If not Ariza, it would have been someone else. Rudy just isn't built for the NBA game. Somehow Rip Hamilton has made it work, but Rudy hasn't figured it out and likely never will.
I've always wondered 1) IF Rudy would have had the ability to add some muscle for strength and 2) how that would have effected his game. Its doubtful but Ive always wondered.
and Rudy Tweets: @rudy5fernandez: And today, besides practice, cordial conversation with my coach Nate McMillan.
I will say that there could be a plus side of a Rudy and Nate talk over a shared milkshake; Rudy's biggest beef does seem to be with Nate and the way he uses him (whether that complaint is justified or not I'll leave alone for now) if either were able to fully air their differences and come to some kind of understanding, there's maybe a ghost of a chance Rudy stops acting like a bitch and decides to start acting like a professional and report to camp at least until Cho can work out some kind of trade ... but who am I kidding? That'll never happen.
We can't release him... he has a guarenteed contract. =) We can release him and pay him... but why would we do that? He either 1) shows up and plays or 2) doesn't show up in which case he will be suspended and not get paid or maybe 3) some other foreign team reaches some kind of buyout deal where they are paying the Blazers Rudy's salary and we release him.... or I guess 4) he decides he will play for another NBA and not the Blazers and we work out a deal.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=5477272 Rudy made it to the front page of ESPN.com I think it's safe to say that there is a 100% chance that he's done as a Blazer.
The news is that he says he'll do 2) with no pay for 2 years if necessary, so I don't understand this thread's speculation about punishing him on the bench. He's not going to report. He already checked on whether he'll become an NBA star and he won't. Therefore he can make much, much more money from a career in Europe.
Cool... he will have to sit out those two years without pay... and then try somehow to be a decent enough player to get a contract... good luck to him. What an idiot. Probably the end of his career.
Rudy is not going to sit out and lose money. He will report, play like crap, be a cancer or whatever and force Portland to trade or release him. Choo choo
But...but... Rudy is an asset! More like asshat. He has no value, Cho. Stop this stupid game already.
If what that source said is true, and for all we know it could have been Quick, I would have taken a future first from Chicago or Boston. Especially Boston. That Boston pick might be worth a lot more than Rudy ever thought of being. They could be great, but they are old and could fall apart just as easily.
Here is one thing that I noticed from the Rudy/McMillan article: Fernandez did not play in Spain’s Aug. 17 game against Brazil, and told McMillan it was for precautionary reasons because his back was sore. . ... .....
Why on earth would Cho relent and give this unprofessional POS what he wants when he has almost zero incentive to do so? Rudy started this "game," and he should be the only one to end it.
I wouldn't be surprised if this eventually just blew over. Utah was facing a similar situation with Kirilenko a couple of years ago. Eventually he came around and became a team contributor again. His confidence was shot. The coach wasn't using him "right'. All of the same bullcrap that is going on here. Eventually he bought in.
Kerilenko wasn't as vocal/annoying about wanting a trade. He was mainly pissed with Sloan for not starting him. I didn't hear/read of weekly trade demands or him threaten to sit out a season.
