LaRue Martin's throne is threatened!

[Rastapopoulos]

Cavs fans are already asking "Could Anthony Bennett be the Biggest Bust in NBA Draft History?"

Before Monday’s benching against the Bulls, “DNP: Coaches Decision,” Anthony Bennett had played 7 games in just under two weeks. Bennett has made only one of his 21 field goal attempts in those 7 games for a .048 field goal percentage. He has shot four free throws and made two of them for a total of five points in 76 NBA minutes. He’s been the butt of jokes and criticism around the NBA for his troubles. It’s worth exploring: has any NBA No. 1 pick ever started this poorly?

The answer is an unequivocal no. Neither Kwame Brown, Andrea Bargnani, nor Pervis Ellison… nor LaRue Martin nor Fred Hetzel was ever this bad. Here’s a chart of per game averages over the the first seven games for every number one draft pick since 1954.

Ouch.

(Read down for a Joel Freeland reference - plus the implication that he's not a "decent NBA rotation player".)

 

[Strenuus]

Re: LaRue Martin's throne is threatened!`

The pick never made sense. I'm starting to think the pick was made to throw everyone off, and not for the betterment of the team. And although I love anytime a team can throw it in the face of the media who do nothing but assume.... gotta pick your battles. lol.

 

[Strenuus]

Re: LaRue Martin's throne is threatened!`

That shot chart with Freeland on it doesn't show when those first 21 shots were made. It could have been over 3 years, for all we know.

Heh, I see the slight to Freeland. But, it has only been about 2 weeks into the season, so people may not know like we do the impact he is having.

 

[Draco]

Re: LaRue Martin's throne is threatened!`

Sheesh, glad we didn't trade LaMarcus for that pick.

 

[Mediocre Man]

Re: LaRue Martin's throne is threatened!`

Sheesh, glad we didn't trade LaMarcus for that pick.

I am pretty sure Oladipo would have been the pick because we would have received T Thompson and others as well


Bennett will be fine.

 

[Draco]

Re: LaRue Martin's throne is threatened!`

That shot chart with Freeland on it doesn't show when those first 21 shots were made. It could have been over 3 years, for all we know.

Those were Freelands first 21 shots last season. He had 142 for the whole year.

 

[Strenuus]

Re: LaRue Martin's throne is threatened!`

Those were Freelands first 21 shots last season. He had 142 for the whole year.

According to the article, though, it just said "since 2002". So there was no way of knowing. That was my beef with it.

 

[Draco]

Re: LaRue Martin's throne is threatened!`

Bennett will be fine.

Whats your definition of fine? He might carve out a role as an NBA rotational player but its doesn't look good for him ever being the difference maker teams hope to have a chance of getting at #1.

 

[Draco]

Re: LaRue Martin's throne is threatened!`

According to the article, though, it just said "since 2002". So there was no way of knowing. That was my beef with it.

Work on your reading comprehension. ;P It clearly lists 2012 for Freeland. Compared to Will Conroy where it lists 2007-12.

 

[Mediocre Man]

Re: LaRue Martin's throne is threatened!`

Whats your definition of fine? He might carve out a role as an NBA rotational player but its doesn't look good for him ever being the difference maker teams hope to have a chance of getting at #1.

he will be one of if not the best player in this class

 

[Strenuus]

Re: LaRue Martin's throne is threatened!`

Work on your reading comprehension. ;P It clearly lists 2012 for Freeland. Compared to Will Conroy where it lists 2007-12.

Oh wow. The funny thing is, my brain saw and processed that. But didn't put the two together. Epic. Fail.

Still, though, since when are free agents with no cache ever expected to be rotation guys. Those 3 should really be excluded. lol.

 

[Draco]

Re: LaRue Martin's throne is threatened!`

Still, though, since when are free agents with no cache ever expected to be rotation guys. Those 3 should really be excluded. lol.

I think thats the point of the list, the #1 pick has been worse than those types of players.

 

[Strenuus]

Re: LaRue Martin's throne is threatened!`

I think thats the point of the list, the #1 pick has been worse than those types of players.

Fair point.

 

[Strenuus]

Re: LaRue Martin's throne is threatened!`

he will be one of if not the best player in this class

And that's saying exactly what? lol. This class isn't going to be that great, anyway.

 

[3RA1N1AC]

Re: LaRue Martin's throne is threatened!`

I'm kinda shocked they aren't playing him big minutes, to enhance the tank

 

[Nikolokolus]

Re: LaRue Martin's throne is threatened!`

I'll never understand what the hell the Cavs were thinking, but I feel kind of bad for this kid; a number one pick is a lot of expectations heaped on somebody who isn't worthy of it.

 

[3RA1N1AC]

Re: LaRue Martin's throne is threatened!`

I don't feel bad for him at all, he's got a dozen million or so to wipe away his tears with, and that's if he flames out in 2 years

 

[Draco]

Re: LaRue Martin's throne is threatened!`

I'm kinda shocked they aren't playing him big minutes, to enhance the tank

I wonder who the Cavs would pick if they got next years #1? I'm thinking James McAdoo.

 

[3RA1N1AC]

Re: LaRue Martin's throne is threatened!`

They're a mess

 

[Rastapopoulos]

Re: LaRue Martin's throne is threatened!`

He should be almost as good as similar players like Derek Williams and Michael Beasley. But I doubt he will aspire to the heights of Rodney Rogers.

 

[Haakzilla]

Re: LaRue Martin's throne is threatened!`

...I never thought he was THAT good at UNLV anyway Just look at the last half of his college season last year -- Dude only averaged 12.8 pts and 7.1 rebs per game!

 

[Nikolokolus]

Re: LaRue Martin's throne is threatened!`

I don't feel bad for him at all, he's got a dozen million or so to wipe away his tears with, and that's if he flames out in 2 years

I'm not planning to start a charity in his name, but if you can't feel just a little bit badly for some of these guys with the misfortune to be remembered as one of the "worst of all time" at something they probably worked very hard to achieve (making the NBA) then that's pretty sad.

 

[Natebishop3]

Re: LaRue Martin's throne is threatened!`

Sheesh, glad we didn't trade LaMarcus for that pick.

It's not like we would have traded Aldridge for Bennett.... Oladipo looks like a stud, and I still think McLemore will be good.

 

[3RA1N1AC]

Re: LaRue Martin's throne is threatened!`

I'm not planning to start a charity in his name, but if you can't feel just a little bit badly for some of these guys with the misfortune to be remembered as one of the "worst of all time" at something they probably worked very hard to achieve (making the NBA) then that's pretty sad.

I only have so much empathy to dole out, think I'll not waste it on a 20 year old multimillionaire who had a bad couple weeks at making basketballs go into hoops

If he was a blazer maybe