Translation: "I'm not really happy, but they told me they won't trade me unless my value goes up, so I'm happy."
I think that's what he's doing, and part of me is almost more pissed at him doing that, than speaking his mind. Because whereas before he was telling us how he felt and wanted to be gone, now he sounds like he's just saying the right things. Phony. I hope it's how he truly feels though. I just doubt it is.
I don't think Rudy will be happy until he's starting somewhere, and probably in a city that he approves of. I don't think he'll ever be "happy" as a backup.
Rudy wants to play basketball- somewhere. For now it's going to be in Portland. He's making the best of it. I would too.
I agree, but I do think if he was getting a consistent role on the team (or a team) he'd be happIER. I don't think he's crazy enough to think he'd start for the teams he really wants to go to.
I could care less if he means it or not. He is bringing his trade value higher and is productive doing so. Great.
Why wouldn't he be happy? The team traded Bayless, thus giving him more playing time AND a more creative role in the offense. He's the 2nd-string SG and the 2nd-3rd string PG. Mathewss is the other highly-regarded bench player and he's more of a complementary player. One of the reasons we're winning is we're playing a pretty tight rotation. The starters are all playing a lot and IMO playing well, then there's Dante, Mathewss and Rudy mostly - at least in 2nd halves. That makes Rudy key player, one of the main barometers. Brandon Roy plays 40 Minutes per, Andre Miller plays less, if you consider that Batum is playing around 30 and Dante is mostly backing up the bigs right now - I think Rudy at least has a chance to prove himself.
So what Rudy really wanted this whole time was less minutes, less shot attempts per game and less points per game? Man, who knew?
He is averaging about 5 minutes less per game than last year Our rotation is 10 deep, so I'm not sure how you get tight rotation out of that
I don't know about the theory that he's just playing well so he can be traded. Didn't he say he didn't want to be traded to any other team in the NBA? He wants to go home, but not traded so I think he's just happy with his role and with other players making it so he's involved with the players off the court. He feels he's part of the team now and I don't think he felt that before. But who knows?
Naw. They told him that in the off-season, training camp, preseason, and after the season started. I don't think he's just figuring it out now. I think it's more like there's nothing else for him to do. He can't get out of it, especially now that the blazers have picked up his option.
I don't agree. I think he finally realizes that the ONLY way he's going to get out of it is if he plays by their rules.
If Batum gets the minutes he really deserves, it'll probably come at the expense of Rudy. So if my top priority were Rudy's sense of inner peace, well....
