The problem with Rudy was that he was a star in the Euro-leagues and we were promised the same here. He was good, starter caliber rotation guy (before Ariza) - but he still believed he was a super-star in the NBA even after that and behaved like a Diva. Good player? Sure. Fun to watch? You bet. Super-star - not even close. Let's face it, Batum was a better overall player than Rudy was and will likely continue to get better with time - Rudy was fun to watch and all the girls went weak in the knees - but a star in the NBA he never was.
He just doesn't have the body for the NBA. He has the athleticism, and the shot, but his body can not take the physical beating that the NBA will dole out on any given night. He found that out the hard way and it completely changed his game. He went from a dare devil in his rookie season to someone that just camped on the outside and was afraid to go to the hole.
It was not just the body - it was the relative lack of handle compared to someone like Manu who is not much heavier than him. The difference is that Manu can handle the ball much better than Rudy - and thus can thrive in places Rudy never could. Manu is a lot less of a Diva as well.
<pet peeve> Rudy could jump, he was not "athletic." Athletic, to me has more to do with quickness. </end peeve> Indeed, that was his problem, he couldn't go around his man, and he wasn't a good 1 on 1 defender. Basically, he couldn't move his feet quickly. As for Claver, we'll see. We know he can jump...
"Athleticism" in the field of NBA prognostication is most commonly used as a synonym for "jumping ability", and by saying Rudy is athletic, you seemed to be using it in the same way. The point relevant to this thread is that VC certainly has jumping ability. If he is to be more than a role player, he will also need quickness. I look forward to seeing how he does.
I mean, if we want to get all vague, they're all "athletic" because they're professional athletes But I see your point. I guess I'm just saying that you can be athletic in different ways. You could be a jumper, you could be a runner. They aren't mutually exclusive either. You could always say "he's an athletic jumper" or he's an "athletic runner" but that could get tedious.
They're different parts. I think they may even be different kinds of cells. I've known people who can get up to a very high speed but can't change direction fast at all. There are also people who can jump high but aren't quick. Telfair is quick but can't jump. Outlaw could jump but wasn't quick.
But that's my point.... you can be considered "athletic" and only be a good jumper, or only be a good sprinter. Very few people are good at all facets of athletic ability. But anyway, I digress. We're getting sidetracked here and I think how one defines "athleticism" is completely subjective.
and getting sidetracked on athleticism isn't a Claver idea (I just never seem to get tired of that joke)
Check out the nifty layup over Seraphim [this should start at 3:47 - if it doesn't, then that's when the move happens.] [video=youtube;Wpbcy3vwIqE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wpbcy3vwIqE&t=3m47s[/video] Of course, Nic has a much flashier dunk (on/past Ibaka) at 0:17 Nice to see Sergio getting back into Spain's squad. That's the upside of Rubio being out.
