Paradise wrote:kerry kittles wrote:This is also why I said Paul was a huge loss. There's things that go beyond the box score. Paul was the leader this team needs/needed.
where's the leadership this year? Is Brook Lopez a leader either? Paul still played 2 months with Brook and we've had him for 7 years. He isn't a leader either.
Brook isn't a leader either but he half of his career was spent on rebuilding/tanking seasons and in walking boots. Tomorrow (barring IND loss/Nets win) would complete only his SECOND playoff bound season. He barely knows what winning basketball looks like. He is in the same catagory as a Kevin Love. So, there is still some hope for him to develop that.
There is literally no excuse for Deron or Joe to be reluctant leaders at this stage of their career. None whatsoever. They flat out don't care about winning, championships, legacy, NY pride, fans. None of it bothers them. They are absolutely content in their career.
Content attitudes = lazy play. It's no secret now.
It's people's personality. You can have all the talent in the world and not be a great leader. You can have little talent and be a great leader. I was named MVP of my high school team. Was never named a captain. I was the last named captain of my college team despite being one of the most talented guys on my roster. My roommate was voted in before and he was far less talented than me. He was a much better leader than I was.
Joe and Brook are cut from the same cloth. Quiet, reserved, laidback guys that aren't going to get in people's faces to demand better performance. Or give some inspiring, impassionate speech. You can be a great leader on a not so talented team. KG was still an awesome leader in Minnesota despite being on some god awful teams.
It's a personality trait not something based solely on your level of play. Bosh never really struck me as a "leader" despite being a great player.
Personally, I can overlook that in people. It would be great to have ONE leader on this team. I cannot overlook someone not giving it their all which he said about Deron.