traded Miles for Scola. Pretty bad trade IMO.

kAzE
11-07-2013, 08:48 PM
Yea but they traded Miles for Scola. Pretty bad trade IMO.

Originally, the Pacers didn't want to include Miles in the trade, but the Suns refused to do the deal unless they included him. So, at least give the Pacers a little bit of credit. They knew Miles was valuable, but they are going for the championship THIS year. They had to pull out all the stops, and Scola is just more ready to contribute to a finals contender this year than Miles. Scola complements Roy Hibbert and David West nicely, whereas Miles kind of does the same thing as those guys, but not quite as well. It would have been nice to keep Miles though.

What they really need to do is find a Danny Granger trade. They are still missing 1 piece from a championship roster in my opinion. They need a dynamic guard who can shoot and penetrate. George Hill is nice, but he's a rotation player, not a starting point guard for a championship team.

luburch
11-07-2013, 09:03 PM
Battier just took a charge on two consecutive possessions. Twitter is going to explode.

wilson
11-07-2013, 09:10 PM
What they really need to do is find a Danny Granger trade. They are still missing 1 piece from a championship roster in my opinion. They need a dynamic guard who can shoot and penetrate. George Hill is nice, but he's a rotation player, not a starting point guard for a championship team.Good call.
This is shaping up to be perhaps the most entertaining NBA regular season in years, because there are several really good teams in both conferences. The West has been deep for several years now, but the East seems to have closed the gap a good bit this year. The Pacers are now in my opinion a legit challenger to the Heat on the East...they had Miami on the playoff ropes already last year, and they look better this year. I also haven't given up on Chicago, as Derrick Rose continues to round back into form and they figure out roles. In the last two seasons, the Thunder and Spurs respectively were in my opinion markedly better than any non-Miami Eastern Conference team, but this year I think Indiana and possibly the Bulls are just as good as anybody in the West.

moonpie23
11-07-2013, 09:41 PM
JJ with 10 against the Heat in first 8 minutes. Wade can't keep up.

i dunno……he's keeping up to 29 pts and froze JJ on a step back so hard jj had to go warm the bench some….

arnie
11-07-2013, 09:46 PM
i dunno……he's keeping up to 29 pts and froze JJ on a step back so hard jj had to go warm the bench some….

Yep and then TNT announcer says Duke doesn't teach fundamentals as JJ misses shot.

luburch
11-07-2013, 09:47 PM
i dunno……he's keeping up to 29 pts and froze JJ on a step back so hard jj had to go warm the bench some….

The same one Wade flopped on?

DukieInBrasil
11-07-2013, 10:17 PM
JJ started off so hot, but i don't think he scored after halftime, and not much in the 2nd quarter. Seems to be a trend for him this year, take teams by surprise and then they remember they need to defend him and/or the Clips forget he's on the court.

MartyClark
11-09-2013, 09:30 AM
18 points and 11 rebounds against the Nuggets last night.

jimsumner
11-09-2013, 01:04 PM
Miles Plumlee has to be an (the?) early leader for the NBA's Most Improved Player Award.

I'm in full mea culpa mode on Miles. I thought he had a chance to be a second-round pick and stick around for a few years as a backup.

Delighted to be proven wrong. He's done a magnificent job of seizing the moment.

Kudos.

DavidBenAkiva
11-09-2013, 01:34 PM
Miles Plumlee has to be an (the?) early leader for the NBA's Most Improved Player Award.

I'm in full mea culpa mode on Miles. I thought he had a chance to be a second-round pick and stick around for a few years as a backup.

Delighted to be proven wrong. He's done a magnificent job of seizing the moment.

Kudos.

I really enjoy watching Miles play. His confidence and decision making reminds me of Mason last year. At the beginning of the year, you could just tell that a lot of things clicked for Mason. The same thing seems to be happening to Miles this year, but at the NBA level. I caught the end of the Suns-Spurs game, in which Miles was guarding Tim Duncan. His defense was causing a lot of players - not just Duncan - to pull up instead of go to the hoop. On the offensive end, he was a real presence. His skills really lend themselves to play the pick-and-roll with Bledsoe. His athleticism is certainly noticeable. I am so happy to see him succeed.

Could you imagine if Mason and Miles had both "clicked" in 2011-12? Still happy to see them succeed at any point, though.

jimsumner
11-09-2013, 01:55 PM
I really enjoy watching Miles play. His confidence and decision making reminds me of Mason last year. At the beginning of the year, you could just tell that a lot of things clicked for Mason. The same thing seems to be happening to Miles this year, but at the NBA level. I caught the end of the Suns-Spurs game, in which Miles was guarding Tim Duncan. His defense was causing a lot of players - not just Duncan - to pull up instead of go to the hoop. On the offensive end, he was a real presence. His skills really lend themselves to play the pick-and-roll with Bledsoe. His athleticism is certainly noticeable. I am so happy to see him succeed.

Could you imagine if Mason and Miles had both "clicked" in 2011-12? Still happy to see them succeed at any point, though.

I wonder how much their lack of clicking in 2012 can be traced to Duke's lack of anything remotely resembling a play-making point guard.

Indoor66
11-09-2013, 02:04 PM
I wonder how much their lack of clicking in 2012 can be traced to Duke's lack of anything remotely resembling a play-making point guard.

BINGO! Hard to do much without the ball in a decent position.

JBDuke
11-09-2013, 03:45 PM
I wonder how much their lack of clicking in 2012 can be traced to Duke's lack of anything remotely resembling a play-making point guard.

I just assumed it was because we had a former PG as our primary big man coach. :rolleyes:

theAlaskanBear
11-10-2013, 12:38 PM
Almost 2 weeks into the NBA season, lets take a look at how a few of our players are settling into the new season.

First off, Kyrie had a monster game last in a double-overtime win. He hit the game-winning shot with 0.6 seconds left on a drive into the lane. He ended up with 39pts 12asts 5rpg. He finally had a good night shooting from free, and it looks like he poised to break out of the shooting slump he has been in all season.

JJ had a great game for the Clippers in a win over the Rockets...22pts, tied for leading scorer - shot 8-15, highest +/- on the team, added 5trb and 3ast. For the season he is averaging 18pts 2ast and 3rpg. He is a great fit for the Clippers offense, and his motion off the ball really opens the floor up for other players. Smart passer, improved defender, etc...a perfect fit.

Boozer has a hot start to season, and the Bulls have needed every ounce as Rose and Noah have struggled out of the gate. Boozer is avg'ing 18pts, 9rpg, and shooting 60% from the field. He is 17th in the league in PER right now. Really happy for Boozer, hopefully the amnesty talk will die down, everyone talks about how he is overpaid...but if you look at comparable players -- Millsap, Horford, Blake Griffin, David Lee -- it doesn't look nearly as bad. Also, Boozer is avg'ing 10trb per 36 minutes...great for an aging PF. If he finishes out his contract with the Bulls averaging 8rpg, he will be on the cusp of being on top-50 NBA all-time total rebounds list. Assuming Boozer stays healthy, his next contract will probably be a 2-3 deal with options for 4. Even accounting for a significant decline in minutes and rebounding as he ages, he has an outside shot at 10,000 total rebounds, provided he has 5 seasons in left. He has had a great career. Now he just needs a title!

Statistical oddity of the day...due to Ryan Kelly's 1-1 3FG in 3 minutes in 1 appearance this year, he leads the NBA in Orting at 258. =P I have to imagine he will get more burn as the season progresses.

kAzE
11-10-2013, 11:11 PM
Another great performance from MP1 in a win against the Pelicans. 8 points on 4-9 shooting, 12 rebounds, 1 steal, and 5(!!!!!) blocks in just 28 minutes. What a beast.

kAzE
11-11-2013, 03:42 AM
JJ had a great game for the Clippers in a win over the Rockets...22pts, tied for leading scorer - shot 8-15, highest +/- on the team, added 5trb and 3ast. For the season he is averaging 18pts 2ast and 3rpg. He is a great fit for the Clippers offense, and his motion off the ball really opens the floor up for other players. Smart passer, improved defender, etc...a perfect fit.

I heard some talking head on a radio show (Colin Cowherd) after the Clippers' loss to the Heat saying that the Clipper's biggest weakness is JJ Redick on defense. I got so mad . . . JJ certainly isn't Paul George on the defensive end, but he's actually a very serviceable team defender. Dwyane Wade went off for 29 against him, but he's actually done pretty well in his other matchups. Here's the stats for each starting "2" guard he's faced thus far:

Steve Blake: 6 points 2-3 shooting
Klay Thompson: 10 points 3-7 shooting
Marcus Thornton: 17 points 6-12 shooting
James Harden: 16 points 6-16 shooting
Arron Afflalo: 11 points 5-16 shooting
Dwyane Wade: 29 points 13-22 shooting
James Harden: 12 points 4-15 shooting

So he had one bad game defensively against maybe the most dominant shooting guard in the league when he's healthy. Wade has probably 20 pounds on JJ, it's not like he doesn't do that even against great defenders. Check out the 2 games against Harden though . . . Many consider him the top 2 guard in the league these days and JJ fared quite well in that matchup.

Plus, what other options do they have at the 2-guard position? Jamaal Crawford? He might be the worst defender in the league at that position. Willie Green? Please.



Statistical oddity of the day...due to Ryan Kelly's 1-1 3FG in 3 minutes in 1 appearance this year, he leads the NBA in Orting at 258. =P I have to imagine he will get more burn as the season progresses.

Clearly, this is no fluke. Mike D'Antoni just needs to realize the unbelievable offensive dominance of the White Raven and unleash him upon the league.

WillJ
11-11-2013, 09:09 AM
BINGO! Hard to do much without the ball in a decent position.

There are a lot of big men in the league that can look fantastic with the right point guard but quite mediocre otherwise. I'm thinking in particular of Amare Stoudemire playing with Steve Nash and anyone playing with Chris Paul. I think that's particularly likely to be the case with bigs like Miles that are very athletic but have a limited ability to get their own shot. More generally, and this is something that David Thorpe points out often, the productivity of a majority of NBA players is highly context-dependent. True of college basketball, too, though NBA-level talent usually finds a way to shine in college.

kAzE
11-11-2013, 10:38 AM
There are a lot of big men in the league that can look fantastic with the right point guard but quite mediocre otherwise. I'm thinking in particular of Amare Stoudemire playing with Steve Nash and anyone playing with Chris Paul. I think that's particularly likely to be the case with bigs like Miles that are very athletic but have a limited ability to get their own shot. More generally, and this is something that David Thorpe points out often, the productivity of a majority of NBA players is highly context-dependent. True of college basketball, too, though NBA-level talent usually finds a way to shine in college.

