cl2117 wrote:Hal14 wrote:hugepatsfan wrote:
It's not like PP cuts off everyone else interviews to scream into the mic he wants to be traded. Reporters ask him about if he wants to be traded and he gives honest answers that he'd like to be in a spot where he can play more. He asked the front office if they could find him a spot he could play more... what's wrong with that?
Duncan Robinson has a $90M contract. Pritchard hasn't made any money yet (relatively speaking). That's the key difference. Expecting young guys who haven't been paid yet to not want to play more is basically to ask them to put aside being human beings and be NBA 2K video game characters.
I don't think they're putting up with an "BS" from him. Just completely normal and respectful communication about the role he'd like to have. I see zero reason for any personal criticism of Pritchard.
First off, I highly doubt reporters are going to him and asking him point blank if he wants to be traded lol. Why would they do that?
And if the reporter does ask him, all he's gotta say is "It's all about the team. I'll stay ready for when my number is called and do whatever I can to help this team win a championship"
Boom. That's it. That's all he has to say if a reporter asks him about the playing time he gets. But instead, if you feel the need to answer the question by saying you want a trade - you know that's gonna get out there in the media and you know it's going to be a distraction for the team. Now in that locker room, it's not "all for one, one for all", it's 14 guys fighting together as 1, with 1 guy who wants a trade.
He could've just gone to Brad privately, asked for a trade and that's that.
Pritchard has been paid. The celtics exercised his option for next season. He's got a contract for next season and counting next season, that's over $10 mil he's made playing in the NBA. That's a lot of money for an undersized guard who can't defend and was projected to be a mid 2nd round pick. Lots of guys who try to get drafted never make that much money playing in the NBA.
Duncan Robinson sat on the bench his whole rookie year. Did he ask for a trade? Nope. Gabe Vincent got less playing time than Pritchard did this season in each of his first 2 years in miami. did he request a trade? Nope. Langford and Nesmith didn't play a lot when they were here - did they request a trade?
This article talks about a bunch of players who have requested a trade:
https://nba.nbcsports.com/2021/10/14/report-nba-teams-proposing-players-who-request-trade-lose-salary-after-getting-dealt/It even has links to 5 recent situations where a benchwarmer requested a trade. Guess what? None of those teams who had a benchwarmer request a trade won a championship. I think that is what Kerr was getting at with what he said on that podcast with Draymond.
Winning teams - championship teams have a different culture - a culture where all 15 guys just want to win, and their sole focus is helping the team win a championship - no one is worried about minutes.
Lots of warriors fans on twitter who saw the Kerr video seemed to think Kerr was implying certain guys on the warriors this season (probably guys like wiseman, kuminga, moody, poole, maybe others) were complaining about minutes and weren't all about the team, like Miami is.
Lastly, Pritchard said when he clarified his comments about asking for a trade at the deadline, he said "I just want to play. I love to play" so I'm not buying your $90 mil duncan robinson argument. It's not about the $ for Pritchard.
This is way over the top. These are the things Pritchard has said this year:
January (first time the issue crops up), while talking on Andre Iguodala's podcast Iggy asks him what the next 5-10 years looks like for him and he says:
“Obviously after I’m done here, after this year, I’d like to look – be a part of a bigger role a little bit. Brad [Stevens] and them know, too. We’ve had that discussion but – a bigger role. I want to be part of a winning culture, but I want to also help that, be a really big piece of that. I’m not saying it’s the best player on the team, but I don’t know what my future holds unless I can take that next step.”
Nothing controversial there. It is what it is, he's talked to Brad about it, not asking for a trade but saying he doesn't just want to win as a bench warmer he wants a real chance to contribute.
Then post-deadline he gives a couple interviews where it gets more dicey, but totally understandable.
This one to the Globe and Washburn:
“I definitely was expecting and hoping [for a trade],” Pritchard told the Globe. “But you know, I [have to] look at the good things. We’re the best team in the NBA right now and we have a great team with really great players, so for me it’s an opportunity to learn and to keep growing.”
“It’s tough because as a competitor, you want to play,” he said. “Everybody knows right now I haven’t been playing. As a competitor, that’s the tough part. But like I said, I don’t have control over where I go, where I play right now. My focus has to be on helping the team in any way I can.”
This one to Jay King:
“I think I’ve been open that for me I just want an opportunity to go out there and compete with the best,” Pritchard said. “I don’t know if that’s here or somewhere else. For me, that’s my biggest goal, especially at my age. Obviously I want to be part of a winning culture, but, for me, the biggest thing is playing and growing and showing I can play at that level.”
