What's going on 1Rob? Plumlee was a liability in 4 years at Duke. OK maybe he was solid this year against weak teams but against elite competition he was just a big stiff. And now he gets a guaranteed million dollar contract?

     Meanwhile, Perry Jones was considered a top 3 or 4 pick last year. He very nearly slid out of the first round entirely which means you have to make the team - and most teams only have 2 or 3 spots without guaranteed contracts.

     Austin Rivers at 10 was also a mistake. He couldn't finish at the college level although he could get to the basket; and his jump shot is mediocre. Prediction - he won't make it.

had some injury concerns, as well as production concerns. he was veiwed by many as a guy that could be a multiple time nba all star if he wanted, but doesnt seem to want it. in my worthless opinion, okc just won themselves a title with mr. jones at pick 28.

plumlee....wow. he is AWFUL. how he was drafted ahead of my grandma makes me think scouts really just guess.

the royce white, terrence ross, and andrew nicholson picks also concern me. the raptors tend to blow picks, so its no shock they went ross at 8. the rockets had a chance to get something special with 3 1st round picks, but they took a slightly above average player in white. orlando BLEW IT. they had pj3 at 19 and passed on him for a scrub from st. bonnie. wow. way to show dwight you wanna win.

i love brad beal to the wiz to grow with john wall, and i love michael kidd-gilchrist period. he will be a stud. as for rivers, he makes it. he works on that jumper day and night, and becomes another high volume scorer. not kobe, but maybe jr smith.

Maybe there is an NBA by-law that mandates the selection of at least one tall useless white guy in the draft? Maybe Plumlee hasn't stopped growing. Maybe he will grow to 7-6, and finally be an American version of Rik Smits.

With Roy Hibbert as the starting center, the best for Plumlee is 10 minutes a night. I just hope they don't have him playing alongside Hansbrough. That will be embarrassing for Indiana, and white people in general (lol).  

Come Nov, you and mari close your eyes, and imagine St. Croix doing Michael Jackson moonwalks while UCLA is kicking everybody's ass.

I'm going to be all over you, St. Croix.

    But I have a new proposition. We each pick the starting five for the first league game (ACC and Pac 12). I pick Duke; you pick UCLA.  $100 bucks to whoever gets it right. We post our picks on this Board. If GaGambler wants in on this, he can pick either team.

What say you, Mr. Wuss?

... has BAD knees. There are many people who predict who won't last more then a couple of years at best.

wonder Bird is quitting the Pacers-
and glad you Bruins are FINALLY likely to field a decent team after putting Div 111 level squads on the hardwood in recent years -though for 'West Coast Basketball' that's pretty good! grin     Have a good weekend, Bro'    1rob....OUT   8-)

How many times have I told you to only buy wine with a cork. Did you buy a twist off bottle of wine again to save a few pennies?

Your bet makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. I have no idea who will be UCLA starting five tomorrow, at the beginning of training camp, or starting PAC 12 league play, nor do I care.

We can only hope for a Duke/UCLA matchup in the playoffs. Chances are it will be slim. No, not the odds of them meeting, but the odds of Duke even making the NCAA tournament. You'll be lucky to make the NIT. OK, that one must of hurt. I'm sorry, that's not how they raise Bruins.

Here's the best bet I can think of. Final AP rankings, which I believe are released right before March madness. Whichever team has the highest ranking, wins.

OK mari, I know you are probably drinking that Pinot Grigio, eating a little cheese fondue, and yelling at the computer. I'll sweeten the pot. $100 bucks 3-1 odds in your favor. Duke ranks higher than UCLA, you get $300. That's a very generous offer that no Vegas sportsbook would take.

Now put the bottle down, and respond with a yes.

-- Modified on 7/1/2012 10:30:23 AM

But first, St. Croix, I want to help you understand the concept of "gambling." When a gentlemen engages in "gambling," he accepts a reasonable amount of risk that future events may not turn out as he desires. That is why it is called "gambling" instead of "sure thing."

    Now, in my proposal, I offered you an opportunity to display your so-called basketball acumen by evaluating which 5 UCLA players would start the first league game. Muhammad and Anderson are givens. But who will start at center - your buffet loving big man or the fit freshman center? That is where the "gambling" comes in.

 Nonetheless, we all know that in the long run Duke always bears UCLA so I'll take your bet except, since you did not mention a year, I'll add "right before March Madness 2014." And those rumors about Jabari Parker leaning toward Duke are absolutely false - I think. LOL

We have a bet right?

He was elite recruit coming in and was basically unstoppable until they ran into Kansas. He won every game at Duke for his career. Almost no other Carolina player can say that except for his class.

    In the pros, he has been good enough to be in the rotation at Indiana and has stared a number of games. I will be astonished if Plumlee does that well.

to the bet? I'm going to give you credit for being one devious SOB. Let's see what happens if we extend the bet to March 2014.

1. You are acknowledging Duke will be pathetic for the 2012/13 season. Gee, what a great fan you are.

2. You are acknowledging UCLA's superiority and dominance in the 2012/13 season.

3. You are banking on the hope that the "one and done" rule will hit UCLA hard after the 2012/13 season, and you might be right.

4. You are hoping after a down year, that Duke will ramp up its recruiting effort for the 2013/14 season.

The bet is when AP releases it final poll for the 2012/13 season, not some future season that you might find more to your liking.

Why do you even care about starting lineups? Is it because you realize Duke has nothing, and you have to resort to some bizarre gambling bet, instead of focusing on performance, which in the end, is what gambling is all about.

Slight variation my ass! 3-1 odds take it or leave it based on the original bet with the AP final rankings in March 2013.

if anyone here lacks balls, i have em. my wildcats vs anyone else. end of year rankings. lets go

tyler was good in college, but there are reasons he hasnt turned that into pro success
1. not many college teams have really good big men, and almost none have them for more than a year. his being undersized didnt hurt him as much.

2. he played beside a couple of lottery picks ( ed davs and brandon wright) and the best pg in the nation ( ty lawson).

now lets look at the negatives.
1. he is very awkward looking when he runs/jumps/shoots
2. he wasnt the most important or most talented player on his team his last 2 years there
3. in the nba talent outweighs hustle
4. HE LOST TO GEORGE MASON
5. that POY award he won was a fraud. beasley was better

STILL, he was head and shoulders above plumlee, but everyone knows, DUKE SUCKS

who signed him to a maximum offer, which was more than the Pacers offered him. Free agents can't sign until a week from tomorrow, but if Hibbert signs with Portland, Indiana will be taking a major step backwards.

i think he is the pacers best player. west in so overrated and granger is nothing more than a shot chucker anymore.

the blazers could be great with hibbert and aldridge down low, if they get any pg play