http://blog.oregonlive.com/behindblazersbeat/2009/05/pritchard_the_puzzle_master.html Sweet relief is nearer than you think guys: Maris isn't going to like this I'd wager
I don't think Sergio grasps that you have to be able to do more than pass the ball if you want to play in the NBA.
If by "flourish" you mean stuff the stat sheet with assists and turnovers that lead to more losses than victories then I'm inclined to agree. I don't hate Sergio, I just hate his overall game, best of luck to him under D'Antoni or Nelson who both like their players to be shooters.
On a team that won't make the playoffs, yeah, or expected to. Easy to give Sergio minutes in that situation. Sergio is a good guy it seems but he's just not very good, and his upside is limited.
I think it's silly to hope that Sergio would go to Europe. He's 22 years old and has an extraordinary skill: passing the basketball. Was he a great backup? No. Is he a perfect player? No way. But he's young and he's got good size and he, in my opinion, still has potential to improve. Compare him, for example, to Jose Calderon at a similar age. I just don't understand why there's so much antipathy towards him to the point where people want him to be gone for nothing. Ed O.
Probably a lot of the antipathy stems from the perception that he is "blocking" Bayless. Another factor is that he is so good as a passer, people can't understand why the rest of his game is so weak. Frankly, it makes me question his work ethic/commitment to improvement.
Madrid is kickass and a great place for any athlete to be, but I think one taste of the NBA is enough to get a young guy like him hooked...
The Real Madrid thing was a joke, but being a little bit 'happy' (not quite the right word, but I'll go with it for now) that he might be gone next season and my lack of love for his game has been hard for me to nail down. I think it comes down to this: Aside from the complaints about obvious deficiencies in his game, there's just something wrong with his demeanor and court presence (the hang-dog expressions and horrendous body language when he comes out of games) that scream 'pouter' and 'loser' to me ... I know that's a pretty subjective judgment and really has nothing to do with talent, but that's my gut level reaction to him.
Perfect comparison. Great passing skills and handles, but nothing else going for him. It's possible to make a living in the NBA like that (Telfair is), but hard to be a good player.
If he was a great passer and a lockdown defender, I'd be much more willing to forgive his weaknesses.
Because he is an empty-stat guy. He has beautiful court awareness and passing ability that make people ignore how bad his impact on the team really is - but when Sergio is on the floor - the Blazer's win% is 38% which is atrocious. Even Travis - with his ugly +/- and bone-head moves has a 60% win%. Having Sergio on the court is not a good thing. Simple as that. The guy might get better - but he has so many holes in his game and his domination of the ball is so bad for the team - that he is just a detriment.
Actually - this is not a good comparison - JC is a low-turnover guy. Sergio is a very high-turnover guy. Even if Sergio had JC's shot - he would still not be as good a player as him.