I think you guys might be somewhat on the right track, but I think you are also not giving Miles enough credit. He has vastly improved as a player since 2 years ago. If you watch him play now, he's a totally different player, ESPECIALLY on defense. He has learned to harness his great physical gifts and use them to full advantage. We didn't have Eric Bledsoe and Goran Dragic at Duke, but he had a year of Scheyer, 7 games of Kyrie, and 2 years of Nolan Smith, maybe not "pure point guards," but all very decent play making guards at the college level. But frankly, he wasn't this good when he was at Duke. He's gotten a lot better after a year of practicing against Roy Hibbert and David West, it's just that simple. And really, Eric Bledsoe is more of a Russell Westbrook shoot first type of guard anyway, and Dragic has been hurt for much of this year thus far. It's been mostly Miles' own doing, and it's really quite something. He's a legitimate NBA player.

flyingdutchdevil
11-11-2013, 10:49 AM
I think you guys might be somewhat on the right track, but I think you are also not giving Miles enough credit. He has vastly improved as a player since 2 years ago. If you watch him play now, he's a totally different player, ESPECIALLY on defense. He has learned to harness his great physical gifts and use them to full advantage. We didn't have Eric Bledsoe and Goran Dragic at Duke, but he had a year of Scheyer, 7 games of Kyrie, and 2 years of Nolan Smith, maybe not "pure point guards," but all very decent play making guards at the college level. But frankly, he wasn't this good when he was at Duke. He's gotten a lot better after a year of practicing against Roy Hibbert and David West, it's just that simple. And really, Eric Bledsoe is more of a Russell Westbrook shoot first type of guard anyway, and Dragic has been hurt for much of this year thus far. It's been mostly Miles' own doing, and it's really quite something. He's a legitimate NBA player.

I would agree with that. It's important to remember that NBA players have one responsibility: playing basketball. At Duke, they have academics, restrictions on practice, a broader social life, and restrictions on, well, everything!

Also, kAzE is right - Miles had the benefit of practicing with two top PFs/C in the league with ZERO pressure to perform in games. That is the ideal solution to improving in the NBA. Miles will never be an All-Star, but he has surpassed many analysts' and fans' expectations. I'm happy that he is playing very well, especially on D and rebounding.

Keep it up Miles, and hopefully you teach your youngest brother a thing or two ;)

WillJ
11-11-2013, 10:58 AM
I think you guys might be somewhat on the right track, but I think you are also not giving Miles enough credit. He has vastly improved as a player since 2 years ago. If you watch him play now, he's a totally different player, ESPECIALLY on defense. He has learned to harness his great physical gifts and use them to full advantage. We didn't have Eric Bledsoe and Goran Dragic at Duke, but he had a year of Scheyer, 7 games of Kyrie, and 2 years of Nolan Smith, maybe not "pure point guards," but all very decent play making guards at the college level. But frankly, he wasn't this good when he was at Duke. He's gotten a lot better after a year of practicing against Roy Hibbert and David West, it's just that simple. And really, Eric Bledsoe is more of a Russell Westbrook shoot first type of guard anyway, and Dragic has been hurt for much of this year thus far. It's been mostly Miles' own doing, and it's really quite something. He's a legitimate NBA player.

Point well-taken - Miles deserves a lot of credit for improving. And, just to be clear, I believe that Thorpe would apply his point about context-dependent productivity to all but about the top 10-15% of NBA players, meaning that the productivity (if not the skill) of many "legitimate NBA players" depends on team style and who they're playing with. Nothing to be ashamed of.

sagegrouse
11-11-2013, 11:27 AM
I would agree with that. It's important to remember that NBA players have one responsibility: playing basketball. At Duke, they have academics, restrictions on practice, a broader social life, and restrictions on, well, everything!

Also, kAzE is right - Miles had the benefit of practicing with two top PFs/C in the league with ZERO pressure to perform in games. That is the ideal solution to improving in the NBA. Miles will never be an All-Star, but he has surpassed many analysts' and fans' expectations. I'm happy that he is playing very well, especially on D and rebounding.

Keep it up Miles, and hopefully you teach your youngest brother a thing or two ;)

I don't disagree with anything said here, but I will make a different point. Some players take longer to "get it." It can be a matter of coordination, mental development, or even physical strength. Miles has the last but, even in HS, he lagged behind his younger brother (Mason is 18 mos. junior to Miles) in development of basketball skills. That's why the brothers went to Christ School from Warsaw; Miles needed another year of HS. Miles was sitting on the bench in Warsaw, and Dad Perkie recently observed that he was hearing more from IU coach Kelvin Sampson than Miles's HS coach.

The other piece of good news for Miles is that the NBA handsomely rewards big fellas with large, long-term contracts who can score, defend OR rebound, and he may be able to do all three. And I think seven games is getting to be significant. If you're "no-damned-good" you won't average over seven games, 11.7 points, 9.6 rebounds, 2.3 blocks, and only 2.1 fouls in 31 minutes per game.

Now, remind me, what did Indiana get in the trade for Miles? Oh yeah, Luis Scola, who is averaging only 17 MPG, 7.1 pts., and 3.0 RBs. and Phoenix also got veteran Richard Green, who is putting up pretty good numbers. AND Phoenix got a #1 draft pick. Wow! What a steal!

(The press clippings mention something about "amnesty" involving Scola, so there may be other factors.)

Go Miles! Go Duke!

sagegrouse

flyingdutchdevil
11-11-2013, 11:35 AM
I don't disagree with anything said here, but I will make a different point. Some players take longer to "get it." It can be a matter of coordination, mental development, or even physical strength. Miles has the last but, even in HS, he lagged behind his younger brother (Mason is 18 mos. junior to Miles) in development of basketball skills. That's why the brothers went to Christ School from Warsaw; Miles needed another year of HS. Miles was sitting on the bench in Warsaw, and Dad Perkie recently observed that he was hearing more from IU coach Kelvin Sampson than Miles's HS coach.

The other piece of good news for Miles is that the NBA handsomely rewards big fellas with large, long-term contracts who can score, defend OR rebound, and he may be able to do all three. And I think seven games is getting to be significant. If you're "no-damned-good" you won't average over seven games, 11.7 points, 9.6 rebounds, 2.3 blocks, and only 2.1 fouls in 31 minutes per game.

Now, remind me, what did Indiana get in the trade for Miles? Oh yeah, Luis Scola, who is averaging only 17 MPG, 7.1 pts., and 3.0 RBs. and Phoenix also got veteran Richard Green, who is putting up pretty good numbers. AND Phoenix got a #1 draft pick. Wow! What a steal!

(The press clippings mention something about "amnesty" involving Scola, so there may be other factors.)

Go Miles! Go Duke!

sagegrouse

Interesting about the Plumlee's, especially with regards to Kelvin Sampson.

I will disagree with you about Scola. IMO, that was a great trade for Indiana. They knew their 1st round pick was going to stink (25-30 pick, where players are just as good as early 2nd round picks), so trading it made no difference. They needed instant offense off the bench, and that isn't something that Plumlee can create. Scola can - he is an unathletic big man who runs the floor surprisingly well and helps to spread the floor with an amazing mid-range jump shot. When you have Paul George, Lance Stephenson, and George Hill, spacing is really important. Miles can't really provide that.

Scola may not be producing great numbers, but he is a much better fit for that club than either Plumlee (athletic, defending big without a midrange jumpshot) or Hanstravel (no talent @ss clown). IMO, great trade by BOTH Indiana and Phoenix.

Des Esseintes
11-11-2013, 11:53 AM
Interesting about the Plumlee's, especially with regards to Kelvin Sampson.

I will disagree with you about Scola. IMO, that was a great trade for Indiana. They knew their 1st round pick was going to stink (25-30 pick, where players are just as good as early 2nd round picks), so trading it made no difference. They needed instant offense off the bench, and that isn't something that Plumlee can create. Scola can - he is an unathletic big man who runs the floor surprisingly well and helps to spread the floor with an amazing mid-range jump shot. When you have Paul George, Lance Stephenson, and George Hill, spacing is really important. Miles can't really provide that.

Scola may not be producing great numbers, but he is a much better fit for that club than either Plumlee (athletic, defending big without a midrange jumpshot) or Hanstravel (no talent @ss clown). IMO, great trade by BOTH Indiana and Phoenix.
I don't know. You're describing what Scola *used* to be. Last season he was terrible, and there's a good chance he'll again be terrible this year. For small market teams such as Indiana, cost-controlled talent is a key way to compete. Miles is cost-controlled. That late pick (in a stacked draft) is cost-controlled. If Scola doesn't start offering more offense--the D will never happen for him--this will go down as a mistake trade for Indiana, regardless of how far George and Hibbert carry the team.

duke4ever19
11-11-2013, 12:10 PM
I have always struggled to appreciate and enjoy the NBA, even during the Jordan years. I grew up in Tampa, and the Magic were considered the "local team" although an hour away in Orlando. I would check the stats of Duke players once/twice a week, though.

I happened by chance to see the first couple of Miles' games this young season, and really thought the Suns played with energy, while displaying remarkable grit and urgency. I have found myself going out of the way to catch at least second half of their games. I know it's against the so-called "fan code" to just adopt a team, but I don't care! I am on the Phoenix Suns bandwagon! :D

Plus, Tampa doesn't have an NBA team, and I can't bring myself to cheer for any Philly team now that I'm living in that area.

flyingdutchdevil
11-11-2013, 12:17 PM
I don't know. You're describing what Scola *used* to be. Last season he was terrible, and there's a good chance he'll again be terrible this year. For small market teams such as Indiana, cost-controlled talent is a key way to compete. Miles is cost-controlled. That late pick (in a stacked draft) is cost-controlled. If Scola doesn't start offering more offense--the D will never happen for him--this will go down as a mistake trade for Indiana, regardless of how far George and Hibbert carry the team.

