Former awesome draft pick Nolan Smith getting attention in Turkey

[BlazerBeav]

http://deadspin.com/nolan-smith-throws-towel-while-walking-to-bench-infuri-1648183528

 

[MickZagger]

Feel bad for Nolan he seemed like a good dude. Shouldn't have ever been a 1st round pick and given those expectations.

 

[riverman]

That court looks like a middle school gym. Looks like Nolan has still not grown up.

 

[Strenuus]

Feel bad for Nolan he seemed like a good dude. Shouldn't have ever been a 1st round pick and given those expectations.

Wasnt he a 2nd round pick?

 

[kjironman1]

That just doesn't sound like something Nolan would do unless he was really upset. The guy always seemed to have a pretty good disposition while he was here.

 

[riverman]

Wasnt he a 2nd round pick?

He was 1st round I believe picked before Faried. Nate loved him. Nobody else did

 

[Strenuus]

He was 1st round I believe picked before Faried. Nate loved him. Nobody else did

Oh that's why I got it confused, because Smith was a legit 2nd round talent and Faried actually had skills and we should have had him. Silly Nate. God damnit.

 

[jlprk]

I was the first poster to speculate that Coach K recommended Nolan to his assistant Nate. Everyone else blamed Buchanan. Now my theory is stated as established fact. Is there any evidence or is it still just my guess?

 

[kjironman1]

He was 1st round I believe picked before Faried. Nate loved him. Nobody else did

Over on another forum you never quit hearing about missing out on Faried. It is some people's call to continuously call the Blazers losers because they missed that pick. Those people do not realize that the Blazers had LMA and needed a point guard desperately. It fuels the best pick available argument for sure because if they had indeed chosen Faried they could have traded for a much better PG than Nolan but then we might not have Dame. Things work out one way or another. Sometimes good like Dame. Sometimes not so good like G.O./Durant.

 

[jlprk]

It was such an obvious pick to make. Faried was expected to go much higher and we badly needed a sub forward. When Buchanan skipped over him for an unknown, everyone was astounded.

 

[riverman]

Over on another forum you never quit hearing about missing out on Faried. It is some people's call to continuously call the Blazers losers because they missed that pick. Those people do not realize that the Blazers had LMA and needed a point guard desperately. It fuels the best pick available argument for sure because if they had indeed chosen Faried they could have traded for a much better PG than Nolan but then we might not have Dame. Things work out one way or another. Sometimes good like Dame. Sometimes not so good like G.O./Durant.

Yeah, there was a lot of talk about it when Nolan was coming off our bench like a deer in the headlights. He was a swing and a miss. In all fairness, he had Felton as a mentor..that's not a good thing

 

[kjironman1]

It was such an obvious pick to make. Faried was expected to go much higher and we badly needed a sub forward. When Buchanan skipped over him for an unknown, everyone was astounded.

There are some that believe there was a deal in place beforehand with Denver. Something that had to do with Raymond Felton.

 

[BlazerDuckSeahawkFan94]

Over on another forum you never quit hearing about missing out on Faried. It is some people's call to continuously call the Blazers losers because they missed that pick. Those people do not realize that the Blazers had LMA and needed a point guard desperately. It fuels the best pick available argument for sure because if they had indeed chosen Faried they could have traded for a much better PG than Nolan but then we might not have Dame. Things work out one way or another. Sometimes good like Dame. Sometimes not so good like G.O./Durant.

The Nolan Smith pick really blows when we also passed up on reggie Jackson, norris cole, Jimmy Butler and isiah Thomas.

 

[riverman]

The Nolan Smith pick really blows when we also passed up on reggie Jackson, norris cole, Jimmy Butler and isiah Thomas.

Ouch

 

[Strenuus]

The Nolan Smith pick really blows when we also passed up on reggie Jackson, norris cole, Jimmy Butler and isiah Thomas.

Thanks for sharing. Damnit.

 

[SheedSoNasty]

The Nolan Smith pick really blows when we also passed up on reggie Jackson, norris cole, Jimmy Butler and isiah Thomas.

To be fair, everyone passed on Thomas. He was the last pick of the draft... Or close to it.

 

[magnifier661]

Over on another forum you never quit hearing about missing out on Faried. It is some people's call to continuously call the Blazers losers because they missed that pick. Those people do not realize that the Blazers had LMA and needed a point guard desperately. It fuels the best pick available argument for sure because if they had indeed chosen Faried they could have traded for a much better PG than Nolan but then we might not have Dame. Things work out one way or another. Sometimes good like Dame. Sometimes not so good like G.O./Durant.

Let's thank fate for having our GM fucking up so we could get Lillard instead of Faried. I think we've been a happier franchise because of it

 

[3RA1N1AC]

I remember being like "who?" And went on the draft sites and he was buried in the deep second of a few boards. The buildup on here pining for the sliding faried had built to a crescendo, and then...Nolan Smith. Total boner killer.

 

[Strenuus]

To be fair, everyone passed on Thomas. He was the last pick of the draft... Or close to it.

I remember hearing he was the last pick of the draft.

 

[PDXFonz]

I was the first poster to speculate that Coach K recommended Nolan to his assistant Nate. Everyone else blamed Buchanan. Now my theory is stated as established fact. Is there any evidence or is it still just my guess?

Possible do you think Nate was driving the team? Hasn't Allen always been behind the wheel? I don't think Allen valued Buchanan as interim GM enough to let him and Nate have the say. Nate wasn't doing very well with the team at the time so I doubt it came down to his call on what the team needed.

There is definitely an argument to make for both sides of your statement. But I can tell you that blaming the interim GM just shows you how little thought those people put into the situation.

 

[KingSpeed]

Wasnt he a 2nd round pick?

He was the 21st pick in 2011 NBA draft ahead of Faried, Mirotic, Reggie Jackson, Norris Cole, Jimmy Butler, Kyle Singler, Chandler Parsons, and current Blazer Darius Morris.

It was such an obvious pick to make. Faried was expected to go much higher and we badly needed a sub forward. When Buchanan skipped over him for an unknown, everyone was astounded.

Nolan Smith wasn't an unknown. He was the fucking starting PG at DUKE.

 

[THE HCP]

Nolan was also a McDonald's all American. Dude was legit. His game just didn't transfer. Happens to probably 95% of players coming into the league each season FAMS.


Sent from my Baller-Ass 5.5" iPhone 6+......... FAMS

 

[MickZagger]

Nolan Smith wasn't an unknown. He was the fucking starting PG at DUKE.

He was a starter because Irving went down with injury early in the season.

I think everybody around the league thought it was ludicrous we took him as high as we did. The guy was slow as a snail, had no moves, didn't have a jumper and wasn't a natural PG. His calling card in college was good D.

 

[Strenuus]

He was a starter because Irving went down with injury early in the season.

I think everybody around the league thought it was ludicrous we took him as high as we did. The guy was slow as a snail, had no moves, didn't have a jumper and wasn't a natural PG. His calling card in college was good D.

And nolan defended the hell out of the chair he sat on. It was amazing lockdown D.

 

[BlazerWookee]

Over on another forum you never quit hearing about missing out on Faried. It is some people's call to continuously call the Blazers losers because they missed that pick. Those people do not realize that the Blazers had LMA and needed a point guard desperately. It fuels the best pick available argument for sure because if they had indeed chosen Faried they could have traded for a much better PG than Nolan but then we might not have Dame. Things work out one way or another. Sometimes good like Dame. Sometimes not so good like G.O./Durant.

They passed on Faried as a wink-wink part of the Miller for Felton trade, not out of any failure in scouting. Personally, I blame Brandon Roy for not retiring sooner.