ATL: Preseason edition (Is Hayward worth $50mm pg15)

[randy84]

Has he got his 5th kid to his 4th Baby Mama yet or did she end up having the abortion he paid her $20k to have?

The reigning NFL MVP has something like seven illegitimate kids with multiple women. Didn't Skiles have a similar story? I don't see why any of that matters.

Royce isn't even close to being a MVP. Why waste time on the headache?

[ReasonablySober]

I'm legitimately asking someone to list every way White is a bad guy, because I honestly don't know. Someone tell me what I'm apparently not aware of.

The usual... shoplifting, assault, domestic violence.

Skipping practices and games and then trashing an organization who has done basically everything to accommodate you when they send you to the D-League.

“I say that just like I said before the draft that the chances were very high that I didn’t even get drafted. Because business in America, as we all know, is about one thing and that’s convenience and efficiency. Often times what the efficient thing to do is not the healthiest thing to do, right? It wouldn’t shock me if we couldn’t be logical and say a protocol is needed because it’ll be the hard thing to do. If that’s the case then so be it. I stand on what I say and I refuse to put myself in a hazardous situation to play a sport.”

White has said in the past that the Rockets, who selected him with the No. 16 pick in the draft, have been inconsistent with their support, untruthful in handling his situation and are not following the recommendations of the doctors he’s consulted in making a plan for him to join the team.

White said playing for another NBA team is not a solution, because there is no league-wide protocol for mental health issues.

“I don’t see that going to another team would help anything because no matter what team I go to a protocol is still going to need to be put in place,” he said. “It’s a league thing. The reality is that it is not Houston’s fault.

“I don’t really think going to another team is something that would be better. And it’s not something that I want to do. I want to play for Houston.”

Trashing? Houston doing everything?

[ReasonablySober]

Has he got his 5th kid to his 4th Baby Mama yet or did she end up having the abortion he paid her $20k to have?

The reigning NFL MVP has something like seven illegitimate kids with multiple women. Didn't Skiles have a similar story? I don't see why any of that matters.

Royce isn't even close to being a MVP. Why waste time on the headache?

What headache? If you bring him in and there's a fit then you keep him. If it is too much of a headache then release him. That's all I'm saying.

[Ayt]

Drummond is going to have a monster season.

There's going to be a lot of players from that draft that explode this season.

Davis had a huge sleeper season for a hyped #1 pick. People were raving about him heading up to the draft and after the draft, but no one talked about him during the season. He played only 28.8 MPG, and it wasn't due to foul trouble. They controlled his limited minutes regardless of how he was playing.

Per36 he averaged 16.9 points and 10.2 rebounds. Given an offseason of working on his body and his offensive game (which was limited as an NBA big) he will almost certainly increase both of those numbers. He also averaged 2.2 blocks per36 and had a very high 1.5 steals per36 (for a big that is great, which is understandable given his excellent defensive instincts).

I expect Davis to play big minutes this year and average something like 18/11 with excellent block and steal numbers for a big. He's also a smart offensive player. I wouldn't expect big assist numbers, but I think he'll be able to limit his turnovers for the most part. He has a face up game. He has an improving jumper. He is a smart offensive player who can pick up some buckets with cuts. He will also score on offensive boards. He runs the floor very hard and will have plenty of opportunities for fast break points.

He very likely won't be the type of guy you can post up and run an offense through this season, but he will be able to score in a variety of ways. He ended up with a TS% of .559 as a 19 year old rookie with a raw development offensive game last season.

It will be really interesting to see how he does this year as a face up post player. His ceiling is sky high. It wouldn't surprise me at all if he ends up like an Amare face up player with PHX on offense combined with DPOY level defense. Frankly, I kind of expect him to get to that point.

[randy84]

Where's the fit? Do we need more PFs?

[emunney]

Whatever Royce White is doing to get better at playing basketball isn't working.

[ReasonablySober]

Where's the fit? Do we need more PFs?

We need more talented players, period.

[emunney]

Where's the fit? Do we need more PFs?

We need more talented players, period.

Drew Gooden is available.

[randy84]

Where's the fit? Do we need more PFs?

We need more talented players, period.

We will have to disagree that White has more talent than the PFs that the Bucks have right now.

[ReasonablySober]

Where's the fit? Do we need more PFs?

We need more talented players, period.

We will have to disagree that White has more talent than the PFs that the Bucks have right now.

Did I say he did?

[Baddy Chuck]

Trashing? Houston doing everything?

I mean if you truly believe what Royce freakin White is saying then sure Houston maybe wasn't doing everything. But they could have legitly been doing everything and that idiot would sat they needed to do more. He's been full of excuses since the second his name hit the scene.