Actually, Scola only makes $4.5 mill a year, which isn't that much, especially for your primary big off he bench. Miles makes $1.12 mill per year but, with the way he's playing, we'll be getting at least $6 mill per year a few years from now. Indiana wants to win NOW, which makes the Scola acquisition seem like a good trade.

Btw, Scola can still hit those jumpers. If anything, that skill gets better with time. Indiana did give up a lot, but I think they are better with Scola than Plumlee, a player who is essentially a poor man's Hibbert.

But I agree that Scola is terrible on D and is essentially a one-dimensional player. But if that one-dimension pays dividends, watch out. Indiana is 7-0 right now, and is better suited to go further this year than last year. But, as you said, we will see. I have faith in Scola.

timmy c
11-11-2013, 06:59 PM
Kylie will be in Chicago tonight. The current duke team is also in Chicago for the much anticipated game against Kansas. Looks like they are planning on catching the game.

FerryFor50
11-11-2013, 07:54 PM
Kylie will be in Chicago tonight. The current duke team is also in Chicago for the much anticipated game against Kansas. Looks like they are planning on catching the game.

Kylie Minogue????

timmy c
11-11-2013, 08:04 PM
Kylie Minogue????

Exactly!!! Can I blame my ipad?:o

Kyrie

theAlaskanBear
11-11-2013, 08:06 PM
Exactly!!! Can I blame my ipad?:o

Kyrie

I have the game loaded up on LP on my computer....viewing party, anyone? I saw the CLE-PHI game, and have to think that the Bulls will handle business tonight.

JonnyWonder
11-11-2013, 11:17 PM
The Chicago-Cleveland matchup might as well have been "Duke Night" at the United Center, what with four alumni on the floor and Coach K and the team in the stands. From the ESPN recap:


Carlos Boozer scored 17 points and reserve Mike Dunleavy Jr. added a season-high 16 for Chicago, which went 24 for 26 at the free-throw line. Luol Deng finished with 12 points.

Kyrie Irving had 16 points for Cleveland, but was 5 for 19 from the field in his first game against Rose. The Cavaliers committed 20 turnovers, leading to 29 points for the Bulls.

I didn't get to see it, but sounds like Kyrie had a slow game. Still, this line from the recap made me think of Dunleavy's barrage of 3's in the 2001 Championship game:


Dunleavy had seven points during a 9-1 run that made it 87-76 with 2:10 remaining.

Glad to see so many former players finding success, and it must have been great for this year's team to get to see so many professionals before tomorrow's big game. Let's hope they were inspired!

theAlaskanBear
11-12-2013, 06:42 AM
The Chicago-Cleveland matchup might as well have been "Duke Night" at the United Center, what with four alumni on the floor and Coach K and the team in the stands. From the ESPN recap:



I didn't get to see it, but sounds like Kyrie had a slow game. Still, this line from the recap made me think of Dunleavy's barrage of 3's in the 2001 Championship game:



Glad to see so many former players finding success, and it must have been great for this year's team to get to see so many professionals before tomorrow's big game. Let's hope they were inspired!


Kyrie was a non-factor until the second half. I have to think there was some fatigue from the 2-OT game this weekend, were he took 33 shots and played with tremendous energy. He looked lethargic and umimpressive....the question is how much was the Bulls D and how much was just a bad game.

Boozer started off really well, and has been the only consistent player for the Bulls so far. Deng, Rose, and Noah have all struggled with their shots. Rose in particular can't hit the broadside of a barn off the dribble. He nearly had 2 airballs in the first 6 minutes.

UrinalCake
11-12-2013, 09:15 AM
So I was thinking about our 2010 team the other day, which was considered one of our least talented title teams. It was one of the few college teams ever to win a title and then not have anyone taken in the subsequent NBA draft (I think Scheyer was signed as an undrafted free agent but then had that eye injury).

Looking back today, that roster had FIVE players who are currently in the NBA, all of them bigs/forwards: Miles, Mason, Ryan, Kyle, and Lance. That's right, Duke put their team's entire front line into the League, except for big Z. I hope Okafor is taking notice!

DukieInBrasil
11-12-2013, 11:47 AM
So I was thinking about our 2010 team the other day, which was considered one of our least talented title teams. It was one of the few college teams ever to win a title and then not have anyone taken in the subsequent NBA draft (I think Scheyer was signed as an undrafted free agent but then had that eye injury).

Looking back today, that roster had FIVE players who are currently in the NBA, all of them bigs/forwards: Miles, Mason, Ryan, Kyle, and Lance. That's right, Duke put their team's entire front line into the League, except for big Z. I hope Okafor is taking notice!

Not to mention that Nolan was in the NBA for a couple of seasons, although he couldn't hold on to a spot. Both Z and Scheyer got invites to NBA camps but neither caught on, although i believe Scheyer would have found a roster spot if not for that injury. Intriguing squad, no doubt.

timmy c
11-12-2013, 12:34 PM
So I was thinking about our 2010 team the other day, which was considered one of our least talented title teams. It was one of the few college teams ever to win a title and then not have anyone taken in the subsequent NBA draft (I think Scheyer was signed as an undrafted free agent but then had that eye injury).

Looking back today, that roster had FIVE players who are currently in the NBA, all of them bigs/forwards: Miles, Mason, Ryan, Kyle, and Lance. That's right, Duke put their team's entire front line into the League, except for big Z. I hope Okafor is taking notice!

Not sure what happened, but Thomas's latest tweet leads me to believe that Lance is no longer with the Pelicans. https://mobile.twitter.com/slangmagic


Thank you New Orleans and Pelicans organization for everything. My time in New Orleans has been beyond great, and I'm going to miss it.

Can anyone with more insight enlighten me?

flyingdutchdevil
11-12-2013, 12:36 PM
Not sure what happened, but Thomas's latest tweet leads me to believe that Lance is no longer with the Pelicans. https://mobile.twitter.com/slangmagic

Can anyone with more insight enlighten me?

Yeah - that sounds like he was cut from the team. I really don't think there is any other way to read that.

I'm sure Lance will find another team.

Go LT!

vick
11-12-2013, 02:00 PM
I think I've seen this mentioned on DBR before, but looks like Battier's still super-popular in China (http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_world_/2013/11/12/the_yao_ming_effect_why_the_miami_heat_s_shane_bat tier_is_still_a_big_star.html) due to his time in Houston with Yao Ming. I like the poster of the Heat's "Big Four."

3677

Henderson
11-12-2013, 02:41 PM
Yeah - that sounds like he was cut from the team. I really don't think there is any other way to read that.

I'm sure Lance will find another team.

Go LT!

It looks like Austin Rivers needs a new team too. It's easy for me to say, given that no one is paying me $2.2M to play basketball right now, but at this point it's looking like his decision to go pro as early as he did was a financial (and personal) mistake.

brevity
11-12-2013, 02:45 PM
Not sure what happened, but Thomas's latest tweet leads me to believe that Lance is no longer with the Pelicans. https://mobile.twitter.com/slangmagic

Can anyone with more insight enlighten me?

I offer info but no insight.

http://www.thebirdwrites.com/2013/11/12/5094552/lou-amundson-returning-to-new-orleans

"By all appearances, it looks like the front office will be swapping out Lance Thomas and Arinze Onuaku for Lou Amundson and Josh Childress."

http://www.nola.com/pelicans/index.ssf/2013/11/new_orleans_pelicans_release_f.html

"The Pelicans have not officially made any announcement regarding their roster moves. But during Tuesday's shootaround at the Staples Center, Childress and Amundson were present."

tommy
11-12-2013, 02:50 PM
It looks like Austin Rivers needs a new team too. It's easy for me to say, given that no one is paying me $2.2M to play basketball right now, but at this point it's looking like his decision to go pro as early as he did was a financial (and personal) mistake.

Yeah, when your coach is telling the media that you're "in a tough spot," like Monty Williams did here (http://www.nola.com/pelicans/index.ssf/2013/11/new_orleans_pelicans_coach_mon_10.html), that's not a good sign that any PT is coming your way anytime soon. Obviously, the road to NBA stardom has turned out to be a lot rougher than Austin assumed it would be just a few short years ago as a stud recruit playing high school ball in Florida. While I still think he can be effective if he works on a couple of areas of his game, it is also possible -- again, hard to imagine a few short years ago -- that he could wash out of the league entirely and not receive a second contract.

vick
11-12-2013, 03:20 PM
It looks like Austin Rivers needs a new team too. It's easy for me to say, given that no one is paying me $2.2M to play basketball right now, but at this point it's looking like his decision to go pro as early as he did was a financial (and personal) mistake.

I'm not so sure. One notable thing about Rivers is that he got tons of playing time last year--1418 minutes. For comparison, in his year at Duke he had 1129 minutes. So it's not like he was in a situation like Will Avery (<500 minutes) where you could say that having more playing time at a lower level of basketball (i.e. college) would have been beneficial. I'll confess that I don't really understand the insistence a lot of fellow college basketball fans have that players develop better in college even if they are able to get NBA playing time--generally speaking, being able to work at something full-time makes you better at it than doing it part-time. In my opinion, if what was important to him was to get a good shot at an NBA career, he probably made the right move getting a lottery contract before the serious flaws in his game were more widely known. I don't like saying this, and you get accused of "hating" the guy when you do (and I liked his personality and never bought into supposed locker-room-type chemistry issues at Duke), but I would say that his struggles are pretty much exactly what the stats were saying would happen, and that he was never really as good as recruiting experts thought. I really hope he turns it around, and certainly he can, but I wouldn't fault him for going pro even if it doesn't happen.

Des Esseintes
11-12-2013, 04:08 PM
I'm not so sure. One notable thing about Rivers is that he got tons of playing time last year--1418 minutes. For comparison, in his year at Duke he had 1129 minutes. So it's not like he was in a situation like Will Avery (<500 minutes) where you could say that having more playing time at a lower level of basketball (i.e. college) would have been beneficial. I'll confess that I don't really understand the insistence a lot of fellow college basketball fans have that players develop better in college even if they are able to get NBA playing time--generally speaking, being able to work at something full-time makes you better at it than doing it part-time. In my opinion, if what was important to him was to get a good shot at an NBA career, he probably made the right move getting a lottery contract before the serious flaws in his game were more widely known. I don't like saying this, and you get accused of "hating" the guy when you do (and I liked his personality and never bought into supposed locker-room-type chemistry issues at Duke), but I would say that his struggles are pretty much exactly what the stats were saying would happen, and that he was never really as good as recruiting experts thought. I really hope he turns it around, and certainly he can, but I wouldn't fault him for going pro even if it doesn't happen.

