MKG14 wrote:I feel like "nepotism" is a little bit dramatic for this situation.
You're right, of course I'm being overly dramatic to make a point. We can call it something different. The question remains will they be on this team because of their skill and talent or because they are related to management?
Why this matters to me as a fan: Just because a team is not winning games does not mean I won't watch, right? We all watched all last year, and a lot of it was dreadful, unwatchable. Even the staunchest fans on this board signed off mid-game, posting that they couldn't watch anymore. Cory Higgins had the one game where he "went off" for 18 pts. Other than that game, his shooting percentage hovered around 10% for large chunks of the season. He was not a good passer so despite supposedly being a PG he often played shooting guard. His size should at least have made him a valuable perimeter defender. Nope. His play was often unwatchable. Conversely, think about Derrick Brown's perfect game, and his general play all year long. Often, during bleak blowouts, he was still hustling, still sort of fun to watch. We can still Tank and have Derrick Brown on the team. I am not "crying" for us to go out and sign a top ten player for a lot of money. It's about giving me the fan the sense that the team is building toward something - which they have successfully done with the likes of MKG, Taylor, Biz - and also giving me players that I want to watch, to keep watching, despite the losing. Why was Najera such a fan favorite, so great to watch, even when we were losing? We all want to see someone battle, be fierce, flash talent when given that opportunity. To me, it would have made sense this summer to re-up UPS, and sign a guy like Dominic McGuire (or Malcolm Thomas). These are utility players who could slot in at SF or PF, provide effort, good defense. Establish a team identity. It was so transparent when they rescinded UPS's QO what they were doing: saving a spot for Higgins (because they used the same approach last year, when I kept thinking we could have kept Cunningham who would have helped stop the layup line down the lane, rebounded and shot 50%; this year I'll be thinking we could have kept Brown). As a fan, I'm sorry, that's just deflating. I don't want to watch Higgins play and when I do it's a constant reminder that for this one player team management has their self-interest ahead of the team's interest and the fan's interest. Compound that with Jardine, who people are saying is promised a spot in Jan (?). A lot of you are telling me to stop crying, so be it. I just want a team full of guys who deserve to be there because of their effort, skill and talent, who are still interesting or inspiring or fun to watch even when losing.
SINCE WHEN.
