I think you may have mistaken what I wrote as being an argument for him to get playing time - that wasn't my intent at all! I was merely making an argument that he hasn't been given an opportunity (outside of a small opportunity his rookie year). I only mentioned Babbitt and Wright to illustrate that those sucks got WAY MORE of an opportunity than Claver ever has. I'm absolutely, in no way suggesting that Claver should get playing time. But if the choice is to give Claver minutes or Wright minutes, I think the nod has to go to Claver.
Clever got shots to prove his worth in past seasons. He even started a bunch of games. But he didn't impress. What makes him think he'll get minutes on another team?
From a production standpoint, yes. From a trade value standpoint, no. Wright has the better moveable contract because it's larger.
I figured you weren't arguing for him to get playing time when you wrote "I don't particularly care" I was responding more to show that he has at least had some opportunity and hasn't done much with it. Wright and Claver have gotten very similar opportunities. If my math is correct, Wright has played 1031 minutes in 75 games for Portland and Claver has played 996 minutes in 70 games. Neither has been that great but Dorell's PER is higher fwiw. And Babbitt did get more opportunity but on a bad team.
I admit I discarded Claver's rookie season without even looking at it, because as an older foreign rookie there was very little chance he'd contribute even if given a chance. So instead I focused on his second season. But in going back and looking at Claver's first (and ONLY) shot he actually shot >40% during the time frame where he was getting consistent play - Feb - 41.5%, Mar - 46.7%, Apr - 41%. I still don't want him in the rotation.
If he's not playing there is a disconnect between Olshey and Stotts. Neil should have realized this already and fixed the problem.
Why is there is disconnect? Somebody has to be the 15th man. It's not like Olshey drafted Claver. He did sign him - three summers ago, before we knew what Stotts' system would be and whether, or not Claver would fit that system. Until now, I've been perfectly happy with Claver as our 15th man. But, unfortunately, he's not and went public with his whining. BNM
Don't you think if other teams were actually interested they would make an offer? I'm sure Olshey would even accept a second rounder for him. I want to be in your court, but maybe Olshey has tried to get him to another team. Maybe the GMs around the league aren't interested
As well as the guys playing ahead of him... Maybe, instead of calling his agent and demanding a trade, he should spend his time figuring out what he needs to improve to better fit the coach's/team's needs. Claver seems like a smart guy. He seems like he should be able to adapt his skill set to a variety of situations. Not sure why that hasn't happened. And he's the one that wants out. I'm sure if Stotts was unhappy with Vic as our 15th man, he'd be gone by now. For some reason, the Spurs seem to be able to make almost every player (except Steven Jackson) they acquire learn to work within their system. I would have never predicted Patty Mills would be a great fit in San Antonio (turnover prone, shoot first PG with no defense, etc.), but look at him now. BNM
Another thing Joel did, if I'm not mistaken, he stayed here and worked on those things he needed to work on rather than "representing" England in international competition during the off season. None of our other Euros have done that, to my knowledge. I wish Batum would. Claver, it doesn't matter one way or the other.
Let's play the Brundlefly game again: put Claver and TRob in the transporter together and see what we get.
Bullshit. Coaches dictate PT and they seldom follow a strict meritocracy. What I presume you mean is "PT should be earned not given". But even that isn't true: a smart coach will recognize when player who isn't necessarily as good as a teammate will blossom if given PT. I must have blinked when he was playing himself out of the rotation. Stotts has a pattern: he plays the starters huge minutes and then is pretty random with what bench players he gives minutes to. He also yanks players pretty damn quickly. Now he has Blake and Kaman, there're next to no minutes for another bench player (and what minutes there are go to Crabbe or a big). I think part of the problem is that Claver is a good glue player, so would make sense as a starter, but is also a tweener, and they don't tend to be starters. Plus, we desperately need bench scoring, and he just isn't a scorer. I think the nail in the coffin came when Nic was out. Stotts could have started Vic, because Vic is basically a poor man's Batum. But we seem to have decided that he's actually a backup PF (despite him being ill-suited for that) and that Crabbe is the man to develop. Now, because Crabbe is actually playing well (and HITTING SHOTS) it's hard to argue with that. But a much younger player stealing his slot has to be galling. Where do you find the outrage? His agent is doing what agents do. Claver isn't a whiner, despite what your somewhat xenophobic tirades insist.
Claver, Leonard, Wright, don't care either way. Although of the three if Wright doesn't mind not playing I'd be fine with him staying. Just don't let the locker room get a cancer.
Stotts hates Euro players! :MARIS61: It's a race thing or continent thing, not sure what to call it but it's definitely a thing.
