Is Joel Freeland becoming my favorite player?

Discuss

 

well Meyers doesn't play, so it's Joel by default

STOMP

 

Not if you discover he's actually American and has been faking that accent.

 

I saw him lined up with Demarcus on a few possessions, and he looked to be the exact same height/width. Perhaps he should start??? I like his offensive game a lot more than I do Robin's.

 

Hmm. He plays center and he's white...seems kinda unlikely MM.

 

Not American, not from Syracuse. MM's allowed to love English Joel.

 

have to root for a guy who was lost last yr and worked very hard and it is paying off, really like what I see so far

This does give me pause to have some hope for Meyers, if he can't learn some good positives from Rolo and Joel then that will tell the story

 

He's a smart, hard-working, dedicated over-achiever. What's not to like?

 

I noticed that too, and was surprised. Well, the height part. Cousins has the Dwight Howard "ridiculously broad shoulders" syndrome.

 

Fans love players that work hard. He's definitely a poster child for that mold. His contract, that I used to think was albatross, is now becoming a steal. I hope he keeps it up!

 

Plus he's not a jerk face.

 

So, if we can get some nice English family to adopt Meyers Leonard, maybe get him to speak with a Cockney accent, he'd have a chance to earn MM's approval?

 

Haha

 

He was so terrible last year, but it showing something on defense this year, I hope he continues to get better....last year he was a 3 million dollar boat anchor, but this year he's earning his paycheck.

 

He is kinda like our Udonis Haslem/Nick Collison. Plays good D and doesn't make dumb mistakes that often.

 

He's scrappy!

 

Well, last night was just one game, but Joel certainly seemed to always be in the right place at the right time doing the right thing. That 2-handed denial of the Travis Outlaw dunk was just one of the momentum changing plays Freeland made last night. Outlaw was going up for another Rodney-Carney-posterize-you-and-embarrass-your-whole-family dunk that would have brought the Sacramento bench to their feet, but Joel's timing and technique were perfect as he totally denied Outlaw. The offensive rebound of his own miss and kick out for the open 3 was another momentum changing play. It combined both great hustle and great court awareness. The rebound was very Hickson-like, but Hickson would not have even considered looking or an open teammate at the 3-point line. He would have tried to force it back up and likely been blocked. Hustle, hard work and making smart plays, what's not to like?

Ever since the first preseason game, I have been impressed with Freeland's improvement, and his attitude. He was my Cult Hero pick during the preseason and I was the only one who mentioned him in that thread. He has certainly embraced his Nick Collison like role and it's paying off in terms of both results and increased playing time.

Freeland is too limited to ever be a star in this league, and will never be a starter on a contending team. But, that's OK. Every good team needs good role players. Collison is now in is 10th year in the league. When many lottery picks have long since flamed out, Collison is still there, playing for the team that drafted him, excelling at all the little things that coaches love and helps his team win (Collison always seems to kill the Blazers with a timely play when the game is on the line). Freeland has the potential to be exactly that same type of player. He also has the proper mind set and has worked on those things during the off season. The transformation is remarkable, but it shows you what hard work, focus and the right attitude can do. Good for him!

BNM

 

I think once he gets into his first fight or escalated scuffle with an opposing player, his legend in this city will be sowed. Especially if there's blood.

The Collison benchmark is fine, but I think we really want to see him replicate what the first Joel brought. Toughness, intimidation. On offense, there was a brief moment in time, where Joel and Van Exel worked a beautiful two man game where Joel really showed good touch and instincts around the hoop. If Freeland can discover that aspect of his game with Lillard, that would probably buoy his popularity, too.

 

I disagree that he could never start on a contending team. Freeland could improve into an acceptable rotational big man. I agree he'll never be a star but teams don't need 5 stars on the court at once. Would the Heat have won with an improved Freeland as their center last year? What about Boston when KG first got there, or Jordan's Bulls? I think its unlikely Freeland ever becomes a starter but if he continues to make small improvements and becomes a valuable rotational player his ceiling isn't necessarily just Nick Collisons role.