" We're better without him?
Really?
In his NBA Summer League debut Monday with the Houston Rockets, Donte Greene scored 40 points.
That's only two points off the summer league record.
He was 12 of 20 from the floor, 5 of 10 from 3-point land and 11 of 12 from the stripe.
This leads me to believe two things.
1. There's absolutely no defense in the summer league.
2. Donte only plays when he wants to play.
He never shot those percentages with the Orange. Never.
But I'm guessing it's no coincidence that he turned in such an impressive performance the same day he signed his contract. All those zeros will motivate anybody, I suppose.

- Ryan Day "

" Everybody else does one, so I might as well pitch in my thoughts as well.
But instead of a mock NBA draft, here's my list of the best 20 players available and a comparable player in the league.
1. Derrick Rose - will be at Chris Paul/Deron Williams level in two years.
NBA comparison: Chris Paul/Deron Williams
2. Michael Beasley - Dwyane Wade is going to love playing alongside him.
NBA comparison: Richard Jefferson
3. Brook Lopez - the 7-footer is slipping in most mock drafts but he's still the most skilled big man in this class.
NBA comparison: Rasheed Wallace (minus the attitude)
4. Eric Gordon - I'm giving him the nod over O.J. Mayo, just a gut feeling.
NBA comparison: Chauncey Billups
5. O.J. Mayo - Though, you can't go wrong with either guy.
NBA comparison: Jason Terry
6. Joe Alexander - Probably the best pure scorer available.
NBA comparison: Carmelo Anthony
7. Jerryd Bayless - People are sleeping on him but he could be as good as Rose.
NBA comparison: Baron Davis
8. Russell Westbrook - Didn't get as much hype but Westbrook outplayed teammate Darren Collison last season.
NBA comparison: Allen Iverson
9. D.J. Augustin - His outside shooting worries me but without a poor performance in the Elite Eight, Augustin would be a top-3 pick.
NBA comparison: Kirk Hinrich
10. Kevin Love - I hesitate to put him this high because he still hasn't played against a true center, other than Lopez who completely frustrated him in all three meetings.
NBA comparison: Carlos Boozer
11. Danilo Gallinari - Because a European player is always taken in the lottery.
NBA comparison: Boris Diaw
12. Mario Chalmers - The guy only hit the biggest shot of the year, so you know he's clutch.
NBA comparison: Tony Parker
13. Darrell Arthur - You can't beat a big man who can knock down the 15-foot jumper and run the floor.
NBA comparison: Chris Bosh
14. Chris Douglas-Roberts - He probably won't go this high but I think CDR is the sleeper of the draft.
NBA comparison: Rip Hamilton
15. Donte Greene - With a good fit, could be a better pro player than he was in college.
NBA comparison: Shawn Marion
16. Brandon Rush - His injuries worry me but he was pro-ready his freshman year at Kansas.
NBA comparison: Brandon Roy
17. Kyle Weaver - Here's another sleeper who isn't a prolific scorer but could step in and run an NBA offense effectively.
NBA comparison: Mike Conley
18. Kosta Koufos - You can't teach height.
NBA comparison: Zydrunas Ilgauskas
19. Anthony Randolph - Still quite raw but is athletic and down the road could be a double-double guy.
NBA comparison: Al Horford
20. Roy Hibbert - Please, somebody get this kid the ball and tell him to shoot. He was far too unselfish at G'Town.
NBA comparison: DeSagana Diop

- Ryan Day "

" In an interview with CBS 5, Donte Greene said that Charlotte coach Larry Brown told him he was a definite top-10 pick in the upcoming NBA draft. And the Bobcats, who have the No. 9 pick, would select Greene if he was still available.
First of all, I think Brown was just telling Donte what he wanted to hear.
But if this is true, it's the worst possible scenario for Donte. Getting selected in the top 10 is any basketball player's dream, but if Greene lands with Brown and the Bobcats, don't expect to see much of him in the next few years.
Larry Brown is notorious for two things -- jumping ship from team to team, and burying rookies on the bench. Brown is an old school kind of coach, and he doesn't have any patience with younger players. That's what happened to Darko Milicic in Detroit -- Larry lost patience quickly and Darko never got any time.
Donte isn't going to be a star right away, and I don't know if Brown will give him time to evolve on the court. And Donte doesn't seem like the kind of kid who would just sit the bench for two years and wait his turn. He seems like the kind of kid who would pout or run his mouth to the media.
He wants to play right away and I can guarantee you Brown won't let it happen.
So if you never want to see Donte again, root for the Bobcats to pick him at No. 9.

- Ryan Day "

" OK, so I've had some time to digest the whole Donte Greene situation.
Over the past few months, I've gone from anger, to confusion, to annoyance and finally, to acceptance.
With Greene signing an agent last week, all hope that the 6-11 gunner will return to Syracuse is gone.
While Donte led the Orange in scoring last season, he might have single-handedly raised the blood pressure of every face-painting, Orange-blooded, dynasty throwing 'Cuse fan.
There are many pros and cons to his defection. Let's go over a few of each.

PRO
1. Donte is projected as an early, to mid first-round draft pick in the upcoming NBA draft. This is a major bonus for him, because if he goes this high, he'll be guaranteed a contract and in no time, will be upgrading to a bigger house and a fancier car.
2. Donte was electric on the court, at times, but he was also frustrating. He never bought into the zone defense (or any defense for that matter) and his willingness to launch 3 after 3 caused much backlash amongst the SU fanbase. I suspect that Greene will be forgotten almost immediately by the SU fans.
3. This may sound dumb, but if Donte stayed in school, Syracuse would almost be TOO stacked next season. Think about it, with a rotation of Greene, Flynn, Devo, Rautins, AO, Harris and Rick Jackson, how on earth is Jimmy B going to find playing time for Scoop or the always-entertaining Kristof Ongenaet. Or how about the incoming freshman? How are they going to get any minutes? With Greene gone, that leaves an opening for other players to step up and make a name. Syracuse has more than enough talent next season, with or without Donte.

CONS
1. I don't care about his shooting percentage or his defense, Donte scored 18 points per game and that's difficult to make up. Greene may be softer than Peter Cetera (and no, that's not a knock on Cetera) but he's always a threat. Defenses must find him at all times. With Greene just on the floor, other SU players would have gotten more open looks.
2. He's only a freshman. We shake our heads sometimes at his antics, but he was a freshman with the inate ability to score in bunches. Who knows how good he could be. Plus, just the chance to see Rautins, Devo and Greene all out at the 3-point line would be something special. There's not a team in the country that could defend that long-range assault.
3. I just don't think he's ready right now for the pros. Sure, throw him in the right situation and he could flourish. Have him come off the bench for the Phoenix Suns, a team that is in desperate need of some outside shooting, and he could average between 8-10 points per game next season. But if an NBA team plans on using Donte as an inside-outside threat and not just a shooter, he's going to need some major tutoring. He'll take his lumps next year, especially when he bangs chests with other NBA power forwards. But I just don't see him making an immediate impact in the league.

Personally, I hope Donte made the right choice. He seems like a good kid, and is always a good interview.
When all is said and done, I think he'll be kicking himself next March when he's buried on the bench and is forced to watch his former teammates at Syracuse play in the NCAA Tournament.

- Ryan Day "