In hindsight, perhaps it was not a good idea to be open and honest about my anxiety disorder, due to the current situations at hand that involve the nature of actions from the Houston Rockets. As a rookie, I want to settle into a team and make progress; but since preseason the Rockets have been inconsistent with their agreement to proactively create a healthy and successful relationship. At this point the Rockets are aware of my position and the reason for my absence. Any other response is inaccurate. This is important to me. It is a health issue. I must advocate for my rights. It is a player-commodity league. The failure to meet my requests for support will end with me being unhealthy and that is not a consequence that I am willing to accept to play any sport.

Problem goes back WAY before D-League assignment. This about#Consideration and #Health it isn't about Rebounds & Money.

My "anxiety" hasn't caused inconsistency in my participation with the team from training camp until 72hrs ago, ✈ to DET, ✈s Isn't the issue.

I'm most definitely* not AWOL... There are many things here ppl don't know, #Honesty is what I'm sticking with. @HoustonRockets"Luke 12:3"

It's sad to think ppl ACTUALLY think [basketball] should be higher on my priority list then health..you can't enjoy success OR money without health.

I'd waste my "Talent", to stand up for myself and what's right, regarding my health 10x's out 10. #Logical Player "Commodity" league.

"your a COMMODITY" and "we'll support your health needs even if its inconvenient..." just don't go. My health can't afford such an ideal.

While #anxiety is the issue, the main piece of that isn't AIRPLANES, it's asking for support 4 my disorder thats consistent and fair.

Again My "Anxiety" is not well but not BAD, my main WORRY is being treated as a digit instead of a HUMAN, in the case of my health.

I informed the #Rockets of every practice I was going to miss. There were no unexplained misses.

This guy is just going to throw this out there whenever he can.

He has his problems, I understand that, but he has problems on top of being an entitled, selfish prick.

[ReasonablySober]

Nothing in that makes me think any less of him, mainly because I'm not going to touch the severity of his mental illness. I have no idea what he's going through.

[mcfromage]

Tangentially related. Longform SI piece on Bison Dele, a good read, not sure if its been posted.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/longfo ... &eref=sihp

[VooDoo7]

Royce White doesn't fly. IN the NBA, you need to fly. The end.

[ReasonablySober]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/espnsteinline/status/393595673527857153[/tweet]

[Ayt]

Nothing in that makes me think any less of him, mainly because I'm not going to touch the severity of his mental illness. I have no idea what he's going through.

I'd be fine with him dying in a grease fire.

He is a disgrace to anyone who has had to deal with a fairly severe mental illness.

[JayMKE]

Nothing in that makes me think any less of him, mainly because I'm not going to touch the severity of his mental illness. I have no idea what he's going through.

I'd be fine with him dying in a grease fire.

He is a disgrace to anyone who has had to deal with a fairly severe mental illness.

I've had pretty extreme anxiety issues with flying too, one time I paid for a bus ticket rather than getting on a connecting flight the rest of the way home. It's rough but I do it when I have to, it gets better with repetition and medication as well. It doesn't seem like Royce is really making an effort to overcome this, if he can't figure out something then he isn't long for the NBA. Maybe he'd be better off playing in Europe or something, they don't travel that far of distance right? Maybe he can take a cruise over or something.

[bigkurty]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/espnsteinline/status/393595673527857153[/tweet]

That is ridiculous. Dennis has one good game yet Oladipo dominates game after game in preseason and all of a sudden Schroeder should be in the conversation for ROY. Give me a break. For that matter, Giannis has no chance for ROY either. Oladipo is a lock to get the minutes to win the award IMO and he has the skills. He is basically everything Evan turner was supposed to be.

[El Duderino]

Royce White doesn't fly. IN the NBA, you need to fly. The end.

Besides the fact that White seems like an idiot that i'd rather not have around the young player, the above sums it up simply. An NBA season involves 41 road games in which a team flies to cities across the country. The players fly on those planes. So if a player is to afraid to fly on planes, he can't make it in the NBA.

[PkrsBcksGphsMqt]

Nothing in that makes me think any less of him, mainly because I'm not going to touch the severity of his mental illness. I have no idea what he's going through.

As someone who has been following him since his high school days, I can tell you he was headcase long before he had to worry about flying to away games. Dude is a piece of **** which has been well chronicled online. His career is over, as it should be.

And for the lulz...

"A lot of talk... 'Cut Royce', 'Trade Royce', only a few players with my skill set in the WHOLE league... everybody knows it. #RedNation" -- Royce White, 6/30/13 on Twitter