I'm sure they don't anymore. All GMs are exactly as reactionary as you. The next bad game for Roy will, incidentally, drop his value to zero. At least til the following game.
Sure, and he was 20 years old last year and didn't get consistent minutes. This may not be his peak. If it is, though, yes...he's in trouble.
Bayless at UA = underwhelming Bayless at SL08 = overwhelming Bayless at POR08/09 = inconsistent but a smidge of promise Thus far Bayless SL09 = inconsistent, some good, more bad I want to believe Bay was the real target in last years draft, more than ever I doubt that. I want to believe we can hand over Sergios keys to him, I seriously am doubting that. He may end up a great guard but odds are he wont be ready yet. I wouldnt be opposed making a deal for Felton to back up Blake and move Bayless to a team that can develop him.
I love how we all have no problem being patient with Oden, Batum, and Rudy, but Bayless gets no pass at all, quite ridiculous if you ask me. He may never be the pure PG, but it has been said a lot, he doesn't have to be. Roy covers up his weakness of playmaking. If Bayless can get like 13 ppg in the future along with like 5 assists or so then that would be great. I don't get it, but whatever.
I don't think posters are giving up on Bayless as much as they are giving up on Bayless as a PG. It's probrably too early to give up on that . . . but for the posters who have been saying Bayless isn't a PG since he was drafted, it's easier to have a quick trigger saying they were right about Bayless. The other players you mentioned, it is more of an issue of if they will develop. Although some were quick to dismiss Batum last summer league . . . and some have been arguing that Rudy is best suited as a SG and thus clashes with Roy.
I feel the same about Bay as I did Harden. I put, maybe wrongly, a lot of emphasis on how college players perform in their conf tourneys and the dance. Both players really struggled. Bay was the first draft pick of POR that didnt jive with me. I never have gotten past this. He is a Pritchard guy in some respects: hard worker, size. But the UA program was in transition and, that season, I didnt feel the program produced as well as in the past. Ive seen no playmaking skills in the two years I followed him. I am a little excited that we are finally seeing this side of his game now. One thing Im more sure of than ever: if he can be packaged to CHI for Hinrich or to DET for Prince (or any other quality 1s, 3s, or 4s) I do it immediately. Its unfair to rely on him to make our push to a championship next season. He needs to develop on a a less devoleped team. We need a more consistent guard.
DJ Augustine was the target of that draft. I think Bayless was "best guard available" once he was off the board. We've been trying to force a square peg into a round hole ever since in terms of the backup PG slot.