We haven't really seen enough to tell, but he sure doesn't look like an NBA player. (Of course, you could say that of basically every Blazer right now, but I have seen SOME of them play well before. Not Nolan.) Everyone complains that we didn't take Faried. We also didn't take Shumpert, who is at least a great athlete and a tenacious defender.
Fucking Larry Miller. I still stand by my personal boycott: I will not attend a Blazer game as long as he's connected with the team in any way.
In his first year of a rookie contract?? Uh, no. He deserves a fair shot for a few years. Then if he can't play, let him go.
2 things shumpert was taken before smith and I know we havent seen nate give extended minutes to rookies esp point guards but Smith is a guy that needs to get used to the NBA. That means extended minutes and a somewhat forgiving coach before we can fully evaluate if he is a lost cause or not. Year 1 and 2 PG's tend to look a little lost at times even after playing a lot of minutes, you have to let them grow and develop. We will have a better idea after we buyout Felton and give nolan the reigns for 22 games.
If you waive Smith now, there is nobody available to replace him that will salvage this season. If you are going to waive somebody - make it count. Waive Felton and openly admit it is for disciplinary reasons. Shake up the locker-room.
I thought I read earlier this season how Nolan viewed Felton as a mentor.. pretty much shows the way he's playing.
I dunno, I don't see the point of waiving him right now (unless it's out of mercy to get him out of this horrible situation). I say give him at least one off-season and one regular season under a real NBA coach before pulling the trigger.
I see very good dribbling, very good shooting, and sharp decisions about passing from the playmaker. I have been pleasantly surprised, and I was critical, in the big draft-day thread, that we didn't take Faried. The guy to cut is the coach who won't give us a nightly glimpse of all young 1st round picks.
I no longer want to waive Nolan. I guess Nate really did have something to answer for. Now I want Sergio back!
I think he has the potential to be a very solid backup. He's shown that he can hit shots from different areas, he's not a total loose cannon like Armon Johnson, and seems more "point guardy" than Bayless. I'd just like to see him get more PT. So no, I'd not waive him after his rookie year. He looks a lot better than Babbit did.
Bayless was the one that had highest potential out of any of the point guards we have drafted in the last 8 years.
Well he looks like one now. And with Brandon here, we didn't need a true PG anyway. I remember even Bayless saying something along the lines of he was like Mo Williams to Brandon was to Lebron.
BTW, I'm pretty sure it was Nate that forced management to trade Bayless away because he was so in love with Armon in training camp.