Vick, I'd normally agree with 100% of what you're saying here, as I do think the NBA is a better place to develop yourself. However, I think this situation has some particulars that make it an exception. As you say, Austin played a ton last season--when he wasn't remotely ready. He looked awful, and in fact put up arguably the worst rookie season numbers in history. Now, this year, he isn't playing at all. Potential future employers could not be getting a less flattering picture of the guy. It's not his fault he fell into a bad situation where he had to play so much way before he was capable, but I do think that here might be an example of someone who damaged his long-term prospects by jumping to the league before he could really hack it. It's one thing to have a lot to learn and be able to get paid while you do so; it's another thing to get so thoroughly exposed as one who doesn't belong.

Moreover, premium pedigrees tend to stick if there's even a modicum of production at the college level and no injuries. McAdoo could turn in yet another garbage season and might *still* go in the first round. Austin was a far better collegian than McAdoo ever thought of being. My concern is that *if* Austin is a legitimate NBA player--incredible that we're asking that question, but I likewise agree that it's very much in doubt these days--his NBA clock will have run out before his skills progress far enough to make him worthy of another contract, a dilemma he might have skirted with another year or two in college. 20/20 hindsight and all that, of course. And he might be the exception that proves the rule.

NSDukeFan
11-12-2013, 04:11 PM
So I was thinking about our 2010 team the other day, which was considered one of our least talented title teams. It was one of the few college teams ever to win a title and then not have anyone taken in the subsequent NBA draft (I think Scheyer was signed as an undrafted free agent but then had that eye injury).

Looking back today, that roster had FIVE players who are currently in the NBA, all of them bigs/forwards: Miles, Mason, Ryan, Kyle, and Lance. That's right, Duke put their team's entire front line into the League, except for big Z. I hope Okafor is taking notice!

I'm pretty sure this is wrong. Duke can't develop big men as they had a point guard coaching them. As if a guy who played point guard 15 years ago could learn anything about coaching big men.

nocilla
11-14-2013, 03:28 PM
A few fun clips from NBA.com.

Another dunk from Miles on Sunday;


http://www.nba.com/video/games/suns/2013/11/10/0021300096-nop-phx-play2.nba

Block of the Night from Nov 3;


http://www.nba.com/video/channels/top_plays/2013/11/03/20131103-block-of-the-night.nba

JJ Redick scores 26 against the Rockets, Nov 4;


http://www.nba.com/video/games/clippers/2013/11/05/-20131104-jj-redick-shooting.nba/index.html

flyingdutchdevil
11-14-2013, 03:37 PM
Vick, I'd normally agree with 100% of what you're saying here, as I do think the NBA is a better place to develop yourself. However, I think this situation has some particulars that make it an exception. As you say, Austin played a ton last season--when he wasn't remotely ready. He looked awful, and in fact put up arguably the worst rookie season numbers in history. Now, this year, he isn't playing at all. Potential future employers could not be getting a less flattering picture of the guy. It's not his fault he fell into a bad situation where he had to play so much way before he was capable, but I do think that here might be an example of someone who damaged his long-term prospects by jumping to the league before he could really hack it. It's one thing to have a lot to learn and be able to get paid while you do so; it's another thing to get so thoroughly exposed as one who doesn't belong.

Moreover, premium pedigrees tend to stick if there's even a modicum of production at the college level and no injuries. McAdoo could turn in yet another garbage season and might *still* go in the first round. Austin was a far better collegian than McAdoo ever thought of being. My concern is that *if* Austin is a legitimate NBA player--incredible that we're asking that question, but I likewise agree that it's very much in doubt these days--his NBA clock will have run out before his skills progress far enough to make him worthy of another contract, a dilemma he might have skirted with another year or two in college. 20/20 hindsight and all that, of course. And he might be the exception that proves the rule.

The sad thing about this post is that, well, Austin is playing worse this year than last year.

2012-2013 (61 games played): 37.2% FG
2013-2014 (6 games played): 23.1% FG

Ouch...

kAzE
11-14-2013, 10:03 PM
The sad thing about this post is that, well, Austin is playing worse this year than last year.

2012-2013 (61 games played): 37.2% FG
2013-2014 (6 games played): 23.1% FG

Ouch...

Boy, if Rivers hadn't hit that shot against UNC, how would we remember him right now? Also, it's crazy to think that he was once a higher rated prospect than Anthony Davis. Oy. That was an incredibly forgettable season other than that one Carolina game. (If you actually DID erase that season from your memory, recall that we lost to Lehigh in the first round) He made a poor decision leaving after one year, but in all honesty, would our 2012-13 team have been better with him? Hard to say. I'm still rooting for him to succeed, but he needs to get traded. That situation is not helping him.

arnie
11-14-2013, 10:11 PM
Boy, if Rivers hadn't hit that shot against UNC, how would we remember him right now? Also, it's crazy to think that he was once a higher rated prospect than Anthony Davis. Oy. That was an incredibly forgettable season other than that one Carolina game. (If you actually DID erase that season from your memory, recall that we lost to Lehigh in the first round) He made a poor decision leaving after one year, but in all honesty, would our 2012-13 team have been better with him? Hard to say.

The shot against the Heels does trump most of the negatives though. That game gutted a lot of Heels fans - always a fun part of the rivalry.

jimsumner
11-14-2013, 10:19 PM
Boy, if Rivers hadn't hit that shot against UNC, how would we remember him right now? Also, it's crazy to think that he was once a higher rated prospect than Anthony Davis. Oy. That was an incredibly forgettable season other than that one Carolina game. (If you actually DID erase that season from your memory, recall that we lost to Lehigh in the first round) He made a poor decision leaving after one year, but in all honesty, would our 2012-13 team have been better with him? Hard to say. I'm still rooting for him to succeed, but he needs to get traded. That situation is not helping him.

I'm not sure I would call it forgettable. Rivers led a top-10 team in scoring, was named ACC Rookie of the Year and made first-team All-ACC, the only Duke freshman ever so honored.

And he sure didn't lose the Lehigh game by himself. In fact, he tied Mason for the Duke scoring lead with 19 points. He shot 5-14 from the field, 7-10 from the line. Compare to Seth Curry, 1-9; Andre Dawkins, 2-9; Quinn Cook, 1-5; and Miles Plumlee, 4 points in 27 minutes.

kAzE
11-14-2013, 10:39 PM
I'm not sure I would call it forgettable. Rivers led a top-10 team in scoring, was named ACC Rookie of the Year and made first-team All-ACC, the only Duke freshman ever so honored.

And he sure didn't lose the Lehigh game by himself. In fact, he tied Mason for the Duke scoring lead with 19 points. He shot 5-14 from the field, 7-10 from the line. Compare to Seth Curry, 1-9; Andre Dawkins, 2-9; Quinn Cook, 1-5; and Miles Plumlee, 4 points in 27 minutes.

You're right, it was just a meltdown from the whole team during that Lehigh game, but I still think Rivers was way too overhyped by the media, both social and popular. It may have been better for his career had he not gotten all those accolades and decided to stay for 1 more year, play a major role on a title conteder, get better, get drafted a bit higher in a watered-down draft, and go to a situation where he would have had a better chance to improve himself, instead of playing behind Eric Gordon, Tyreke Evans, Jrue Holiday, and Brian Roberts. The Pelicans are not trying to develop young talent, they are trying to win now. On the depth chart, he's actually the 3rd string shooting guard, behind Anthony Morrow. Ouch.

Des Esseintes
11-15-2013, 12:18 AM
You're right, it was just a meltdown from the whole team during that Lehigh game, but I still think Rivers was way too overhyped by the media, both social and popular. It may have been better for his career had he not gotten all those accolades and decided to stay for 1 more year, play a major role on a title conteder, get better, get drafted a bit higher in a watered-down draft, and go to a situation where he would have had a better chance to improve himself, instead of playing behind Eric Gordon, Tyreke Evans, Jrue Holiday, and Brian Roberts. The Pelicans are not trying to develop young talent, they are trying to win now. On the depth chart, he's actually the 3rd string shooting guard, behind Anthony Morrow. Ouch.

Except that Evans to an extent and Holiday in particular were acquired because the team concluded Austin was not a long-term backcourt solution. His situation last year was not unlike Miles's this year: circumstances conspired to throw him into a major minutes role. Miles was ready for it this season, far more ready than anyone expected. Austin wasn't. It's unfortunate, because if he had been ready, it could have been a fantastic thing for his career. Instead, the team saw a lot of him, and didn't like what it saw. If he had played as well as Dion Waiters last year, which is to say "mediocre to mildly promising," I doubt New Orleans trades for Holiday.

DukieInBrasil
11-16-2013, 10:19 AM
Last night was the first-ever Duke alum bro vs. bro matchup at the Nets battled the Suns, with baby bro Mason picking up the OT win on the road. Although older bro Miles got the start and more minutes, it was younger bro Mason who had (slightly?) better stats (7pts 3-3FG, 3 rebs, 2ast vs. 6pts 3-10FG, 7rebs, 1ast, 2blocks). Both bros picked up 5 fouls, Mason was much more efficient in that regard, getting his 5 fouls in only 13 minutes while Miles labored for 35 minutes to get his 5.
This is the first of (hopefully) many future Duke alum bro v. bro contests! Can Seth catch on with a team to challenge his bro to a duel?

theAlaskanBear
11-16-2013, 09:33 PM
Kyrie Irving looks like he is going to break 40pts tonight against the Wizards. He has 39 pts and they are in OT with 3 minutes left. Hit a big 3, Cleveland looks like thy are going to pull this out.

Edit: Kyrie just tied his career high with 41.

Billy Dat
11-17-2013, 08:40 AM
Even Brook Lopez, KG and Andre Kirilenko were out of the action, it was still amazing watching Mason carry the Nets in the 4th Quarter against the Clippers (http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york/brooklyn-nets/) last night. It is not an exaggeration to say he was their go-to guy on offense scoring 19 points in 27 minutes, with most of those coming in the 4th quarter. He has two of his patented Mason "reverse dunks", and I use the quotes because he basically laid them in, but he also had some vicious slams and kept getting to the line. That was a problem as he only went 5-12, and had he hit those shots, the Nets would have had an even better chance to win, but the game went down to the final minutes. He looked great out there.

