I'm thinking the answer is no. For a first round pick that has done nothing but give the impression that he is improving with each practice session he has, it's heartbreaking to see a kid like this repeatedly suffer serious injuries. With the way his career has gone so far, he unfortunately looks like one of those guys that will ride out the majority of their basketball life on the injured reserve list. I would love to see him play a full season without interruption, he has a lot of talent.
Agreed. For a while, when uninjured, he averaged 6 points, 5ish rebounds, and a block...and I thought he would be the real deal. But then, he gets injured...and he's looking like just another weak ass high school who probably should've gone to college and hit the weights. I'm definitely disappointed he hasn't been able to produce, and I'm hoping he'll be able to revive his career and stay healthy sooner or later...I mean, he's still really young, and still has shit loads of potential.
Robert Swift is officially done. He had a chance to be a very good player but Bob Hill did whatever he could to push him in practice and in insignificant games - ultimately it cost Robert a chance to become a very good player. It also cost Bob Hill his job. Swift got injured in a preseason game going after a loose ball that he could have easily let go out of bounds. The reason he felt compelled to dive after that ball was because he was in a battle for the starting center job with Johan Petro. Now Petro has been able to play without any significant injury and there is a question as to whether or not he will even be in the league once his rookie contract expires. Swift on the other hand showed tremendous progress in his second year and I honestly believed he was on his way to a very productive pro career - possibly even an All-Star. The injury set him back and his rehab was possibly the worst I've ever seen. Why would anyone add 40 additional pounds to a surgically repaired knee? Chances of reinjury I would think would be much higher with an excess amount of weight. The entire training staff should be fired and I hope that Greg Oden looks at that closely and does not try to bulk up any during his rehab. It is a shame that Robert has had these problems but at the end of the day he made enough money that he should be able to live a prosporous life. But as far as him being an impact player in the NBA you can forget it. Stick a fork in him.
I still remember us taking Swift ahead of Utah, who were reportedly interested in him, while Boston took Al Jefferson three picks later. I was convinced we picked for Boston and were going to get Al, who has developed into one of the most accomplished low post scorers in the league. Johan Petro is now our most reliable centre, assuming Nick is a four, and that's a scary thought.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Seattle SuperSonics center Robert Swift will likely miss the rest of the season with a knee injury, the team announced Friday. Swift has torn the lateral meniscus in his right knee and is scheduled to have surgery on Tuesday. The injury occurred during a 92-88 loss to Portland on February 21. Swift has averaged 1.8 points and 2.3 rebounds in eight games for Seattle this season, the only games he has played since having surgery on his ACL in October 2006. Also Friday, the Sonics waived forward Ira Newble, who was acquired in a February 21 trade with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Newble made two appearances for Seattle. In 43 games for Cleveland and Seattle this season, Newble has averaged 4.2 points and 2.7 rebounds.</div> Source Good night, Robert.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Iron Shiek @ Feb 25 2008, 03:31 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Robert Swift is officially done. He had a chance to be a very good player but Bob Hill did whatever he could to push him in practice and in insignificant games - ultimately it cost Robert a chance to become a very good player. It also cost Bob Hill his job. Swift got injured in a preseason game going after a loose ball that he could have easily let go out of bounds. The reason he felt compelled to dive after that ball was because he was in a battle for the starting center job with Johan Petro. Now Petro has been able to play without any significant injury and there is a question as to whether or not he will even be in the league once his rookie contract expires. Swift on the other hand showed tremendous progress in his second year and I honestly believed he was on his way to a very productive pro career - possibly even an All-Star. The injury set him back and his rehab was possibly the worst I've ever seen. Why would anyone add 40 additional pounds to a surgically repaired knee? Chances of reinjury I would think would be much higher with an excess amount of weight. The entire training staff should be fired and I hope that Greg Oden looks at that closely and does not try to bulk up any during his rehab. It is a shame that Robert has had these problems but at the end of the day he made enough money that he should be able to live a prosporous life. But as far as him being an impact player in the NBA you can forget it. Stick a fork in him.</div> Greg Oden did add quite a few pounds of muscle during his rehab, but I've seen no indication that the extra weight is holding him back at all, and everybody in the organization seems to be quite happy with his rehab and added muscle. We'll see once he plays in a real game, but I like what I'm hearing so far. Robert Swift is a RFA now, Chad Ford lists him in the "other notables" in his list of the top RFAs. Has the team completely given up on him or will they still match an offer? How high might a team have to go to steal him?
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Iron Shiek @ Feb 25 2008, 05:31 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Robert Swift is officially done. He had a chance to be a very good player but Bob Hill did whatever he could to push him in practice and in insignificant games - ultimately it cost Robert a chance to become a very good player. It also cost Bob Hill his job. Swift got injured in a preseason game going after a loose ball that he could have easily let go out of bounds. The reason he felt compelled to dive after that ball was because he was in a battle for the starting center job with Johan Petro. Now Petro has been able to play without any significant injury and there is a question as to whether or not he will even be in the league once his rookie contract expires. Swift on the other hand showed tremendous progress in his second year and I honestly believed he was on his way to a very productive pro career - possibly even an All-Star. The injury set him back and his rehab was possibly the worst I've ever seen. Why would anyone add 40 additional pounds to a surgically repaired knee? Chances of reinjury I would think would be much higher with an excess amount of weight. The entire training staff should be fired and I hope that Greg Oden looks at that closely and does not try to bulk up any during his rehab. It is a shame that Robert has had these problems but at the end of the day he made enough money that he should be able to live a prosporous life. But as far as him being an impact player in the NBA you can forget it. Stick a fork in him.</div> I agree. Bob Hill is the sort of coach that is too big for his britches, he really isnt the type of coach who thrives in the NBA and would be better suited just sticking to consulting work for a team. They axed him in SA when they realized that David Robinson was the reason they won 55 games a season, when Rob when down it showed how lousy Hill does when he doesnt have established great talent who already know how to play the game. I am rooting for Robert Swift. I would love for him to be a big part of the future with OKC, he has the ability to be a good center in this league, but he is just too thin to have a long career.
