Even Bulls fans don’t like the pair!The above title may be a little misleading allow me to briefly explain. Critical remarks follow Carlos Boozer and Luol Deng; the majority of criticism comes from fans of the Bulls. They appear to be permanently upset with this power forward/small forward tandem. How many trade rumors have we heard regarding the two, I’ve lost track there have been so many. A friend and a Bulls fan always reminds me of how soft a game Boozer has, the statement is different regarding Deng. The breakdown centers on Deng’s inability to generate offense, in other words he needs a point guard to get him the ball. We realize Derrick Rose is the motor for the Bulls, it’s difficult to drive the vehicle with a motor needing a “tune-up” give the two a break Bulls fans.

They don’t know jack
I don’t know a whole lot, what I know I will claim it and continue even if it causes conflict. Example; I think I might have mentioned this in the past but it’s an indication people who are paid don’t always have a clue. If you remember last winter and spring Ben McLemore of Kansas was listed as the number one or two pick in most mock drafts. As we approached the June draft McLemore’s stock began to “slide” downward. The evening prior to the draft a local sports anchor indicated the Kansas freshman would be the number one or two pick.

I sent the anchor an email indicating McLemore was likely to not be drafted in the position he reported. His response was reports he received indicated his information was correct. McLemore was a lottery pick all right just not in the sport the anchor had reported; he became the number 7 pick by the Sacramento Kings. The point is we are all wrong at some point however this anchor having the same access to information I had refused to believe my email. I didn’t follow with an “I told you so” email; being correct proved my point.

His game grows before our very eyes
The game of Pacers forward Paul George grows day by day, I‘m unsure if anyone could have predicted stardom for him. He was the 10th pick in the 2010 NBA Draft from Fresno State. I found this quite interesting on his Wikipedia page, “despite his accomplishments, George was not considered a major prospect by colleges. Rivals.com labeled him as a three-star recruit and ranked him 20th among a class of California prospects that was highlighted by Jrue Holiday and DeMar DeRozan.”

If you remember a past comparison was made to the Wally Pipp story. For those unfamiliar with baseball history Pipp was the Yankees first baseman, one day in 1925 the Yankee manager gave him the day off. Pipp was replaced by Lou Gehrig and he played for the next 2,130 games. Pipp never found his way into the Yankee lineup again. I believe that might be the case for the Pacers Danny Granger as George has solidified his status with the Pacers.

Rivals is only one
A number of scouting websites identify prospective basketball talent. I don’t know if Rivals has been active longer but it is clearly the best for providing detailed information on a prospect. The early signing period saw many prospects confirm in writing their previous verbal commitment. In addition several made their commitment known by signing on the dotted line. Rivals Top 150 high school players for 2014 all but four remain uncommitted through Nov 22. Even more interesting three of the four have the same school on their radar. I couldn’t imagine the three all committing to Kentucky, could they?

Prospect Rivals number
Myles Turner 6-11 225 #6
Rashad Vaughn 6-5 200 #7
Jaquan Lyle 6-5 215 #22
Jonah Bolden 6-8 195 #62