Don't suppose it might have had something to do with a certain McMuffin? Not so much with Jack, but I thought at the time Nate was hurting Martell.
I agree. Nate had a vision for each player instead of using the talents they had. His vision for Martell was being a defensive stopper and that just is not going to happen. After we solve our center issue or take advantage of the cap space we have this summer, I would not be opposed to bringing Martell back with the exception we gain after using space. There are other options available that are just as good for what he does though and investing heavily in bringing him back would be a mistake.
Looking at Bayless (age 24/7 years in league), Webster (26/8), Jack (29/8) and Mills (24/4), I remember how shitty I thought those guys were back in the day on our bench (and sometimes starting.) And then I look today with frustration at our current bench--Leonard (age 20/Rookie), Claver (24/R), Babbitt (23/3), Freeland (25/R), Smith (24/R), Williams (23/1). I think we have some solid players in our future with a lot of these guys. Maybe even all of them. The problem is timing. Our core of Batum/Aldridge/Lillard/Matthews are ready to compete in the playoffs right now, and these guys are all a couple years out. And I don't really know that there's a quick fix. Most of these young guys have little value because they haven't proven anything, so they're hard to trade for decent assets. Ideally you would sit on them for a few years and let them blossom, but every year you do that you're squandering the prime of guys like LMA.
Well Nate didn't coach jack to dribble off his feet in clutch situations. If he did; then he's pretty amazing at controlling players.
Claver and Leonard are the two players I feel good about. Barton could be a solid "defensive swarming" type player; but I worry about his control. He's still young and probably has a lot of growing up to do. I lost all hope for Babbitt. He isn't a player I feel comfortable with. A lot of it has more to do with being on fire then completely faded the next game. It reminds me so much of waiting for outlaw to develop. Even though outlaw eventually helped Roy and his iso game; he was still a bone head and faded one game to the next. I would rather have scrapers like claver and freeland than give Babbitt more chances.
Yeah, but really Babbitt reminds me a lot of of a young Webster--a guy who should be a world-class shooter but isn't really because there's just this sense of self-doubt and mental fragility. Meanwhile Claver and Freeland seem more reminiscent of guys like Khryapa and Monia. Hustle do-it-alls with little specialty. Which one is still in the league?
I don't think Nate hurt jack at all. But asking martell to camp out on the three point line and can threes completely out of any kind of rhythm especially considering martells well publicized mental issues was doomed to failure. Nate seemed unable to adapt to his players strengths instead demanding they mold to his design.
