Gerald Henderson: Wake up from nap, get moved to Portland

[jlprk]

They all sucked. I like change. This year's team will be more fun to watch. If it isn't, change the Coach and GM. I like change.

 

[HomerLovesKoolAid]

They all sucked. I like change. This year's team will be more fun to watch. If it isn't, change the Coach and GM. I like change.

As usual, you are looking at the bright side. You are pure forum sunshine.

 

[riverman]

They all sucked. I like change. This year's team will be more fun to watch. If it isn't, change the Coach and GM. I like change.

This could just be the season of the Crabbe you've longed for!

 

[GriLtCheeZ]

They all sucked. I like change. This year's team will be more fun to watch. If it isn't, change the Coach and GM. I like change.

When it's time to change, then its time to change
Don't fight the tide, come along for the ride, don't you see
When it's time to change, you've got to rearrange
who you are into what you're gonna be.

 

[lawai'a]

Guys like Henderson, Davis and Vonleh are why I think Stotts is a dark horse candidate for coach of the year.

If you put Wes Matthews in the system these guys are coming out of, I really doubt he would have anywhere close to the contract he just got. Wes is the opposite of a good numbers/bad team player, simply because he can't create for himself. He needs ball movement, player movement, and somebody else drawing the defense's attention. Put him in a good offense and he'll look great. Put him in a terrible offense, and he'll be just another mediocre player (at least on the offensive end).

Coach of the Year usually goes to either a great team or a team that massively beat expectations. After the fiasco of our summer, it's hard to beat down expectations any further. But I've got a lot of faith in Stotts' ability to maximize the talents of these guys. These are Wes Matthews kind of players--talented guys who need motion on the offense (we'll definitely have with Stotts) and a superstar to play off of (which we hopefully have in Lillard).

i'm not sure I agree with your assement as wes' numbers have been extremely consistant whether in Utah or under mcmillen or stotts
maybe wes adapts his game to the players around him better than you realize, not just an offensive philosophy to take advantage of his skillset.(forgot to include canales as one of his coaches and consistentancy)

 

[riverman]

Wes is a great piece to a good team but he's not a franchise player. Cuban rolled the dice big time with the contract he got. Canales is his assistant coach in Dallas now and they are close. Wes made me think twice about keeping him when he asked for 15 mil and wanted to be a go to guy on offense...plus the injury.

 

[lawai'a]

Wes is a great piece to a good team but he's not a franchise player. Cuban rolled the dice big time with the contract he got. Canales is his assistant coach in Dallas now and they are close. Wes made me think twice about keeping him when he asked for 15 mil and wanted to be a go to guy on offense...plus the injury.[/

I agree that wes isn't a franchise or even max player, especially factoring injury and rehab, even Cuban admits the risk involved. I just don't not agree that his success was a byproduct of stotts 'flow' offense, in that he has produced consistently no matter who's system he has been in. limited skillset and warts aside, he has been an efficient and effective player throughout his career whether playing off of Dwilliams, broy or Aldridge he has played within his limitations and been a very good, if not robin then third cornerstone to some very good teams, regardless of who was coaching him.

 

[GriLtCheeZ]

If he returns mostly to form, won't the big increase in salary cap in a couple years make Wes' contract not so bad?

 

[riverman]

If he returns mostly to form, won't the big increase in salary cap in a couple years make Wes' contract not so bad?

Cuban is betting it will work out, I wish Wes well but he hasn't played a game since his injury and I wouldn't risk that money on our roster for the "if" gamble

 

[mook]

i'm not sure I agree with your assement as wes' numbers have been extremely consistant whether in Utah or under mcmillen or stotts
maybe wes adapts his game to the players around him better than you realize, not just an offensive philosophy to take advantage of his skillset.(forgot to include canales as one of his coaches and consistentancy)

That's a pretty good point. His numbers are pretty consistent across different coaches/teams when you take into account natural progress as he matured.

Still, you'd probably agree that he still doesn't get a fat contract if he were stuck in Charlotte or a bad Lakers team. He'd likely put up similar numbers and his team would lose a lot.

On further reflection, I don't think our team succeeding this year is really about Henderson or Davis or Plumlee or Aminu having breakout years because they play with Stotts/Lillard. Much like Matthews, they are what they are--decent guys with limited upside who can help a team win in the right environment. The real key is that Leonard, Vonleh or McCollum has to show themselves to be a bona fide second banana/complimentary star to Lillard. If one of those guys breaks out, Stotts will definitely get votes for COY.

 

[lawai'a]

That's a pretty good point. His numbers are pretty consistent across different coaches/teams when you take into account natural progress as he matured.

Still, you'd probably agree that he still doesn't get a fat contract if he were stuck in Charlotte or a bad Lakers team. He'd likely put up similar numbers and his team would lose a lot.

On further reflection, I don't think our team succeeding this year is really about Henderson or Davis or Plumlee or Aminu having breakout years because they play with Stotts/Lillard. Much like Matthews, they are what they are--decent guys with limited upside who can help a team win in the right environment. The real key is that Leonard, Vonleh or McCollum has to show themselves to be a bona fide second banana/complimentary star to Lillard. If one of those guys breaks out, Stotts will definitely get votes for COY.

yea , his teams have lost a lot on occasion in the past,as in stotts first season here, and mcmillen/canales. he didn't carry either of those teams. I think terry and his staff have done an outstanding job of player development even if neither cj or Meyers become bona fide stars, after watching their limitations exposed in their rookie seasons. kim hughes' departure saddens me as his track record with big man development/mentoring was quite good. Antonio mcdyess, nene, blake griffin and deandre Jordan were all colts in his stable at one time I believe. heck even joel freelands/robin lopez progress/development was impressive. would have preferred to see him handling vonleh too.

I like that stotts developed the team into a top rated defense after how poorly they showed two seasons ago despite the teams success. recognizing, then implementing those changes and the teams buy in to make the changes successful also impressed me. plugging crabbe in for an injured batum and continueing to beat all comers was another statement to stotts' coaching ability, but his loyalty to nic even through his horrendous season showed a weakness IMO, I think he rode that horse a little too long. perhaps managing locker rooms is just as /if not more important in today's NBA.

that said , with expectations/predictions of a 31 win season by media pundits, blazers need to make the playoffs, even if only 8th seed in the west to be considered for COY IMO. he will still have my support and trust failing that, but winning is everything, even for allstar placement. the east could eastern conference could easily supply many COY candidates if only because there seems to be more parity/teams poised to make the next step, again IMO. pelicans success/improvement, OKC winning it all, new coaches in the west who could steal any player development thunder from the blazers' coach and his staff unless they greatly exceed expectations in winning.( forgot to mention chris Kaman's development in reference to coach hughes)

 

[riverman]

I think all it says is that Wes has a stellar work ethic and improves every year...but that still doesn't make him a franchise guy..he's Bruce Bowen

 

[dviss1]

I couldn't possibly disagree with this sentiment more.

I don't think he's talking about efficiency. I think he's talking about the difference between scoring inside vs outside.