? 4 assists in 10 minutes isn't bad. So what if he was 0/4? No one else could hit a damn shot either.
In 12 minutes: he missed two driving layups and two three pointers, got to the foul line, found open shooters, only had 1 turnover, 4 assists, 4 rebounds and a steal. I get it that his shot isn't going in right now, but tell me what it is that he's doing that tells you he's not ready to play?
You know he's shooting 24% for the season, right? With more turnovers than assists? Kid sucks right now. He may be good eventually, but these people that were calling for him to get major minutes this season were absolutely wrong. He needs to be on the bench to develop. He does NOT need to be on the floor. Granted, Roy is injured, so there's no choice but to play him...but when Roy comes back, I expect we won't see Bayless again until next season. Or maybe he gets traded, which wouldn't be the worst idea.
He shouldn't be playing meaningful minutes for a team that want to make the playoffs in the West. Lucky for him, the Blazers don't fit that description.
I remember back when Steve Blake first signed with Portland. Many fans were convinced, in his horribly limited amount of playing time to start the season, that he sucked. Once he got minutes, he proved he was a decent PG. Let's let Bayless play more than 16 minutes in a game before we decide anything.
Would you rather lose with Blake and Sergio or with Bayless gaining experience? Seriously, he has not played enough to pass judgment on him. If Nate would just play him consistent minutes, his productivity would increase, just like Gregg's does the more we run the offense through him.
He actually got 4 assists with 1 TO tonight, so his assists are at 16 and TOs at 15, I believe. Of course, I think his FG% is sub-23 now. I agree on all of this 100%. I would add that I don't mind him getting looks occasionally. It's entirely possible that later this season he'll be more comfortable and therefore more effective than he has been to date. Ed O.
You mean aside from his game? A better question is what has he done that shows he IS ready to play. He can't handle the ball. He can't shoot. His defense is adequate, but overrated by most fans, especially on this board. He's athletic and he played well in summer league and that's about all he has going for him at this point. Nothing he's done has shown he's ready to play in the NBA. Maybe next season.
I don't really care what his FG% is for the season when he's averaging 7 minutes and has had 20 DNPs. Every game I've seen him in he's done nothing but get more comfortable and look improved. I'm not saying he's ready for 20+ minutes a night, but it's obvious he's making strides and without Roy our options are limited at best as far as guards go who can create their own shot and score off the dribble -- Rudy can sometimes drive, Blake can't do it, Sergio can't do it. The kid is missing layups, he was a natural born scorer in high school and in college, I'm not worried about his offense in the long run.
I doubt Rudy would do anything if he switched (minute) roles with Bayless. His boxscore numbers would look just as bad and people would be questioning KP's decision to bring him over. Honestly, he's playing sporadic minutes and doesn't know what the team wants from him. (And I doubt the team really knows what they want from Bayless.)
Bayless needs some consistent minutes in order to make a call on him. He is already our best defender in the back court He is already the best at attacking the rim. He needs to learn a few things, but like a hitter in baseball, he needs consistent reps
Ed O...I agree completely. I think LIMITED minutes is a great idea for Bayless. And sure...he'll develop as a player as time goes by. He's still a pup. Somewhere down the road, he'll be a Ben Gordon type player: excellent scorer, kind of in between positions. And that's fine. So I'd love to see him get a few looks here and there to help him develop. But when we still have a shot at the playoffs...I don't think it's a great idea to play him. Because right now, he sucks.
Rudy played sporadic minutes in Europe 3-4 years ago and put up excellent numbers. Because he was a good player. I think Bayless will get there, but I hope we don't force minutes on him at the expense of the team. Because right now, he sucks.
I don't agree. Rudy has one very very good skill: hitting three pointers. Hopefully the rest of his game gets more consistent, but three point shooters coming right in sporadically and making a dent is an easier thing to do. Bayless doesn't have that one skill that he KNOWS he can always fall back on. It's almost an ability to get to the rim and finish and/or get fouled. He's just not there yet. Ed O.
Who's forcing minutes on him? Brandon is out for a week, we NEED somebody to fill the void that Rudy leaves in the second unit, Bayless is it, there's no one else.
In the long run, I'm not worried about him at all. My point is...he's not ready for the NBA yet. The fact that he's missing layups ...the EASIEST shots shows that maybe, just maybe...he's not ready for the NBA just yet.
I said that in my 2nd post. My original post is in reference to the folks on this board last week who were practically trying to start a friggin' petition to get Bayless more minutes. Those people were wrong. Bayless shouldn't be playing. He sucks right now. Sure, a battlefield promotion to backup SG is fine. He can do that for a week. But when Roy is back, I really hope we don't see J-Bay again for a long, long while.
