What does Stotts have against Claver?

Oh, my comrade Khryapa, yeh, except this guy isn't really compact enough to be even as effective as him.

 

Shouldn't you see Viktor as a turncoat? Wasn't he born in the Ukraine but opted to play for Russia?

 

Well, yes, as person raised in USA, I have my cold war bias, and so yes I do think of him as somewhat of a traitor, but realistically there are not really good professional teams here. Now as to why he would play for the Russian National team; that's another question. But i also accept the reality that there are now many people living in Ukraine who wish they were part of Russia.

 

That's a good point, really only one guy in the first round has done much, Rodrigue Beaubois. I've always thought that Pritchard wanted Ty Lawson and thought he would drop to the Blazers. If he'd known he wasn't going to drop, I think he would have traded up to get him. So he made a miscalculation.

I admit I haven't seen Claver much, but has there ever been a tall, skinny white guy, who couldn't shoot threes (or even free throws) who made even a minimal impact in the league? As far as that goes has there ever been a tall skinny player of any color?

 

We needed a PG that draft. Here are the picks leading up to ours:

Code:

17.	76ers		Jrue Holiday		PG
18.	Timberwolves	Ty Lawson		PG
19.	Hawks		Jeff Teague		PG
20.	Jazz		Eric Maynor		PG
21.	Hornets		Darren Collison		PG
22.	Trail Blazers	Victor Claver		SF

I can see Pritchard seeing the Bulls taking James Johnson (who, incidentally, kicked our asses last night) at 16 and thinking "phew, there are five PGs left that we'd want - we're BOUND to get one... And then the panic fall-back stash pick. Here's the rest of the first round:

Code:

23.	Kings		Omri Casspi		SF
24.	Mavericks	B.J. Mullens		C
25.	Thunder		Rodrigue Beaubois	PG
26.	Bulls		Taj Gibson		PF
27.	Grizzlies	DeMarre Carroll		PF
28.	Timberwolves	Wayne Ellington		SG
29.	Lakers		Toney Douglas		SG
30.	Cavaliers	Christian Eyenga	SF

Of course, the best pick here is Taj Gibson. But remember those days when we thought our roster was already stacked? When our only weak link was PG, and we were all set to compete for championships for the next decade? We thought we didn't need a 23-year-old senior.

? Claver is actually a very solid three-poiint shooter, and I'm pretty sure his free-throw shooting is decent, too. Does that make you happy?

 

Stoots is destroying our rookies

 

I just want to see what Claver and Freeland can do. I want to know if their solid play in Europe translates at all. If not, fine, move on. BUT I WANT TO KNOW. Now it's possible that Stotts thinks they're pretty sound fundamentally and used to the pro game, so let's give these college kids/fringe scrubs some burn to see what they've got. But then why play Aldridge, Batum and Matthews the most minutes? It's looking like he actually doesn't think they're WORTH playing.

I guess I can wait for the regular season. I'd even be content if they were sent to Idaho (although swapping sunny, cosmopolitan Spain for Idaho and the podunk cities of the D-League would be enough to send anyone into a tailspin of depression) just so long as we get to see what they can do.

 

For his height, Claver has great mobility and is a fine dribbler. I liked Khryapa, but Claver is better. He zips from point to point and dribbles around angles like a guard. Stotts isn't playing him because he has made the team, and guys who haven't need to be evaluated.

 

If not, fine?

Yeah right!!!

You constantly link Sergio and Rudy's euro stats when both were garbage as Blazers.

 

...and now Freeland as well. I know it's churlish (no, really) to complain about a nice win, but we were up by a bunch near the end there, so, y'know, would it really have hurt so much? Freeland's got to be feeling like a total dork given the British coverage of his "debut."

Meanwhile Batum gets the 40 mins that he was getting in France and responds. But can our main guys last if this is the rotation?

 

I hear that. In a season like this where we're not gonna make the playoffs I feel like there should be a soft cap of 30 minutes on the starters. If a guy has to play 35, no big deal, but if we're regularly playing Batum and Aldridge 40 minutes I've got a problem with that.

 

I'm not worried about it. I think they played extended minutes last night because it was the Lakers and Stotts wanted his best guys on the floor. With that said, I think as the season goes on we will see more of the bench. I think right now he's just trying to let the starters get some more time together. I would have liked to have seen Freeland last night though. We are very thin at guard. I would have also liked to have seen Barton.

 

Now Stotts puts Claver on the inactive list so that he can activate an admittedly still gimpy Sasha Pavlovic?

Wow. That's what you call a slap in the face. I wonder how much he's missing Valencia about now.

 

You realize that your obsession with Claver is bordering on a Maris/Sergio love affair?

 

Claver always stutters with a humble smile. If he were more conceited he'd get more respect. I think he's just as talented as the rookie Batum was.

 

See, this is why we can't draft Spaniards any more.

 

Their accents captivate the fans, which could eventually lead to civil strife and bloodshed.

 

One thread does not an obsession make. Here is all I claim about Claver: I'd rather see him play than Babbitt. Disagree?