NBA Summer League

Bored out of your mind this Sunday now that the World Cup is on a break? Looking for your gambling outlet to satisfy that insatiable rage that is building up inside of you? Well folks, you have come to the right place, as yours truly, Bobby Catz has found the perfect outlet for at least the next couple of weeks. The NBA SUMMER LEAGUE!! Yeah that's right, you thought I was going to suggest something actually interesting, but instead I back doored you with a little summer league action! In a league that already has the reputation for being lackluster defensively (looking at you James Harden) the summer league is a breath of fresh, competitive air. Even the worst summer league game is more exciting than watching a game in December between two ACC cellar dwellers fighting for their league's 6th seed. It is one of those events that you can turn on and say "hey! I remember that guy, he led that one team to a stunning tournament finish a few years ago, I wonder what he's been up to?" Well, the summer league is what he's been up to, scratching and clawing his way to a spot on an NBA roster against tons of other former college stars. And interestingly enough, betting on summer league basketball is actually more popular than the two other sports I follow occasionally, in the WNBA and AFL, according to some blog I read online.

MEM vs. DET (-3) (P)

Last year the summer league marked the coming out party of Andre Drummond for the Pistons, and more importantly the debut of Rasheed Wallace on the coaching staff (RIP, Rasheed Wallace's coaching career). This year it is going to mark the jump made by second year player Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. He looked decent in the summer last year, but then the season started and he got lost in all of the lights. Well yesterday he looked like a very confident player who was not hesitant about getting his "chucks" at the rim. Hopefully this trend continues today as the Pistons roll over the Grizz.

76ers (+3.5) vs. OKC (WINNER!)

I based the gambling decision on this game solely on the fact that the summer league is basically the regular season to the 76ers and most of their summer league team will be playing this fall for the real squad. OKC is much more likely to play some fringe rotation guys or guys that they want to get a look at, rather than players they are actually going to play in the season. Look for Nerlens Noel to continue his strong return to basketball action and remind everyone why he should have gone number one last year.

MIA (+4.5) vs. BKN (WINNER!)

This one is entirely on the assumption that second year forward Mason Plumlee will not play for the Nets today. I have no idea if that is true or not, but I am just going off the fact that he killed yesterday and they actually need him during the real season. Then again, Drummond was treating last year's summer league like a drunken sorority sister during the Alpha Kappa Delta freshmen mixer (AKD for LIFE!!!) and he played in almost every game. So if he does play, go with the Nets, and if he does not, watch Shabiscuitbasketblizzardbazz Napier lead the Heat to a win.