In the meantime, Pritchard said he plans to focus on the fact that he’s “here now.” He said he has “a great opportunity to be a part of a great team and try to win a championship.” He said he intends to “go back to grinding every day and when my number’s called, go out there and compete and do whatever’s asked. You’ve gotta sacrifice,” Pritchard said. “I know what my role is on this team. For me, there’s certain ways I can affect the game. I think picking up full-court, defensively finding little ways to get extra possessions and knocking down my shots. But when I’m not in the games, off days and stuff, that’s where I’ve gotta keep working on my game to keep growing.”
“Just helping this team any way I can,” he said. “Being a good teammate, being a good locker room guy like always, and going out and competing. I think this organization knows that no matter what I’m always going to leave it all out there.”
He's saying all the things you want him to say: it's all about the team, just go out there and do what he's asked, know his role and how he can add value when he gets minutes, when he doesn't play just keep grinding. He's just also being honest about wanting a chance to be more than an injury stopgap and acknowledging the reality that Brad went out and got 2 veteran guys who are no doubt better than him and have contract that run as long or longer than his.
He's too honest in saying he was hoping for a trade but at NO point did anyone on the team or within the organization say it was a distraction. And by all accounts he did exactly what he said he would in terms of stepping up and being a good teammate etc.
Duncan Robinson and Gabe Vincent were both undrafted free agents who got brought along as two-way guys. Robinson eventually got a chance to play 30 minutes a night and parlayed that into an $80m contract with the Heat. Vincent started getting 25 minutes a night and is looking like he's do for a big payday this summer. Neither were expected to get that chance but made the most of it.
Pritchard wants that same opportunity and as a former 1st round pick who was a rotation player on last year's Finals team it's not crazy that he's saying that outloud. It's a tough break for him that he got shunted to the end of the bench because Brad brought in inarguably better palyers, but fair enough that he wants a chance to get on that same train both Robinson and Vincent got on. He was a 4 year guy in college so he's old for someone being still on his rookie contract and if he wants to maximize his future free agent money he needs a chance to get a lot more playing time or he'll be facing "prove-it" deals next summer or worse.
Nice quotes - the only one Pritchard said that matters to me is the one where he said "Obviously after I’m done here, after this year, I’d like to look — be a part of a bigger role a little bit.”
Honestly, who the hell says that right in the middle of the season when you're part of a team that's trying to win a championship?
He's basically asking for a trade with that quote. The Celtics exercised their 2023-2024 option for Pritchard way back in October. The interview where Pritchard said this quote was in January, 3 months later. So when he says that when he is done here (as in done in boston) and he says he'll be done in boston "after this year", that implies that the 2022-2023 season will be his last one with the celtics. But he's under contract with the celtics for the 2023-2024 season. So by saying that, he's basically asking for a trade.
If that's how he felt, then whatever - go to Brad PRIVATELY, tell him and that's it.
cl2117 wrote:He's too honest in saying he was hoping for a trade but at NO point did anyone on the team or within the organization say it was a distraction.
Let's not be naive here. You me, the others on this forum. We only see/hear a small fraction of what really goes on with this team - there's a ton that is said/done behind the scenes that we don't see/hear. For all we know, it was a huge distraction, but the other players on the team (and the coaches) were professionals about it so they kept it in house.
Here's all we do know for sure:
Kerr in this video, saying that what makes Miami such a great team is that nobody is saying anything in the media about wanting a bigger role somewhere else, that all 15 guys only care about 1 thing - winning a championship - and that's what makes them special.
-Last year Herro whined about not starting. Guess what? Miami lost in the ECF.
-This year, no one on Miami is whining about playing time and they're in the finals.
-Last year, no one on the celtics whined about playing time. We had awesome vibes, even the end of the bench guys brought great vibes - we made the finals.
-This year, we were 36-15 (the 1 seed in the east) prior to the quote above by Pritchard where he basically asked for a trade. After that, we dropped to the 2 seed, had a worse winning % for the remainder of the season, then lost to Miami in the ECF - a Miami team that had no one talking in the media about wanting a bigger role somewhere else
-Clearly, this Celtics team didn't have the same vibes later in the season and in the playoffs (after Pritchard's interview with Iggy) as we did earlier in the season or last year
-Denver also had someone on their team who was unhappy with his role. Bones Hyland. They took the first deal they could find, shipped him off to LA and the Nuggets are now in the finals
-Kerr in the video above is basically hinting at his own warrior team. Hinting that last year, when his team won the title, they didn't have anyone whining about playing time or wanting to be traded. But this year (when they got bounced in the 2nd round), that was not the case.
Are these coincidences? Maybe, but maybe not.
Has the Pritchard situation (and his comments in the media) been a distraction for this team? Maybe, maybe not. But that's why you nip it in the bud now. Just trade him now - get it over with, before it becomes a distraction. Or, if it's already been a distraction, trade him now, before it becomes an even bigger distraction.
