I don't think that's fair.... nobody was saying Rudy was worth Rondo and I've heard that multiple times regarding Batum. Also, Rudy might be a very different player today if Trevor Ariza hadn't taken him out. He was never the same after that. He went from being one of the best rookies in the league to a complete scrub.
Pretty sure a lot of you were saying you thought he'd be a top 5 SG. I remember you all telling me how much better he'd be than Monta Ellis lol. I'd say the hype was similar, the difference is Batum is a decent NBA player and could get even better while Fernandez is a fringe NBA player.
Has there been a more overrated player in Blazer history than Martell Webster? Nic finished 8th in the NBA in PER for qualified SFs last year, just behind Iguadola. http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/holl...n.go.com/nba/hollinger/statistics?position=sf
Rudy Mania was awesome Already had some good hype when the Blazers drafted him Then this happened [video=youtube;MZh2eK5Mo-o]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZh2eK5Mo-o[/video]
He's a fringe NBA player now, he wasn't during his rookie season. The guy went from a high-flying, exciting, fun to watch, record breaking shooting guard to someone that couldn't hit the broad side of a barn. And that transformation magically happened after he took a nasty fall and hurt his back. Back injuries are not something to scoff at. That's like saying a lot of us thought that Greg Oden was going to be a HOFer.
I was in Vegas at the MGM Grand sports' book watching that game. It was well after midnight Vegas time. When Rudy dunked it, I jumped up and shouted. I explained to the Knick fans from NYC next to us that I was a Blazer fan. They nodded and understood. Oh Rudy, why did you Ariza wreck your career?
I don't think Webster was overhyped... I think people just kept hoping beyond hope that we hadn't thrown away a chance to draft Paul or Williams. Unfortunately that draft was as bad or worse than the 2007 draft.
I had a Trevor Ariza avatar that said "Douche Bag" instead of "Lakers" across the jersey. DaRizzle went nuts over it.
Webster was completely overhyped on BBF. BrianfromWA was the leader of the Webster Brigade. At least Batum has put up some stats that say he's worth more than a MLE contract.
He was a jumpshooting wing player who could get to the rim when the opportunity presented itself. Jason Richardson + a few inches. I know he got derailed, but he was never able to create his own shot. The hype was unreal for a guy who mostly only shot 3's, played mediocre defense, and generally wasn't above average at anything besides shooting.
Don't recall Webster being that hyped. I mean, he was a bit overhyped but about average for how fans view their young players. Rudy mania was off the charts and Batum is extreme at times but it seems like the majority have come down from that in the last 5-6 months.
He had a great feel for the game. He made some unbelievable passes, and he had good athleticism, but Rudy's problem was his build. He's too thin. He just wasn't made for the beating that you can take in the NBA. I think if he was healthy and had played in the right system, he could have easily been a solid starter. The problem was that he played for McMillan who had him camped out on the perimeter shooting nothing but threes, and then the injury happened and he was never the same. He took less risks and became even more of a one-dimensional shooter. I agree that he didn't live up to the hype, and many of us had high expectations for him, but we never really go to see what Rudy could have been. The guy showed a lot of promise his rookie season, but it was all down hill from there.
[video=youtube;r3WSKgRf1xw]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3WSKgRf1xw[/video] This is the Rudy that everyone was in love with.
Man that Martell game in the preseason where he went off! What a game he had....... them we found out he broke his foot or something. All downhill from there.......
rudy's feel for the game was unreal as he routinely pulled off amazing plays. he was a lot of flash and something the team needed. it never really gets talked about but that ariza play was complete bush league and really did derail fernandez's career.
I can't stand when people try to explain Rudy sucking by one (not that hard) foul. Ariza barely did anything. That happens countless times every season. Rudy was, is, and always will be a gigantic pussy.
