It has been my opinion that far too much had been expected from Martell during his first three seasons. With his age being the prime reason my expectations weren't so lofty, I was able to be satisfied with the glimpses of great ability that he has shown. I believe that he will prove a lot of you fools when he ends up putting it all together on a more consistent basis - of which I have very little doubt that he has the talent and drive to accomplish said feat. He is a perfect fit on this team and will provide much needed scoring on either the first or second unit when he does come back. His defense is better than either Rudy's or Travis' and we will all come to realize what exactly this team has missed going into next year. His impact will be so positive that I do not believe anything other than perhaps bringing over Freeland(Or another strong back-up PF) will be necessary to bring this team to championship level contention starting next year. He's that good and he fits that well.
I wouldn't call attention to his drive... it wasn't until his 3rd season that he finally shed the baby fat and he's yet to add a noticeable wrinkle/skill to his game. According to the expectations thread, many posters already feel the club is going to be at contender level next year. I very much doubt these opinions hinge on Martell taking quantum steps forward as most here also project Batum as the guy at SF. Though younger and less experienced then MW, he's already enjoying more statistical success and opinions aren't very divided on the quality of his D. Hell, without MW and with 3 rookies in the rotation, Portland is on pace for 50+ wins and in contention for home court advantage... and next year one would expect continued improvement from such a young roster. Heres hoping he proves all of us "fools" wrong and that he steps up all facets of his game, but I won't be giving him credit for putting Portland over the top if he comes back on the same old mediocre productivity plateau he's been on. STOMP
Ahhhh, good ol' expectations again. This drive you acknowledge came at a time when Martell was exactly 20-years-old; after a life of much hardship, which to me exemplifies a man of strong character and fortitude. A little silly to belittle this fact. Most kids that age do not have the where with all or the hubris to seek out professional treatment in order to get their thoughts and feelings back on track. I can only applaud him for recognizing this necessity for help far sooner than the average person would've. My main point was not about next year, it was about what Martell would've brought to the team this year. This team is wholly deficient in its perimeter shot defense, much due to the lack of ability by our wings to properly rotate to find the open man. I believe Martell would've only helped in this area with regard to his defense and this fact alone would've made this team a legit contender this year, saying nothing of what he would've offered as another viable scoring option. My point about the "fools" was about expectation. You decide to see him as an individual without really understanding what his affect would've been on the team level. This team, this year would've been that much better had Martell played up to his supposed improvement. I tend to believe that at the start of the year he was that much improved as any 21-22 year old can that much improve(a lot). This team will not be great next year without Martell. Just as the team is not great this year without Martell. Failing to see that is what I would call foolish. That's just my opinion of course.
So, we should not judge Webster based on the fact he was the #6 pick in the draft. We should not judge him based on the fact the Blazers wanted him over Paul/Williams. We should not judge him based on the fact that Outlaw and Batum, both drafted much later, are more valuable to the team. Just what standard SHOULD we use to judge his performance - or lack thereof?
the expectations thread... it's spot where posters (besides you) have been posting that Portland will be a contender next year which you claimed would happen because Martell would be back making the difference... even a fool should be able to follow that. silly me for expecting a pro athlete to be in top shape before his 3rd year in the league. yet like many others I think his D is mediocre at best... and I'm fine with disagreeing without calling anyone an idiot.There is no question that Martel's rebounding, steals, and block rates all trail the other two guys. On the other end he's pretty much been 3 point shooter and little else. He doesn't dribble much, doesn't get assists, and doesn't get to the line. And it's a fact that Portland is shooting both a higher percentage and making more 3's then they did last year. Even without Martell's contributions they are an elite team in this regard. I've watched him plenty in forming my opinion, and it's always been in a team context... why you're making up silly BS about how I'm comprehending the game and belittling the many that you disagree with is a mystery to me... have I been rude to you ever? And again, my reference to "expectation" was to a recent thread with expectation in the title that was relevant to what you were talking about. I tend to believe more in MW's body of work then half a single preseason blowout game against the worst team in the league who was missing it's two best players... and I'm foolish STOMP
