As of today, the oldest player on the roster is...

LaMarcus Aldridge at 26 (going on 27) -- Youth movement here we are!

 

Wow.

Out for the evening drinking and just seeing the deal.

WTF?

Crazy LA is just 27. Considering that, I like our roster, with Batum.

 

That problem will retard the development of the young players by a couple of years, unless addressed. Where they'll be at Year 4 alone is where they would have been at the end of Year 2 surrounded by experience on the floor.

 

We went from being one of the youngest teams in the league, to one of the older teams, and back to being one of the youngest in a matter of 3-4 years. Last year we were the 5th oldest team in the league, when weighting the age by playing time. Sacremento was the youngest at just over 24 years. I'd have to think we're near that number now.

 

Maybe PA or the management looked at OKC's success with younger players?.... hmmmm

 

That's what coaches are for. All that experience got us last year was lottery picks. Not a bad thing, but I hope to god the selfish attitudes of veterans like Marcus Camby, Jamal Crawford, Raymond Felton and Gerald Wallace (to a lesser extent) didn't do too much damage to the development of our your players. These veteran "leaders" all whined, wanted out and quit on their team. Not exactly the type of role models you want around young, impressionable players.

Yeah, it's nice to have a few vets around to show the young guys the ropes, but I'd rather have young guys hungry to show their worth than older players with a sense of entitlement who whine and quit when they don't get their way.

BNM

 

I kind of agree with both of you ... old guys don't have much value just because they're old, but the lack of true veteran leadership on the Roy-Aldridge rebuild team(s) definitely showed; I think it really made it difficult for LaMarcus (and Roy when he was here) to know how to navigate the waters of taking charge of their teammates. This team doesn't need a ton of old guys, but it's important to have the odd Juwan Howard, Sam Cassel type guy who really does understand the role of elder statesman.

 

Geat take, the problem with these over paid brats is that so few of them "get it"

 

Guys like that are cheap and can be had just about any time for the vet min. Get as much talent as you can first, then add the towel waving locker room guys.

BNM

 

Gadz and Jeffries are older.

 

Also, keep in mind Aldridge and Matthews are both experienced players who are good examples for the younger guys. They may not be vocal leaders, but both work hard during the off season to improve their games. They are hard working guys who are dedicated to improving and stay out of trouble. They are also two guys who did not quit on the team last year when the so-called vets did.

BNM

 

The one nice thing about the team this year is that Aldridge is now a bonafide all-star and the oldest guy currently on the team ... and so many of his teammates have zero history with him that he should have an opportunity to lay down the law a little bit if he wants to seize the moment. I have doubts that he's wired that way, but after the clusterfuck of a season he endured last year, maybe he'll have a little less tolerance for guys going off the reservation?

Furthermore, I'm also mildly encouraged by Lillard. I have no idea if he'll have the talent to hang or if he'll end up a bust, but from the interviews I watched of him in the lead up to the draft, he comes across as somebody with some "salt" -- he just has a very mature and direct affect that hints at some innate leadership qualities.

 

Didn't mean to replicate what you said, I didn't see your bit until after I posted.

 

We still don't know if they're even really coming ... "A lot of moving pieces" according to Quick

 

So you take KT off the roster for the deal, but disregard the parts coming back in that same deal?

 

Personality-wise? I don't think Jared Jeffries and Dan Gadzuric are as highly regarded individuals as Kurt Thomas ... even still, I don't think it's any great loss -- probably negligible in the long term.

 

I think he's talking about age. And Wendell Maxey disagrees about Jeffries:

wendell maxey ‏@w_maxey
had the chance to cover jared jeffries my last season covering the knicks...a vet with respect and a guy young players leaned on heavily.

wendell maxey ‏@w_maxey
before blazers fans knock getting jared jeffries back for ray felton, understand that jj is a great locker room guy, a true pro...

wendell maxey ‏@w_maxey
yes, in that regard...jj a great media guy. sometimes deals extend beyond the court. RT @BlazetheDuck @w_maxey So he's the anti-Felton?

 

I'm talking age, as the original post was talking about.

 

That's nice to hear ... also reminds me that I need to start following Wendell again on twitter.

OK, no worries.

 

Yeah if Jeffries is indeed a great locker room guy and mentor I'll be fine with him as the 5th big man on the team. He was basically as good as Thomas was last year. Isn't Jeffries known as a decent defender as well? Up to 15 minutes a game as needed wouldn't be too bad.