Oh yeah, JJ had 26 in the same game including some really big Q4 buckets.

AlaskaBear wrote about Kyrie's night....sick.

The Bulls handed the Pacers their first loss behind 46 total from Deng/Boozer/Dunleavy.

Austin got 7 minutes of PT in a blowout win over the 76ers and somehow managed 12 points which makes it sound like he shot every time he got the ball which sounds...oh, nevermind, I am simply happy for him.

MChambers
11-17-2013, 08:57 AM
Even Brook Lopez, KG and Andre Kirilenko were out of the action, it was still amazing watching Mason carry the Nets in the 4th Quarter against the Clippers (http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york/brooklyn-nets/) last night. It is not an exaggeration to say he was their go-to guy on offense scoring 19 points in 27 minutes, with most of those coming in the 4th quarter. He has two of his patented Mason "reverse dunks", and I use the quotes because he basically laid them in, but he also had some vicious slams and kept getting to the line. That was a problem as he only went 5-12, and had he hit those shots, the Nets would have had an even better chance to win, but the game went down to the final minutes. He looked great out there.

Oh yeah, JJ had 26 in the same game including some really big Q4 buckets.

AlaskaBear wrote about Kyrie's night....sick.

The Bulls handed the Pacers their first loss behind 46 total from Deng/Boozer/Dunleavy.

Austin got 7 minutes of PT in a blowout win over the 76ers and somehow managed 12 points which makes it sound like he shot every time he got the ball which sounds...oh, nevermind, I am simply happy for him.
Many thanks for the article about Mason. I feel compelled to point out one interesting aspect of the article:

"Plumlee has been particularly good playing off penetration and pick-and-rolls, something he didn't do while at Duke, when he was playing mostly with his back to the basket. "

I guess the author didn't know that all Duke big men do is set screens?

theAlaskanBear
11-17-2013, 11:30 AM
Even Brook Lopez, KG and Andre Kirilenko were out of the action, it was still amazing watching Mason carry the Nets in the 4th Quarter against the Clippers (http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york/brooklyn-nets/) last night. It is not an exaggeration to say he was their go-to guy on offense scoring 19 points in 27 minutes, with most of those coming in the 4th quarter. He has two of his patented Mason "reverse dunks", and I use the quotes because he basically laid them in, but he also had some vicious slams and kept getting to the line. That was a problem as he only went 5-12, and had he hit those shots, the Nets would have had an even better chance to win, but the game went down to the final minutes. He looked great out there.

Oh yeah, JJ had 26 in the same game including some really big Q4 buckets.

AlaskaBear wrote about Kyrie's night....sick.

The Bulls handed the Pacers their first loss behind 46 total from Deng/Boozer/Dunleavy.

Austin got 7 minutes of PT in a blowout win over the 76ers and somehow managed 12 points which makes it sound like he shot every time he got the ball which sounds...oh, nevermind, I am simply happy for him.

I tried my damnedest to stay up for the Clips/Nets game...I made it through 8 minutes, hah!

Billy Dat
11-20-2013, 11:50 AM
These multiple Duke games in a row have been eating into my NBA watching (as they should), but watching the Knicks against the Hawks this weekend, I was pleasantly surprised to see Quin Snyder as an assistant coach for Atlanta. I guess the Spurs-ization of the Hawks also aligns with the Duke-ization of the Hawks with Danny Ferry being the common thread. I am assuming Quin's relationship Mike Budenholzer dates back to Quin's coaching the Spurs D-League team, the Austin Toros, at the end of the aughts. Obviously, both have strong Spurs-related ties to Ferry. I assume its also nice the Quin and Elton are reunited. That's a solid Duke stamp on the Hawks who look good early, have the assets to perhaps get better via trade if they so choose. I assume resident DBR Hawks fan Jason Evans is happy?

JasonEvans
11-20-2013, 01:18 PM
That's a solid Duke stamp on the Hawks who look good early, have the assets to perhaps get better via trade if they so choose. I assume resident DBR Hawks fan Jason Evans is happy?

I love the Duke feel of the Hawks. I wish they had a few more Duke players on the roster though. Speaking of trade assets, maybe we could deal for Kyrie, JJ, Gerald, Luol, Kyle, Shane, Carlos, Mason, and Miles. We'd need a backup PG... maybe we keep Teague, who went to Wake and could be a sorta honoray Dukie ;)

Ok, in all seriousness, it is with mixed feelings that I watch the Hawks succeed this season. They are 6-5 on the year so far and I was really hoping this would be a team that only won 25 or so games and found itself in position to maybe get a stud in the draft. The Hawks have been in NBA purgatory for a while now -- not nearly good enough to challenge for the conference title (let along NBA title) but too good to even sniff the lottery. Either we get some stud free agent to come here or we need to get bad so we can get good. Thus far, it looks like neither of those is going to happen any time soon. Sigh.

-Jason "My family has Hawks season tickets... fourth row, center court. Sweet seats!" Evans

Billy Dat
11-20-2013, 01:33 PM
Ok, in all seriousness, it is with mixed feelings that I watch the Hawks succeed this season.

It's early, but it also looks like you've got a really solid coach. I hear you on the "purgatory". With Atlanta being such a popular social city with NBA players, its surprising that free agent luring is so tough. Do you chalk it up to the fact that the fan support is generally lack-luster? No one has money for tickets because they are tapped out after funding the new baseball stadium? I jest...

brevity
11-21-2013, 12:17 AM
This is Duke-adjacent news.

The Sixers waived (http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/10007910/kwame-brown-waived-philadelphia-76ers) Kwame Brown and Darius Morris. They signed (http://www.libertyballers.com/2013/11/20/5127528/sixers-cut-kwame-brown-sign-elliot-williams-lorenzo-brown-darius-morris) Elliot Williams and former Wolfpack player Lorenzo Brown.

The latter article says: "Elliot played a year at Duke and a year at Memphis before turning pro and being drafted 22nd overall by Portland in 2010. Like all people who get drafted by Portland, he immediately got hurt. He only played 24 games for the Blazers before being released. The Cavs gave him a shot but never broke through." There's a video clip of a pretty sweet dunk, and some refreshing positivity.

Henderson
11-21-2013, 01:00 AM
This is Duke-adjacent news.

The Sixers waived (http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/10007910/kwame-brown-waived-philadelphia-76ers) Kwame Brown and Darius Morris. They signed (http://www.libertyballers.com/2013/11/20/5127528/sixers-cut-kwame-brown-sign-elliot-williams-lorenzo-brown-darius-morris) Elliot Williams and former Wolfpack player Lorenzo Brown.

The latter article says: "Elliot played a year at Duke and a year at Memphis before turning pro and being drafted 22nd overall by Portland in 2010. Like all people who get drafted by Portland, he immediately got hurt. He only played 24 games for the Blazers before being released. The Cavs gave him a shot but never broke through." There's a video clip of a pretty sweet dunk, and some refreshing positivity.

Great news for Elliot!

And shame on the blogger Michael Levin for the ignorant comment about players who get drafted by Portland.

kAzE
11-21-2013, 02:58 AM
And shame on the blogger Michael Levin for the ignorant comment about players who get drafted by Portland.

Wait, how is this ignorant? He's obviously being facetious when he says ALL players they draft, but he's not that far off. Bill Walton, Sam Bowie, Brandon Roy, Greg Oden, Rudy Fernandez, Zach Randolph, Geoff Petrie, Travis Outlaw, and even Arvydas Sabonis. All of these guys were drafted by the Blazers and subsequently had injuries that ended their career with the organization. And I didn't even mention Eliot Williams, and the latest injured draftee, C.J. McCollum. Damian Lillard fans need to keep their fingers crossed.

GGLC
11-21-2013, 01:37 PM
Yeah, as a big Blazers fan, I don't have a problem with that characterization at all.

The truth hurts. Watching Durant play on the Thunder hurts more.

Henderson
11-21-2013, 03:31 PM
The only thing that makes the writer's comment "obviously facetious" is that it's so obviously false. I wouldn't have called it "ignorant" if he'd noted that many Portland signees have had injuries.

But then, of what team is that not true?

Petrie, Walton, Outlaw, Roy, Randolph and Sabonis are really bad examples, given their successful multi-year careers. Bowie and Oden are fair points, in part because the Blazers missed on Jordan and Durant as a result of those choices. But don't forget: Sam Bowie played 10 seasons in the NBA.

Other Blazer draftees that had some success without immediate career-ending injuries:

Sidney Wicks
Mychal Thompson
Clyde Drexler
Terry Porter
Cliff Robinson
Alaa Abdelnabi
Josh McRoberts

So, yes, it was an ignorant comment.

jimsumner
11-21-2013, 03:36 PM
The only thing that makes the writer's comment "obviously facetious" is that it's so obviously false. I wouldn't have called it "ignorant" if he'd noted that many Portland signees have had injuries.

But then, of what team is that not true?

Petrie, Walton, Outlaw, Roy, Randolph and Sabonis are really bad examples, given their successful multi-year careers. Bowie and Oden are fair points, in part because the Blazers missed on Jordan and Durant as a result of those choices. But don't forget: Sam Bowie played 10 seasons in the NBA.

Other Blazer draftees that had some success:

Sidney Wicks
Mychal Thompson
Clyde Drexler
Terry Porter
Cliff Robinson
Alaa Abdelnabi
Josh McRoberts

So, yes, it was an ignorant comment.

I think the comment was clearly tongue-in-cheek. Didn't bother me at all.

And what do we do with LaRue Martin, the number one pick in the 1972 draft? Didn't get hurt and was a spectacular flame-out. But Lloyd Neal turned out okay.

Henderson
11-21-2013, 04:07 PM
I think the comment was clearly tongue-in-cheek. Didn't bother me at all.

And what do we do with LaRue Martin, the number one pick in the 1972 draft? Didn't get hurt and was a spectacular flame-out. But Lloyd Neal turned out okay.

Not sure why you brought up LaRue Martin in a "Blazer-Draftee-Injury" thread, since as you point out, Martin's problem wasn't an injury. He had the back luck of having Bill Walton drafted close behind him and turned out not to be very good anyway.

I could rant all day about the stupid draft choices and lost opportunities of the Blazers. But I think it's unfair to single out that team for having injured draftees.

