Enjoy Rudy Fernandez — while you can

[OSUBlazerfan]

Because the Spanish sensation won’t be in a Portland uniform next season.


Fernandez will do his best to help the Blazers achieve success in the playoffs. Then he’ll be gone — perhaps to play professionally in Europe next season, perhaps to another NBA team via an offseason trade.

“I try to play the way (McMillan) wants, but I don’t feel the trust that he had in me the first year.”Asked if he is happy with McMillan as coach, Fernandez paused for several seconds, smiled, and turned toward the weight room at the Blazers’ practice facility.

“I got to go work out now,” he said.

http://www.portlandtribune.com/sports/story.php?story_id=127054433978358000

 

[Wheels]

I really like Rudy, and I understand if he doesnt want to be here. He could have been used better IMO.. but he also has not been playing well for whatever reason.

 

[Public Defender]

Great, Rudy... if I were Rudy, given the salary cuts that appear to be coming to the NBA, I'd be looking overseas anyway. But it's pretty stupid of him to denigrate the coach, while the season is still in progress and while that team still has the ability to pay him a great deal of money. But no one ever said Rudy was particularly bright. We'll see what happens.

 

[HailBlazers]

That's what happens when your dealing with the sarge.

If Rudy can have an impact in the playoff's he'll stick around IMO

 

[OSUBlazerfan]

Its sad to see him struggling so much.... while i blame nate for a lot of things.... i dont know if this is on him

Rudy was awesome last year, and i thought he would be a big time contributor this year

 

[hasoos]

I call bullshit. Rudy is under contract, and he can't just leave to a european team on his schedule. The European teams have to honor our contracts just like we honor their contracts.

Secondly, I am not enjoying Rudy. Rudy is shooting like a pile of shit, and he doesn't show the commitment to the game that is necessary to achieve success at this level. Maybe if he pulled his shit together, and actually worked on his game so that our bench unit was successful, Nate would trust him more. The bench unit is screaming for somebody to lead it in scoring, an become something like what Jamaal Crawford is for the Hawks. But instead, we get a guy who launches left handed one handed 3 pointers in practice before the game, and then bricks 3 after 3 during the game, when he is supposedly some 3 point wizard. Most of those shots are wide open looks. Try nutting up and hitting your shots.

 

[Wheels]

I call bullshit. Rudy is under contract, and he can't just leave to a european team on his schedule. The European teams have to honor our contracts just like we honor their contracts.

Was Navarro still under contract with Memphis? I'm not arguing against your point, I am actually wondering.

 

[OSUBlazerfan]

Restricted Free Agent

 

[Wheels]

Restricted Free Agent

ah so like Childress then. Thanks.

 

[blue32]

I blame our Coach and the offense. He curtails it around one player at all times. Whether it be Roy or Aldridge.
It's never fluid. Just the same ol' shit. It's rather boring to watch sometimes. This year I've actually turned off the games because our (2) "stars" were doing jack shit, thus, what else is there to watch? The rest of the team doesn't know what to do when the other guys are "off".

 

[axs88]

I used to be a Rudy fan, but this shit's getting old. When it comes from the Spanish newspaper Marca, I don't give a fuck because I know all they do is make stuff up and stir the pot.

If anything, this year McMillan plays Rudy more than what he deserves. He has serious flaws in his game at the NBA level that he's not likely to improve much on at 25. Too bad his value will be down this offseason.

 

[OddEnormous]

He's crushed Rudy like he's crushed everyone else.

Can't wait for Batum to be scared shitless next season.

Fuck Nate.

Can't wait until he's gone.

 

[TradeNurkicNow]

let's get Mike D'Antoni

 

[hasoos]

Was Navarro still under contract with Memphis? I'm not arguing against your point, I am actually wondering.

The way the NBA rookie salary works (If drafted in the first round) is that after the first 2 years, the 3rd and 4th year are team options. Not player options. Rudy has no choice in the matter. Now if the team decides not to pick up their option, then he can do as he pleases.

By the way Navarro was drafted in the 2nd round, so he didn't have a NBA 1st round rookie contract.

 

[blazerboy30]

I actually think Rudy gets more playing time than his play has warranted. He has been TERRIBLE this year, but continues to get paying time.

I'm not making any claims as to who is the cause of his bad play, but he seems to get a fair amount of playing time and responsibility given his (bad) performance.

 

[Minstrel]

Fernandez can be fun to watch, but he's far from an impact player. When he's contractually able to leave, if he wants to go, I won't be all that cut up. I'd like to keep him around as a bench player, but I don't think he has much more potential at this point, as he's rounding into his prime. This season, he's been only a bit more productive than Webster and is actually older than Webster. He makes a reasonable reserve, but not a lot more than that unless he has a real surge next year.

 

[hasoos]

I want to bring in some physical, tough players for the second unit. Guys like Raja Bell. Eddie House. Players with a chip on their shoulder.

