Conley isn't going anywhere. Memphis just gave Lowry away for nothing. They chose Conley and will stick with him for a while IMO.
So I'm still struggling to understand what you were getting at questioning his decision making. Dude went to Europe when his eligibility to play as a true freshman came into question. Apparently the problem wasn't his grades but his test scores... http://www.usatoday.com/sports/preps/basketball/2008-06-23-jennings-europe_N.htm I don't see how this would make him tainted for Portland's "culture" STOMP
As you pointed out, he scored poorly on his SATs (actually scored better the 2nd time, but because of the difference was asked take the test a third time and he declined), so much that he wasn't eligible to attend UofA. Maybe he has a learning disability, maybe he struggles taking tests, maybe he doesn't apply himself, maybe there are some other circumstances that I'm not immediately thinking of preventing him from scoring high enough on the test. Either way, he wasn't able to get into college the first couple of tries. Deciding to not continue to pursue attending college and being a large part of a highly regarded basketball program may give Pritchard reason to doubt Jennings. Another problem that I potentially see is this quote referring to why he decided to not waste his time with the NCAA: I actually applaud his honesty, although it's misguided. I do think some would look down on someone who turned down an opportunity for a higher education or partial one. Those "things like that" might be what separates him from his peers. Most importantly the amount of playing time, role, and level of competition, just hasn't been what it would have if he'd have gone to UofA. That's where I would have liked to see what he could do. Wouldn't you like to see him in the Tournament this year - the biggest stage for a 19-year old? As for on-court decisions, I read this recently: http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Brandon-Jennings-1114/ Draft express had this blurb in a November write up too: It's not that he's not a great prospect, because he is. I just believe that had he decided to play collegiate ball, he would have receive a lot more guidance and instruction than he's getting now. It's almost like, for the quick buck, he's trying to skip a necessary development step. I wonder if Pritchard would fault him for that.
This line-up makes us worse defensively on the perimeter then Portland even is now. Nash is a horrible defender, Sergio is a horrible defender and Koponen is a total unknown. Besides which, Nash was only successful in the up tempo offense of Seven Seconds or Less. He pouted when he was "forced" to play defense by Terry Porter. How do you think he would respond to Nate? Further, Nash is old. He is hitting the point now where he will really start to slow down. Does Portland want to be a part of that decline?