On the original topic: I wish every ignorant thing I ever said or wrote would be considered "clearly tongue-in-cheek" or "facetious". And the more stupid I got, the more of a break I would get, because it would be more obviously tongue in cheek or facetious. It's a nice out, but sometimes a blogger is just demonstrating ignorance to get some traction for his blog. Case in point.

kAzE
11-21-2013, 10:28 PM
Yeah, as a big Blazers fan, I don't have a problem with that characterization at all.

The truth hurts. Watching Durant play on the Thunder hurts more.

Boy, Durant and Aldridge would be the best inside-outside combo in the league. That is pretty rough. Not to mention that maybe if Durant had been on the Blazers, there wouldn't have been so much pressure for Brandon Roy to come back from injury, and he would still be the old Brandon Roy. I'm a Cavs fan, so I'm no stranger to NBA misery, but man, even I feel bad for you.

vick
11-22-2013, 11:16 AM
Right now, Battier has a streak of 15 games with at least 10 minutes played and zero turnovers (he's actually not committed a turnover in 20 games, but the first few were low-minutes games in the series against the Pacers and the Spurs). As far as I can tell, the longest such streak is 19 games, by Steve Kerr. No matter what role you're playing, an amazing accomplishment.

g-money
11-22-2013, 01:52 PM
Right now, Battier has a streak of 15 games with at least 10 minutes played and zero turnovers (he's actually not committed a turnover in 20 games, but the first few were low-minutes games in the series against the Pacers and the Spurs). As far as I can tell, the longest such streak is 19 games, by Steve Kerr. No matter what role you're playing, an amazing accomplishment.

I think that stat might be a little misleading with Shane - it's hard to turn it over when all you do is catch and shoot threes! :)

In all seriousness, I do see him making post entries from time to time. But dribbling, not so much.

vick
11-22-2013, 02:16 PM
I think that stat might be a little misleading with Shane - it's hard to turn it over when all you do is catch and shoot threes! :)

In all seriousness, I do see him making post entries from time to time. But dribbling, not so much.

Haha, considering the three highest similar streaks I could find are Steve Kerr, Steve Novak, and Matt Bonner, you may be on to something...

DavidBenAkiva
11-22-2013, 10:13 PM
Very interesting situation. In Josh Smith's return to Atlanta, he scored all of 0 points off the bench. Singler started at the Small Forward position and scored a season high 22 points on 9 of 13 shooting. Singler has been the 6th man for Detroit this year with the acquisition of Josh Smith. Smith was normally the Power Forward in Atlanta, but Detroit has Andre Drummond and Greg Monroe up front. If the combination of Smith, Monroe, and Drummond doesn't work out, Singler could be a starter again.

Dukehky
11-22-2013, 10:31 PM
Very interesting situation. In Josh Smith's return to Atlanta, he scored all of 0 points off the bench. Singler started at the Small Forward position and scored a season high 22 points on 9 of 13 shooting. Singler has been the 6th man for Detroit this year with the acquisition of Josh Smith. Smith was normally the Power Forward in Atlanta, but Detroit has Andre Drummond and Greg Monroe up front. If the combination of Smith, Monroe, and Drummond doesn't work out, Singler could be a starter again.

If he maintains or improves his 3-point shooting, and Detroit finds itself near the bottom of the playoff race, I would anticipate Singler being in trade discussions for a contender based on his expiring rookie contract. Even if he doesn't get traded, Detroit is a relatively promising team in which he is essentially a foundational piece. Really glad to see he and Miles doing so well. I'm not shocked about Singler, I am with Miles.

luburch
11-23-2013, 01:19 AM
Chances Redick gets an invite to the 3-point contest this year?

Billy Dat
11-27-2013, 08:43 AM
A small bit of pre-Thanksgiving fun, ESPN.com just released their latest NBA "sophomore" rankings ($ insider) and part of the list looks as follows:

#10. Miles Plumlee
#12. The Black Pigeon

http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/10037262/ranking-top-20-sophomores

moonpie23
11-27-2013, 03:22 PM
those two guys are REALLLY hard to watch…..thanks for giving us the skinny

tommy
11-27-2013, 05:11 PM
A small bit of pre-Thanksgiving fun, ESPN.com just released their latest NBA "sophomore" rankings ($ insider) and part of the list looks as follows:

#10. Miles Plumlee
#12. The Black Pigeon

http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/10037262/ranking-top-20-sophomores

I saw the Miami-Phoenix game the other night in person, from very good seats. Plumlee, while far from a dominant player, belongs in the NBA. Offensively,he was pretty much limited to follow-ups and lobs, and he set a lot of screens. He didn't rebound particularly well in this game, but defensively he did a real nice job on Chris Bosh, basically taking him out of the game. Miles is physical and athletic, and plays with focus and effort. This is a sad sack Suns team, but Hornacek likes him and it's easy to see why.

PS - Lottery pick Alex Lin saw nothing but pine.

juise
11-27-2013, 05:58 PM
Plumlee, while far from a dominant player, belongs in the NBA. Offensively,he was pretty much limited to follow-ups and lobs, and he set a lot of screens. He didn't rebound particularly well in this game, but defensively he did a real nice job on Chris Bosh, basically taking him out of the game.

Man, it's too bad that he came in as the #81 recruit and wasted his time at Duke setting picks, rebounding jump shots (putting them back in) and playing defense. If only he had learned some NBA big man skills. He may have ended up a first round and starting on an NBA team somewhere. ;)

mr. synellinden
11-27-2013, 07:20 PM
Man, it's too bad that he came in as the #81 recruit and wasted his time at Duke setting picks, rebounding jump shots (putting them back in) and playing defense. If only he had learned some NBA big man skills. He may have ended up a first round and starting on an NBA team somewhere. ;)

I think the real interesting question - not criticism or negativity - but question, is how come someone who can start and be effective in the NBA never averaged more than 21 minutes a game for Duke or more than 7 points a game?

DieHard
11-27-2013, 07:32 PM
Why is there a famous saying that Dean smith is the only person who could keep Michael Jordan under 20 points?

brevity
11-27-2013, 07:58 PM
PS - Lottery pick Alex Lin saw nothing but pine.

We had it wrong all this time: NBA execs aren't drafting for potential. They're drafting for potential energy.

jipops
11-27-2013, 08:15 PM
I think the real interesting question - not criticism or negativity - but question, is how come someone who can start and be effective in the NBA never averaged more than 21 minutes a game for Duke or more than 7 points a game?

There is no definitive answer for something like this. But there have been many other examples. Birdman is one.

kAzE
11-27-2013, 08:50 PM
I think the real interesting question - not criticism or negativity - but question, is how come someone who can start and be effective in the NBA never averaged more than 21 minutes a game for Duke or more than 7 points a game?

It's gone both ways for Duke big men. Shelden Williams was a dominant player during his 4 years at Duke, but was largely ineffective in the pros. I thought he would become a great defensive player at least, but it just never panned out.

I would argue that Carlos Boozer is also in the MP2 category in that he got alot better after he left Duke. Boozer's story is Miles' to a lesser degree, since he was a very solid college player as well, but I don't think anyone predicted that he would turn out to be this good in the NBA.

Shavlik Randolph, outside of the 1 big opening game and a nice 2004 NCAA tournament was basically an afterthought at Duke, and has had a pretty solid career playing professionally in China. Don't laugh, I know he's not a great NBA player or anything, but he's actually one of the top scorers and rebounders in the CBA, and is doing much better than his sad Duke career would have suggested.

I guess the only explanation is that some players, especially big men just improve a lot once they get to the pros and start playing against better competition. Miles practice for a year against Roy Hibbert and David West, two of the best in the league. He probably learned so much from those guys. I hope he used that knowledge to destroy Psycho Beaker in practice.

Des Esseintes
11-27-2013, 08:51 PM
There is no definitive answer for something like this. But there have been many other examples. Birdman is one.

Agreed. Even a league of athletic wonders requires role players. Sometimes those successful role players are not college centerpieces. If you are excellent at one or two things, you can carve for yourself a roster spot that might be denied to a more prolific college guy who lacks a single NBA-viable skill.

grad_devil
11-28-2013, 08:24 AM
...and as always, you can see all of their stats at http://huckleberry.mhu.edu/devilStats.html

FireOgilvie
11-29-2013, 04:43 PM
Miles Plumlee is actually older than Kevin Durant. And Kevin Love. Not Kevin Martin, though.

I found this very surprising. Also, that 3 of the league's top 7 scorers are named Kevin.

Jim3k
11-29-2013, 04:58 PM
Agreed. Even a league of athletic wonders requires role players. Sometimes those successful role players are not college centerpieces. If you are excellent at one or two things, you can carve for yourself a roster spot that might be denied to a more prolific college guy who lacks a single NBA-viable skill.

Classic example: Mark Eaton (http://stats.nba.com/playerProfile.html?PlayerID=76631) Never played much for UCLA. Eleven years in the NBA. Of course he was 7'4" and 275, so he could make his own niche.

jimsumner
11-29-2013, 05:01 PM
It's gone both ways for Duke big men. Shelden Williams was a dominant player during his 4 years at Duke, but was largely ineffective in the pros. I thought he would become a great defensive player at least, but it just never panned out.

I would argue that Carlos Boozer is also in the MP2 category in that he got alot better after he left Duke. Boozer's story is Miles' to a lesser degree, since he was a very solid college player as well, but I don't think anyone predicted that he would turn out to be this good in the NBA.

Shavlik Randolph, outside of the 1 big opening game and a nice 2004 NCAA tournament was basically an afterthought at Duke, and has had a pretty solid career playing professionally in China. Don't laugh, I know he's not a great NBA player or anything, but he's actually one of the top scorers and rebounders in the CBA, and is doing much better than his sad Duke career would have suggested.

I guess the only explanation is that some players, especially big men just improve a lot once they get to the pros and start playing against better competition. Miles practice for a year against Roy Hibbert and David West, two of the best in the league. He probably learned so much from those guys. I hope he used that knowledge to destroy Psycho Beaker in practice.