 

[andalusian]

I think you are all a bit too down on Rudy, sure, this season was a disappointment - but given that he had injury issues, is clearly reeling from the loss of Sergio and like Roy had to learn to play a different role (handle the ball more in the 2nd unit, defer to Bayless when they play together, relegated to even more of a shooting role when playing next to Roy/Miller) - I am not surprised he had some issues - and he is too good of a player to decalre as "done" and "as good as it gets" in this league.

Would not surprise me to see him moved in the off-season - especially if he can be a sweetener in some kind of a deal for a position of higher importance (backup center if Camby is not resigned, young PG prospect with JB moved to play more of a backup SG as Roy's offense off the bench backup or a better backup for Batum at the SF position).

 

[Wheels]

I want to bring in some physical, tough players for the second unit. Guys like Raja Bell. Eddie House. Players with a chip on their shoulder.

I like toughness.. but we will need some scoring punch on our bench as well. Bell wont really offer that.

 

[MIXUM]

wow .... next year we wont have camby or rudy....


but we will have oden who will be hurt by thanksgiving. woo hoo.

 

[hasoos]

I like toughness.. but we will need some scoring punch on our bench as well. Bell wont really offer that.

Compared to our bench unit now, Bell is a scoring punch!

 

[andalusian]

I like toughness.. but we will need some scoring punch on our bench as well. Bell wont really offer that.

For all of his faults - we are really missing Outlaw's scoring off the bench... which is not a real surprise. That kid is limited in what he can do - but scoring he can do.

 

[hasoos]

I think you are all a bit too down on Rudy, sure, this season was a disappointment - but given that he had injury issues, is clearly reeling from the loss of Sergio and like Roy had to learn to play a different role (handle the ball more in the 2nd unit, defer to Bayless when they play together, relegated to even more of a shooting role when playing next to Roy/Miller) - I am not surprised he had some issues - and he is too good of a player to decalre as "done" and "as good as it gets" in this league.

Would not surprise me to see him moved in the off-season - especially if he can be a sweetener in some kind of a deal for a position of higher importance (backup center if Camby is not resigned, young PG prospect with JB moved to play more of a backup SG as Roy's offense off the bench backup or a better backup for Batum at the SF position).

If he is such a pussy that he is "reeling from the loss of Sergio" then don't let the door hit him in the ass on the way out. Reeling from the loss of Sergio. Ha ha ha ha ha ha.

 

[Wheels]

For all of his faults - we are really missing Outlaw's scoring off the bench... which is not a real surprise. That kid is limited in what he can do - but scoring he can do.

I was thinking the same thing.

 

[andalusian]

If he is such a pussy that he is "reeling from the loss of Sergio" then don't let the door hit him in the ass on the way out. Reeling from the loss of Sergio. Ha ha ha ha ha ha.

He is what he is, and like it or not - it sounds like he is having problems with this. With that said - letting him leave without getting some asset(s) in return is a net loss. He might not be the best player in the world - but he is better than he has shown this year and he is an asset.

 

[ABM]

http://probasketballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/04/maybe-real-madrid-wants-to-buy-out-rudy-fernandez.php

There is nothing new in Rudy Fernandez not being happy in Portland. He wasn't happy when our own Matt Moore was writing about him in February. He's not happy now when Kerry Eggers of the Portland Tribune is talking to him now.

Fernandez is an athletic two guard who should be allowed to run free, but is stuck in the dragged-out half-court game of the Trail Blazers. Stuck on the bench. He feels isolated, has no close friends on the team and just wants a chance to play. When he does get some burn, he reminds you that he is a good player that should be getting more minutes. Somewhere.

The talk about returning to play in Spain is nothing new, either. Specifically powerhouse Real Madrid. But Eggers asks an interesting question:

Would Real Madrid do the opposite of what so many NBA teams have done and be willing to buy out his contract?

It's not uncommon for an NBA team to have to pay a foreign team with the rights to a player to get him released from a contract. That is the way of European sports leagues. But the reverse is very uncommon.

Is it worth a few million to Real Madrid to get him now rather than later? Would Portland be willing to let him go?

In a summer where bigger names will get bigger headlines, this could be an interesting little sub-plot.

 

[BoBoBREWSKI]

If he doesnt want to be here, then ADIOS RUDY!
There are plenty of other players who will appreciate the opportunity to play for the Trail Blazers. We have a great owner, great fans, and a good young team that should only get better. There isnt really many other situations in the league as good as it is here in PDX.

 

[hasoos]

He is what he is, and like it or not - it sounds like he is having problems with this. With that said - letting him leave without getting some asset(s) in return is a net loss. He might not be the best player in the world - but he is better than he has shown this year and he is an asset.

But were not. Rudy was drafted in the 1st round. That means Rudy's 3rd and 4th year are team options, not his options. It is very straight forward. He doesn't go anywhere, unless KP says so.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

I hear Toronto has a thriving Spanish population...

 

[hasoos]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NBA_Salary_Cap#Rookie_scale_salary