[Official] The whipping boy thread

Discussion in 'Portland Trail Blazers' started by Fez Hammersticks, Oct 16, 2013.

  1. MickZagger

    MickZagger Well-Known Member

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    I partially blame AAU ball for the amount of leg (specifically knee) injuries that players are seeing these days.
     
  2. The_Lillard_King

    The_Lillard_King Westside

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    I think Joel is more a product of Europe (emphasis on fundamentals) while Leonard is more a product US (emphasis on strength and athleticism). Meyers knows how to dunk. Joel knows where to be on defense.

    It kind of sucks for Meyers being so young and thrown in the NBA where the focus is no longer on developing fundamentals and he never really got much training in that in AAU and only 1 yr in college.
     
  3. Natebishop3

    Natebishop3 Don't tread on me!

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    Why do you say that?
     
  4. MickZagger

    MickZagger Well-Known Member

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    Year round basketball for guys who's bones are still growing. Not good.
     
  5. Natebishop3

    Natebishop3 Don't tread on me!

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    That's a good point. I also think that they're not strengthening the muscles in their legs enough to take some of the stress off their joints. So many guys are super skinny like Will Barton. Shaun Livingston was a twig and his knee finally just gave out.
     
  6. The_Lillard_King

    The_Lillard_King Westside

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    What Mick is saying. Too many games. I know you can get hurt practicing but these kids should be spending more time practicing and working on footwork than playing 2-4 games a week . . . more during tournament season.


    "AAU is the worst thing to happen to college basketball ever," Barkley said in 2011. "I hate AAU more than anything in the world. These kids aren’t getting good coaching. They're playing too many games and not working on their game enough."
     
  7. MickZagger

    MickZagger Well-Known Member

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    But those guys are skinny all the way through.

    Guys like Oden, Rose, Westbrook were all built solidly and suffered leg injuries.
     
  8. Natebishop3

    Natebishop3 Don't tread on me!

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    Yeah, but Westbrook's injury was such a fluke.

    [video=youtube;bH2kv0MfoSU]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bH2kv0MfoSU[/video]

    Rose on the other hand was something that could be attributed to too much stress :dunno:

    [video=youtube;jo1UlzDeY-o]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jo1UlzDeY-o[/video]
     
  9. huevonkiller

    huevonkiller Change (Deftones)

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    Yeah Rose just seems injury-prone. Like Wade sort of, but much more serious.

    None of those guys were solidly built on the inside, their injuries did not look that bad.
     
    Last edited: Oct 17, 2013
  10. PtldPlatypus

    PtldPlatypus Let's go Baby Blazers! Staff Member Global Moderator Moderator

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    This. I think that Leonard does need game minutes to develop--but not on the big squad. If a big goes down, then bring him back, but for now I think we're covered at the 4/5 spots with LA/RoLo/TRob/Joel/Claver. Seems to me that project players like Leonard are exactly what the developmental league is for.
     
  11. Boise Blazer

    Boise Blazer Thread Lightly

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    Luckily our team seems to be ok with needing Leonard at this point. With that said there is no reason not to wait it out a little with him. IF he puts it together even a little bit he becomes a steal for this team. I also believe he will have a good game at some point that brings a lot of people back around. He is definitely someone that the masses seem to easily go back and forth on at the drop of a dime
     
  12. magnifier661

    magnifier661 B-A-N-A-N-A-S!

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    Nolan smith all over again
     
  13. Eastoff

    Eastoff But it was a beginning.

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    You get an F on this paper. No context on which "Bryant" you are referring to, nor a link or source other than "sports illustrate" What issue? Where can I go to examine the article further.
     
  14. PtldPlatypus

    PtldPlatypus Let's go Baby Blazers! Staff Member Global Moderator Moderator

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    Except that Nolan Smith came out after his senior year, a Wooden Award winner, supposedly NBA-ready. He was not a "project". They are completely different scenarios.
     
  15. Eastoff

    Eastoff But it was a beginning.

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    exactly!
     
  16. Eastoff

    Eastoff But it was a beginning.

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    I think you just keep Leonard as a long term project, but he gets table scraps for real game time. If there is a trade involving him for a proven starter, send him. But don't trade him unless it's worth it.
     
  17. Pinwheel1

    Pinwheel1 Well-Known Member

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    Or you could simply copy and paste the first line of his quote in to Google and find it yourself. It takes about 5 seconds. " I wasn't the strongest kid at that camp," Bryant recalled of an ABCD"
     
  18. huevonkiller

    huevonkiller Change (Deftones)

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    Bryant has great fundamentals on paper. In reality he takes too many low-percentage 2-pointers.
     
  19. magnifier661

    magnifier661 B-A-N-A-N-A-S!

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    You guys can defend him all you want; but I'm seeing instinct. This kid has none of it. He's not a jermaine oneal. At least oneal looked like he had natural instinct.

    Leonard looks like he's in over his head. Can't seem to get it. Always looking like a deer in head lights. This is why I think he's going to be a bust. He just doesn't have the motor or drive to want to be good. Hell, he may not even be serviceable.
     
  20. Rastapopoulos

    Rastapopoulos Well-Known Member

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    I AM ready to give up on him. He can grow up somewhere else. I'd be willing to bet that he becomes a journeyman AT BEST. There are Americans in Europe who are much more deserving of his roster space - Kyle Hines, for example.

    I have a good record on giving up early. I gave up on Sebastian Telfair in time to want to draft Chris Paul/Deron Williams.
     

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