In his last year at Duke, Carlos Boozer averaged 18.2 ppg, 8.7 rebounds per game, was first-team All-ACC and third-team All-America. For his career at Duke, he averaged 14.9 points and 7.2 rebounds. Miles Plumlee averaged 4.8 points and 4.8 rebounds for his Duke career. Carlos Boozer was significantly better in college than Miles Plumlee.

mr. synellinden
11-29-2013, 10:01 PM
In his last year at Duke, Carlos Boozer averaged 18.2 ppg, 8.7 rebounds per game, was first-team All-ACC and third-team All-America. For his career at Duke, he averaged 14.9 points and 7.2 rebounds. Miles Plumlee averaged 4.8 points and 4.8 rebounds for his Duke career. Carlos Boozer was significantly better in college than Miles Plumlee.

I was going to post the same thing. It is analogous to comparing Tyler Thornton and Chris Duhon.

OldSchool
11-29-2013, 11:21 PM
I saw the Miami-Phoenix game the other night in person, from very good seats. Plumlee, while far from a dominant player, belongs in the NBA. Offensively,he was pretty much limited to follow-ups and lobs, and he set a lot of screens. He didn't rebound particularly well in this game, but defensively he did a real nice job on Chris Bosh, basically taking him out of the game. Miles is physical and athletic, and plays with focus and effort. This is a sad sack Suns team, but Hornacek likes him and it's easy to see why.

PS - Lottery pick Alex Lin saw nothing but pine.

A guard like Goran Dragic really opens up the value in an athletic big guy like Miles. Miles is quite effective in the pick-and-roll when paired with a guard who is a talented pick-and-roll player. Dragic is crafty and persistent with excellent court vision and is very good at identifying the defensive hole and delivering a well-placed pocket pass or a lob to the rolling big or taking it himself. Bledsoe is quick and aggressive but more often seems to look for his own shot at the rim or kick it out for a three.

Bob Green
11-30-2013, 06:56 AM
Miles Plumlee in 33 minutes last night: 15 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block in a 112-101 victory over Utah. He was 6-9 from the floor and 3-4 from the free throw line. That's an impressive line.

tbyers11
11-30-2013, 07:27 AM
Miles Plumlee in 33 minutes last night: 15 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block in a 112-101 victory over Utah. He was 6-9 from the floor and 3-4 from the free throw line. That's an impressive line.

Little bro had a pretty good game too. On the train wreck that is the Nets, Mason had 16 pts, 6 reb, 1 ast, 3 stl, and 1 blk in 28 minutes in a 114-95 loss to Utah. Anyone think that the Suns would have 5 more wins than the Nets a month into the season?

BD80
11-30-2013, 08:04 AM
Miles Plumlee in 33 minutes last night: 15 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block in a 112-101 victory over Utah. He was 6-9 from the floor and 3-4 from the free throw line. That's an impressive line.


Little bro had a pretty good game too. On the train wreck that is the Nets, Mason had 16 pts, 6 reb, 1 ast, 3 stl, and 1 blk in 28 minutes in a 114-95 loss to Utah. Anyone think that the Suns would have 5 more wins than the Nets a month into the season?

Did everybody play Utah? Man, talk about tough back-to-back scheduling :rolleyes:

btw, the Nets lost to Houston

vick
12-01-2013, 02:12 PM
Redick out for 6-8 weeks with injured hand (http://www.cbssports.com/nba/eye-on-basketball/24310390/clippers-guard-jj-redick-out-68-weeks-with-hand-fracture).


The Clippers announced Saturday that guard J.J. Redick will miss 6-8 weeks with a fracture in his right hand and a torn UCL. They'll evaluate him again on Monday to determine treatment. In the meantime, reserve Willie Green will start in Redick's place, keeping Jamal Crawford as the sixth man.

It's a big hit for the Clippers who signed Redick this summer as a free agent in a three-way sign-and-trade with Phoenix and Milwaukee. The Clippers opted to boost their offense with more perimeter shooting instead of defense. The result has been a phenomenal offensive unit that can't defend at all, coming in 16th in defensive efficiency. Without Redick, they lose a decent perimeter defender and of course a crack shooter.

Unfortunate news, though I smiled a bit at seeing Redick's defense noted (not that it's untrue, just that it wasn't his reputation from Duke).

DukieInBrasil
12-02-2013, 10:34 AM
Redick out for 6-8 weeks with injured hand (http://www.cbssports.com/nba/eye-on-basketball/24310390/clippers-guard-jj-redick-out-68-weeks-with-hand-fracture).



Unfortunate news, though I smiled a bit at seeing Redick's defense noted (not that it's untrue, just that it wasn't his reputation from Duke).

is the broken hand from the fall that Mr Cousins was gracious enough to share with Mr Redick?

94duke
12-02-2013, 02:44 PM
is the broken hand from the fall that Mr Cousins was gracious enough to share with Mr Redick?

Looks like it:


The injury occurred when Redick tried to break his fall after colliding midair with Kings center DeMarcus Cousins (who, ironically, refused to shake Redick’s broken hand after the game). You can see Redick suffering the injury at 0:14 of the video below:

http://nba.si.com/2013/12/01/jj-redick-los-angeles-clippers-fractured-hand/


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7yGfb9nw64

sagegrouse
12-02-2013, 02:52 PM
The injury occurred when Redick tried to break his fall after colliding midair with Kings center DeMarcus Cousins (who, ironically, refused to shake Redick’s broken hand after the game).

Well, this puts it in a different light. DeMarcus Cousins did not want to cause any further injury to JJ. Refusing to shake his hand was a humanitarian act.

sagegrouse

moonpie23
12-02-2013, 04:08 PM
Looks like it:



http://nba.si.com/2013/12/01/jj-redick-los-angeles-clippers-fractured-hand/


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7yGfb9nw64

what a pc of excrement…..

Billy Dat
12-02-2013, 09:30 PM
Ryan Kelly - back in the NBA

http://www.insidehoops.com/blog/?p=14859

FerryFor50
12-02-2013, 09:36 PM
I just looked up the standings in the Eastern Conference. Ew.

Worst is the Atlantic Division... Every team is below .500. Toronto leads with a 6-10 record.

BD80
12-02-2013, 09:53 PM
I just looked up the standings in the Eastern Conference. Ew.

Worst is the Atlantic Division... Every team is below .500. Toronto leads with a 6-10 record.

Some might say they're in last in the race that matters ...

awhom111
12-03-2013, 12:32 AM
Dunleavy did something unusual tonight in playing 48 minutes off the bench. Deng was the iron man for his team though.

DavidBenAkiva
12-03-2013, 11:58 PM
Was looking for some Miles Plumlee highlights when I came across this gem of a video breakdown: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1235975-miles-plumlee-best-and-worst-case-nba-player-comparison

Highlights:
Pronounces him "Plume-lee"
Thinks he can't block shots (current averaging 2/gm in his second season)
Not athletic

Lol

BD80
12-04-2013, 12:33 AM
Singler leads the Pistons to a victory over the Heat with 18 points.

g-money
12-04-2013, 12:49 AM
Singler leads the Pistons to a victory over the Heat with 18 points.

Bucket Man is back!!! Impressive win for Detroit.

dukelifer
12-04-2013, 10:06 PM
Redick out for 6-8 weeks with injured hand (http://www.cbssports.com/nba/eye-on-basketball/24310390/clippers-guard-jj-redick-out-68-weeks-with-hand-fracture).



Unfortunate news, though I smiled a bit at seeing Redick's defense noted (not that it's untrue, just that it wasn't his reputation from Duke).

He was playing so well. Hope he recovers. The hand and wrist are critical to a great shot.

luburch
12-04-2013, 11:24 PM
This is gold:

@trailblazers: Is it too late to join the Eastern Conference? Asking for a friend.

BD80
12-05-2013, 08:13 AM
This is gold:

@trailblazers: Is it too late to join the Eastern Conference? Asking for a friend.

Portland in the EASTERN conference? How ridiculous!

Oregon to the Atlantic Coast Conference? Let's talk.

MChambers
12-05-2013, 08:49 AM
Portland in the EASTERN conference? How ridiculous!

Oregon to the Atlantic Coast Conference? Let's talk.
Blazers just need to convince the NBA brass they're based in Portland, Maine. Should be doable.

Billy Dat
12-05-2013, 02:14 PM
OK, he's not a Dukie, but his brother was, and how can I not post this vine of Steph Curry knowing the 3 is in when it is only halfway to the hoop....very Bird-esque.

https://vine.co/v/hUMJIvnjvOx

grad_devil
12-05-2013, 02:18 PM
OK, he's not a Dukie, but his brother was, and how can I not post this vine of Steph Curry knowing the 3 is in when it is only halfway to the hoop....very Bird-esque.

https://vine.co/v/hUMJIvnjvOx

That. Is. Amazing.

I follow Steph Curry as if he were a Dukie.

Did anyone notice when ESPN was reporting about Golden State's come-from-behind victory over Toronto, that they had Seth's headshot listed in the "ticker" on the left hand side of the screen?

Billy Dat
12-06-2013, 12:30 PM
Brothers from the DMV

http://instagram.com/p/hhmw3uKULr/

mr. synellinden
12-07-2013, 12:15 AM
Hopefully that's what Kyrie hit tonight. It's been a disastrous season so far for the Cavaliers and Irving and tonight was the worst game of his career. He got Schneided in 20 minutes. Shot 0-9 from the field and 0-3 from out a the FT line. A player as talented as Kyrie cannot play that poorly unless there's a mental component.

I think Kyrie has hit an important crossroad in his career - even though it seems crazy to say that about about a 21 year old. He's shooting 40% for the year and his defense is still terrible. People are starting to doubt whether he's a franchise player and there was that reported issue with him and Waiters (who scored 30 tonight). It's time for him to act and play like a leader. You see a player like Kyriee go through these struggles and wonder how much he would have gained playing a full season with Coach K.

I really hope he turns it around soon.

Des Esseintes
12-07-2013, 03:10 AM
Hopefully that's what Kyrie hit tonight. It's been a disastrous season so far for the Cavaliers and Irving and tonight was the worst game of his career. He got Schneided in 20 minutes. Shot 0-9 from the field and 0-3 from out a the FT line. A player as talented as Kyrie cannot play that poorly unless there's a mental component.

I think Kyrie has hit an important crossroad in his career - even though it seems crazy to say that about about a 21 year old. He's shooting 40% for the year and his defense is still terrible. People are starting to doubt whether he's a franchise player and there was that reported issue with him and Waiters (who scored 30 tonight). It's time for him to act and play like a leader. You see a player like Kyriee go through these struggles and wonder how much he would have gained playing a full season with Coach K.

