I'd love to have Wes back. He seems like the type of guy I'd like to coach or have for a teammate. Works hard, leads by example, etc. But I don't think the Blazers really can offer him what he wants, because I, like others, just don't see the strong enough handle to be the player I am glad to see he wants to be. I think Wes gives you so much that you have to respect his desire to go out and see if he can be that guy, while at the same time understanding why the Blazers wouldn't resign him. Like I said, I like a player like Wes who aspires to be better and puts in the time to be better, but I just haven't seen a lot of players at his point in their lives that can suddenly develop into slick ballhandlers. I'll be disappointed if he throws away something perfect for himself in an effort to make an unrealistic brass ring, but far be it from me to tell the guy not to take that chance if he has it.
It's not ACL, it was an Achilles tear. But either way, hes screwed. We would be fools to offer him more than 2 years at this point.
If I put being a Wes and being a Blazer fan both aside for a moment and were him, I'd probably want to go to Phoenix if nothing else than for the fact that they have the best medical facility and staff on the planet,Jeff Hornacek(his rookie shooting coach) with Earl Watson as a assistant coach and a chance to be a go to guy on offense. The desert is kind to the healing process.
That is even more true for anyone else. He means more to our locker room then he would to a new team. Which is why I think we are in the driver's seat if Neil wants him. On the other hand if no one offers him a long term contract, and LMA leaves, the chances of him leaving go way up IMO. If we sign LMA first and have little cap space, I wonder if we just offer him a huge 2 year deal. More than anyone else. If he doesn't come back strong it will be a payment for services already rendered.
I never got the impression Wes and Nico weren't friends but is there ever a thread that doesn't end up with at least some slant toward Batum is the problem?
Because he truly is. If he had the heart and dedication of Wes, Batum would be all star caliber. Batum is our current version of Rasheed Wallace. A player that has the skills to be one of the best at his position, but chooses to coast most the time.
First, if Quick wrote it, take it with a pound of melodramatic salt. Second, if Wes is your number one or two option your team is in trouble. Wes IS a featured player in our offense and Stotts has maximized his production and effectiveness.
Batum needs more techs and ref aggression for this to work. Sheed got burnt out at refs always fucking the blazers. He saw us get raped by the league to hand shaq and rapist another ring and said "fuck it, why work hard to get screwed." Kind of the same mentality most workers have today in corporate america. Bust my ass for the same 1% raise you are giving everyone else while you make further cuts to medical insurance? Get raped.
I agree! That's were Wes should really go. Its been proven that the Blazers have a shitty medical staff.
Blazers medical staff is improved, that's for sure. My son has a sports physical therapy degree and he gets flown to Phoenix several times a year to study under the best therapists on the planet..and the weather is a factor in healing. I still want Wes to stay but for the best care..it's Phoenix.
