Rudy please shut up!

[Wizenheimer]

unfortunately, this has been predictable since a little after the all-star break.

KP's Spanish fixation has hurt Portland significantly. Does anybody still believe Claver will even come over as long as Portland owns his rights?

[d-train]

Rudy is the same player everyone loved a couple years ago. He played in Nate's system a couple years ago and last as well. So, there is no problem with Nate's system. Rudy's game depends on teammates creating opportunities for outside shots. Miller didn't do as much for Rudy as Roy and Blake did. Miller would rather ignore Rudy on the 3-pt line with a wide open 3 in order to give the ball to LMA for a fade away 18-footer. I'm not trying to dump on Miller. There is nothing wrong with giving priority to passing the ball inside. I'm just pointing out that Rudy's opportunities changed last year.

[SportsGuy8]

You have to wonder if this kid was promised somethings by the Blazer FO for him to come to Portland at the expense of sacrificing millions of dollars per year. He is probably feeling lied to and ripped off.

I also think that could very well be the case. Actually, I'm quite sure it is. Rudy gave up a lot, they must have had a wink-wink agreement that the Blazers will help him (allowing to terminate the contract and/or sending him to a better situation) if the situation won't be good for him.

How else do you think they convinced him into signing so soon? I remember there being talks that he might have to wait another year (not sure what his buyout situation was ... he could be playing basically for free right now, for all we know).

Also, you people shouldn't forget that Spanish newspapers are like tabloids ... He could have been asked "If there's no other option, would you mind coming back to Spain?", but then they turn that into "Rudy wants to play in Spain".

P.s.: With all that said, he's still somewhat of a whiny b!tch.

[Shem]

I think the Blazers should be fining Rudy for each comment he makes and fine him a lot of money where it really hurts him. That would shut him up.

[SportsGuy8]

I think you're missing the point.

If we think about it, the fact that the Blazers have been very quiet about the whole situation indicates 2 things:
1. The tabloids are really blowing things out of proportions. (as I said, I'm not sure you people are aware what those "newspapers" are like ... they make NYPost or FoxNews look like a respectable news-source )
2. The Blazers really have a wink-wink deal with Rudy and don't really want to force him into making a statement that would be terrible for both sides (remember how much McHale & the Wolves were fined for the Joe Smith thing?). They really don't want to make him angry. People do/say stupid things when their head isn't clear.

If you ask me, it's a mix of both things, the question is to what extent ...

[RUDYxBLAZERS]

What if Rudy had said this to ESPN and not obscure spanish papers that have a rep similar to the enquirer when it comes to providing accurate statements and information.

[SportsGuy8]

The way the news-reporting has gone downhill lately, you have to take everything with a grain of salt, no matter the source.
However, if it was ESPN, the likelihood of being legit would skyrocket, compared to Spanish "sports-tabloids". Still nowhere sure, though.

[monopoman]

Here's the contract Rudy refuses to play for another NBA team forever in return we release him from his contract and he can go do whatever the hell he wants.

[J~Rush]

I hope Rudy is on the Blazers this season.

[jeffhardyfan52]

If he refuse to play fore anyone else just let hin rot on the bench

[iverigma]

You have to wonder if this kid was promised somethings by the Blazer FO for him to come to Portland at the expense of sacrificing millions of dollars per year. He is probably feeling lied to and ripped off.

I think there's a key factor that hasn't been brought up yet: KP.

I believe it was KP's charisma and what he told Rudy that finally persuaded him to come over in the summer of 2008. Who knows, KP might have even promised some unrealistic things to Rudy - something along the line of "our system will make you an all-star in 3 years".

First the Sergio trade was a blow. But KP's firing was the final straw. It means whatever Rudy & KP envisioned before he decided to come over has completely gone now. Rudy pretty much has ZERO friend and supporter in this organization because, to be honest, nobody really holds an emotional attachment to Rudy like KP did.

Of course it certainly didn't help that Blazers brought in another SG this summer.

How is he supposed to feel now? Frustrated. Betrayed. Empty-promised. Not saying I agree with his whines but I can sort of understand.

[hondaaccord]

I don't see why people would want Rudy to rot on the bench. That is the worst possible scenario.

If Rudy rots on the bench he loses all his trade value, then he becomes an unrestricted free agent in a year or two... and the Blazers will not keep him because there are no minutes Rudy on the Blazers anymore.

[PDX MM]

No way do I want Rudy on this team come start of next season. All of us have high hopes for next year and we do not need any locker room trouble. I can only see our media feeding on such a story to the point of a major distraction if he was to return and be even worse if he was to rot on the bench.

[DaVoiceMaster]

Why don't we think Rudy came over when he did because he wanted to play in the NBA? And, perhaps now that Rudy wants to go back home, he's opening his mouth so much to specifically drive his trade value down, thus affording Portland the only solution to release him from his contract so he can go back home.

[Shem]

Why don't we think Rudy came over when he did because he wanted to play in the NBA? And, perhaps now that Rudy wants to go back home, he's opening his mouth so much to specifically drive his trade value down, thus affording Portland the only solution to release him from his contract so he can go back home.

In that case (assuming the rumors are true) you keep Rudy as long as possible, but you do a Stephon Marbury on him. Just don't let him come near the team, but torture him by not letting him play professionally back home so he basically has to sit out the next year. Then fine him for all the comments he's made with hefty ones for each time he says something he shouldn't be from it. That should shut him up and make him regret ever saying things to degrade his trade value.

[sisibilio]

You have to wonder if this kid was promised somethings by the Blazer FO for him to come to Portland at the expense of sacrificing millions of dollars per year. He is probably feeling lied to and ripped off.

People tend to forget this point. He came here losing out on millions of dollars. How many players do that?

With that said, when given the opportunity (especially the playoffs) Rudy disappeared. In his defense, Nate's system does not exactly use his talents to his best ability. He played marvelously in the Olympics, and I do not believe it was an aberration. However, you cannot blame all of his failures on Nate' system. He has to own a lot of the responsibility.

It's just not the system, his relation with McMillan went from bad to horrible to borderlinedelnegropaxonesque. Of course he has responsability, come playoff time, even some months before, Rudy had already given up on his chances to go on with the Blazers, maybe not consciuously, but reading some reports and interviews it was quite clear he had no future in Portland with Nate on command.

BTW the only things Rudy has said lately are that he's got a contract with Portland, that he doesn't rule out anything but that coming back to Europe is not up to him and that he wants to focus on his work with the national team now.
Everything else has just been made up by the journalists.

[BigOrangeBalls]

It's just not the system, his relation with McMillan went from bad to horrible to borderlinedelnegropaxonesque.

Whoa. I had to read several times before I figured it out. Nice word invention!

[Fran Vasquez]

I think the Blazers should be fining Rudy for each comment he makes and fine him a lot of money where it really hurts him. That would shut him up.

and a letter to teams in europe about not even talking about rudy would help too, a slight modification of the darius miles letter will do
but have no fear, in the end claver, me, and ricky martín will consolidate your team!!!
im demanding orlando to ship my ass to portland inmediately!

[Fran Vasquez]

now seriously, rudy totally lost his confidence to the point he in his mind believes he will never be able to play fine again if he is in the blazers and his only hope is getting out of there

anyway all this rot in the bench stuff is just bad karma, knees might be exploding again soon...

[AsijsLV]

Does someone have ESPN Insider? Can anyone copy text from Rudy article? http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/features ... s%2frumors