I really hope he turns it around soon.

It's almost as though hiring a coach who needed LeBron James to be successful wasn't the world's greatest idea. Kyrie performed at a high level under Byron Scott, not exactly a genius on the level of Leibniz. Let him get just a basically coherent offensive system in which to operate again before we start doubting the dude too hard.

theAlaskanBear
12-07-2013, 02:33 PM
For your viewing pleasure:
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Q4Owm55O1U8/UqKJtCKAwCI/AAAAAAAAEUE/y2miT6ZA-2o/s400/plum2.gif

dball
12-07-2013, 03:55 PM
For your viewing pleasure:
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Q4Owm55O1U8/UqKJtCKAwCI/AAAAAAAAEUE/y2miT6ZA-2o/s400/plum2.gif

That was bee yoo tee full. Miles good for smiles.

Des Esseintes
12-07-2013, 05:11 PM
That was bee yoo tee full. Miles good for smiles.

Really was. Who was the dude he denied? Brotherman was coming in hard.

theAlaskanBear
12-07-2013, 06:46 PM
Really was. Who was the dude he denied? Brotherman was coming in hard.

Amir Johnson...yeah, it was going to be a ferocious dunk...it still almost went in. What a special block.

Indoor66
12-07-2013, 08:35 PM
I have been watching the Heat - Minneapolis game on our local channel for the Heat with the local announcers. Tony Fiorentino (a former assistant coach for Miami) now sometimes refers to Shane Battier as "The Duke of Defense" after he makes a good play. Shane has two blocks in the 1st quarter - with one against the MN 6'11",. 280 lb center - right under the basket!

MChambers
12-09-2013, 01:51 PM
They've apparently decided to pair the White Raven with the Black Mamba. Ryan's back from the D League!

http://www.latimes.com/sports/lakersnow/la-sp-ln-lakers-recall-ryan-kelly-d-fenders-20131208,0,4867784.story#axzz2mzss7DFE

DukieInBrasil
12-09-2013, 02:47 PM
They've apparently decided to pair the White Raven with the Black Mamba. Ryan's back from the D League!

http://www.latimes.com/sports/lakersnow/la-sp-ln-lakers-recall-ryan-kelly-d-fenders-20131208,0,4867784.story#axzz2mzss7DFE

bully for Ryan on getting called back to the Big Boy squad, unfortunately he didn't play in that first game back. He put up some impressive numbers in the D league though.
Seth's numbers have been excellent, and if he can develop more PG skills he may very well get some chances to play in the NBA.

theAlaskanBear
12-09-2013, 06:26 PM
bully for Ryan on getting called back to the Big Boy squad, unfortunately he didn't play in that first game back. He put up some impressive numbers in the D league though.
Seth's numbers have been excellent, and if he can develop more PG skills he may very well get some chances to play in the NBA.

Word is that Seth is getting looked at by the Grizzlies along with other fringe PGs to back up Conley.

DukieInBrasil
12-09-2013, 06:33 PM
Word is that Seth is getting looked at by the Grizzlies along with other fringe PGs to back up Conley.

That's cool.
Seth's in a tough position, a bit of a tweener, in that he's not quick/athletic or strong enough for his speed to get much attention as a PG with his skill set, yet he's not tall enough for GMs to consider him for SG despite his great shooting stroke. So, if he were to gain the GM's confidence with PG skills he could be a nice player to accompany a tall PG. His shooting touch is good enough that he ought to get some looks.
Not that they are similar types of players but Nolan and Demarcus were of similar height, maybe a touch taller, but they weren't well rounded enough to stay in the league. It'll be a tough sell...

theAlaskanBear
12-09-2013, 06:37 PM
That's cool.
Seth's in a tough position, a bit of a tweener, in that he's not quick/athletic or strong enough for his speed to get much attention as a PG with his skill set, yet he's not tall enough for GMs to consider him for SG despite his great shooting stroke. So, if he were to gain the GM's confidence with PG skills he could be a nice player to accompany a tall PG. His shooting touch is good enough that he ought to get some looks.
Not that they are similar types of players but Nolan and Demarcus were of similar height, maybe a touch taller, but they weren't well rounded enough to stay in the league. It'll be a tough sell...

I agree, Not sure he is quick enough to make the league as a PG, but I am rooting for him!

grad_devil
12-10-2013, 08:56 AM
Gerald Henderson had a massive block (http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=400489177) on The Black Pigeon last night...

In the same game, Steph Curry went off for 43 in the loss.

flyingdutchdevil
12-10-2013, 09:50 AM
Gerald Henderson had a massive block (http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=400489177) on The Black Pigeon last night...

In the same game, Steph Curry went off for 43 in the loss.

More importantly, Hendo had 24 points in the game for the surprising 10-11 Bobcats. That record is good enough for the 6th seed as of right now. Wow, the East is bad.

Golden State, which has a record of 12-10, isn't even projected to make the playoffs if the seeds hold out.

Billy Dat
12-10-2013, 10:07 AM
Gerald Henderson had a massive block (http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=400489177) on The Black Pigeon last night...

In the same game, Steph Curry went off for 43 in the loss.

This was amazing and reminded me of this wonderful cartoon from my youth:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sj6-LG5VpGk

FerryFor50
12-10-2013, 10:10 AM
This was amazing and reminded me of this wonderful cartoon from my youth:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sj6-LG5VpGk

That block reminded me of this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvIowJgfBlw

flyingdutchdevil
12-10-2013, 10:15 AM
This was amazing and reminded me of this wonderful cartoon from my youth:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sj6-LG5VpGk

But the pigeon always wins in that amazing cartoon. In real life, the Black Pigeon rarely succeeds.

JasonEvans
12-10-2013, 11:10 AM
Not directly related to Duke players, but I figured this was a good place to put this.

Check out the boxscore from the Lakers-Raptors game (http://www.nba.com/games/20131208/TORLAL/gameinfo.html#nbaGIboxscore) a couple days ago.

The 5 Lakers starters, including Kobe and Pau Gasol, combined to score 23 points. The 5 guys who played off the bench combined to score 71. This was not a product of playing time as the bench guys and the starters all played significant minutes (starters - 108 minutes, bench - 132 minutes). And check out the plus minus -- starters minus 75, bench plus 15.

-Jason "time to bench Kobe, right?" Evans

TruBlu
12-10-2013, 05:23 PM
I had to do some work in the bowels of Philips Arena (Atlanta Hawks home court) this morning. As I was leaving, with my arms full, two fine gentlemen were coming from the opposite direction. They opened the door for me and wished me a good day.

Thank you, Elton Brand and Quin Snyder. Still representing Duke very well.

As far as I know, this is the first time a couple of rich guys have opened a door for me.:)

luburch
12-10-2013, 11:53 PM
So Kyrie had 37 points 11 assists and 1 turnover tonight. Not too shabby Uncle Drew.

@SportsCenter: UNCLE DREW DOMINATES!
Kyrie Irving drops 37 Pts, 11 Ast and this NASTY crossover in a win over Knicks. » http://t.co/9AKtHNeYwW #SCtop10

flyingdutchdevil
12-11-2013, 09:14 AM
So Kyrie had 37 points 11 assists and 1 turnover tonight. Not too shabby Uncle Drew.

@SportsCenter: UNCLE DREW DOMINATES!
Kyrie Irving drops 37 Pts, 11 Ast and this NASTY crossover in a win over Knicks. » http://t.co/9AKtHNeYwW #SCtop10

Hope he keeps this up. Kyrie has been up and down (mainly down) all season.

The Cavs are a mess. They are gunning for the playoffs, but I'd trade Waiters and send Bennett to the D-League to get less volatile pieces that can help the team. Getting the 8th seed would get you the 15th pick, which may be good enough to get a player like Rodney Hood. Rodney would crush it as a spot-up shooter who can put it on the floor.

pfrduke
12-11-2013, 09:28 AM
So Kyrie had 37 points 11 assists and 1 turnover tonight. Not too shabby Uncle Drew.

@SportsCenter: UNCLE DREW DOMINATES!
Kyrie Irving drops 37 Pts, 11 Ast and this NASTY crossover in a win over Knicks. » http://t.co/9AKtHNeYwW #SCtop10

Do results against the Knicks really count though?

BD80
12-11-2013, 11:25 AM
Hope he keeps this up. Kyrie has been up and down (mainly down) all season.

The Cavs are a mess. They are gunning for the playoffs, ... Getting the 8th seed would get you the 15th pick, which may be good enough to get a player like Rodney Hood. ...

Missing the playoffs in the east, even by one spot, would move them up about 6 picks to #9 and give them a shot at #1, #2 or #3.

Billy Dat
12-11-2013, 11:31 AM
Do results against the Knicks really count though?

Dang, pfrduke, did you have to go there? I guess you did, I don't blame you.

In other news, Austin Rivers, next man up?
http://www.nola.com/pelicans/index.ssf/2013/12/new_orleans_pelicans_guard_aus_5.html

flyingdutchdevil
12-11-2013, 11:32 AM
Missing the playoffs in the east, even by one spot, would move them up about 6 picks to #9 and give them a shot at #1, #2 or #3.

Agreed. But with their off-season moves and Dan Gilbert's impatience, I'm not sure tanking is an option. If I were the GM, I would trade Waiters, Varejao, possibly Bynum (now that he's having a good season), and move Bennett to the D-League. Also, trade Gee (he's clearly not part of the long-term plan). Play Thompson, Zeller (career back-up), Miles, Clark, and the new pieces as much as possible. With Waiters, Varejao, and Bynum, you can get some legitimate young pieces, if not a second- or third-banana.

If you can trade for Deng and convince him to sign, you have a core of Irving, Thompson, Deng, (maybe) Bennett, and okay supporting pieces. With the draft, you could get a second- or third-banana.

However, there are way too many holes in my plan. Forget it, the Cavs are a mess.

Tom B.
12-12-2013, 11:50 AM
Check out his chasedown block on the Black Falcon from Monday night (the play starts at the 00:43 mark):

http://www.nba.com/video/games/bobcats/2013/12/09/0021300304-gsw-cha-recap.nba/

Gerald finished with 24 points and Kemba Walker scored 31 to lift the Bobcats over the Warriors (and Steph Curry's 43 points) 115-111.