Marcelo Huertas: "In the NBA, players are babies, the owners of the ball. Everyone is afraid to deal with the athlete."

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Marcelo Huertas: "In the NBA, players are babies, the owners of the ball. Everyone is afraid to deal with the athlete." 

Post#1 » by lamscott » Mon Oct 16, 2017 11:42 pm

https://balanacesta.blogosfera.uol.com.br/2017/09/28/marcelinho-huertas-sem-cerimonia-europa-nba-lakers-e-selecao/

Some points about the Lakers:

BNC: It is inevitable to ask you: after two years without playing much in the NBA, can you say that it was not worth having gone to the United States having the prestige you have in Europe?

HUERTAS: I do not agree with that. It was worth it, no doubt. The experience was incredible. I learned a lot. Unfortunately things in the NBA depend on where you are, the moment, the purpose of the franchise, innumerable factors that interfere in the day to day. They interfere with the campaign, the performance, the opportunities. For me it was very complicated because people talk, they talk about what they think, what they see, but basically few know how things are. In the first year was very complicated because it was a team in rebuilding, farewell to Kobe Bryant, parties, the team had no goal, focus. Kobe wasn’t playing well anymore, could not take the team in the back, youngsters who needed to have the protagonism great could not take over. Although the preseason was good, I ended up being out of rotation and it took me a while to get back. In the end of season I played well, where I showed my game. At the end of the tournament coach Byron Scott left, Mitch Kupchak, the general manager, told me that they would make the qualified offer for me not only for what I ended up playing, but mainly for what I represented in the locker room, for the professionalism, these things. When they came back and chose Luke Walton, Luke called me and said, "I want you to stay, it's important for the system, it's going to change a lot. We will have a more open style, speed, open field. We need a guy like you. " And he praised me a lot, asked me to stay. I said, "I'll be very honest, Luke. I'll stay if I will be part of the rotation. " I was in conversation with other teams. I did not want it to happen that same thing happened to Byron. I asked for his sincerity. If it was not for me to play, I'd go to another team. But he told me he wanted me. I gave my word, he gave his, I knew everyone, and I thought I would have some continuity. During the summer I signed, then two days later they closed with Jose Calderon, another PG. I already had the flea behind my ear, I called Luke, but he told me not to worry, he said he would use both. There he already had a contract signed. In the middle of that they chose the Brandon Ingram, high pick, wing. In the pre-season a lot of people said that Nick Young would not stay, but Nick was the best player in the preseason. In the locker room he is excited, up and the board decided to keep it. That was a big setback, as they had hit with also winged Luol Deng, Nick stayed and in position 2 were Jordan Clarkson and Lou Williams. How was Ingram going to play? How would the front-office (board) respond to the fans? What happened? They put the Ingram as PG even without him having the slightest notion of how to be PG. He was super shy even inside the court. I think that was very clear. Our team was wrong about that. D'Angelo Russell is a point guard but much more scorer than an organizer. The guy coming out of the bench needed to come in and control the team because it was a crazy shot after another. We often saw how the games in five minutes went to the marsh. Someone needed to control this rhythm. Calderon and I were harmed. All this for Ingram to leave the bench and play.

BNC: This all with you in the bench. Did not they say anything?

HUERTAS: In December Luke came to talk to me. "I know I told you that you would play, but now the team is in place. I'm not going to be able to handle the rotations. I want you to train hard, your opportunity will come. " And I'd kill myself to train. I was fine, I thought he'd give me a chance. But when there was room, it was always Calderon's. In the NBA does not seem, but there is a question of very strong hierarchy. That bothered me a lot. I did not have a chance and I was left out. It bothered me. In February I spoke again, I went to demonstrate what I was thinking, I asked for an explanation and said: "If you do not count on me, before the trade deadline look for a way out for me." It was not being nice. And then he agreed. He asked what I wanted him to do for me. We were not going to playoff anymore, did not quite understand why the kids had to play 40, 42. It did not make sense. In my head I was completely crazy. I was helping, training a lot, giving advice, but I had no reward. It stung me inside, I was annoyed with the situation, with everything that was happening. And then in the middle of a trip I was traded. It was five minutes before the trade deadline ended and I went to Houston. By that time Magic Johnson had already taken over the reins of the team. They, Magic and Luke, called me on the bottom of the plane and said of Houston. They said they did not have time to let me know and they had to finish the transaction. Both told me that the Rockets were a playoff team, that D'Antoni was very fond of me and that I could be the PG of the bench. That on the plane. They thanked me, filled me with praise. I talked to my agent, and he told me Rockets would cut me off. Magic said they would stay with me, but Houston changed their mind and wanted a playoff pivot. Then I said, "Is that really serious?" They lied to me again. Again. But inside I thought it was good. I went back to Los Angeles, I kept training there, I did not let myself be shaken, but it was sad in some moments, man. I watched a lot of games later on TV and it felt so good that I was not going through what I was watching on TV. From the bank you try to be positive, but from the outside I felt good. What happened last year had never seen on a basketball team. Commitment, seriousness, lacked all this. Deep down I wanted to be playing, but looking coldly I was grateful that this had happened to me. I did not deserve to go through that. Things happened one after the other. Inexplicably. My head was very full, complicated. I had never been in a situation like this before. But I was always focusing on good things. For all that I had done in my career, I believed it would not be in vain.

BNC: Being very sincere: do you regret going to the NBA?

HUERTAS: I do not regret it at all. I believed and saw that there was space, condition. The NBA is a business, it has to be in the right place at the right time. I unfortunately did not fall for the right team for me. That was a very big barrier. I always felt sad and I thought, "It's not possible that this will continue like this." But I tell you: in relation to locker room, in Europe there would never be a few things I saw in the NBA. Never, ever. Regarding commitment, responsibility, even respect. In the NBA players are babies, the owners of the ball. Everyone is afraid to deal with the athlete. In Europe there is no such thing. You step off the line, you are punished sportily, financially, away, suspended, the devil. That does not exist in the NBA. I saw things and said, "That is not possible." But, perhaps naively, I believed that something would change. I trained a lot. Very very much. I stayed after training, did the specific, I helped the younger ones, everything you could imagine I was doing. If it was in Europe I would play. As a professional I imagined that at least 10 'would play. Except that D'Angelo Russell would suddenly leave, Luke would play for the entire team and I would not go in. I got bitten, upset. In the next game I tried to stay positive but did not roll. I've always believed that good things would happen, because from the moment you get depressed or **** you show that you're not ready. I was ready to take the chance, but it did not roll. This mental work is complicated, day after day, it is difficult. Had to keep me prepared. Could pass 30 games, if I played 31st, I would have my chance and I would have shown something.
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Re: Marcelo Huertas: "In the NBA, players are babies, the owners of the ball. Everyone is afraid to deal with the athlet 

Post#2 » by Hindenburg » Mon Oct 16, 2017 11:45 pm

Looks like the reporter was really trying to get Marcelo to badmouth NBA
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Re: Marcelo Huertas: "In the NBA, players are babies, the owners of the ball. Everyone is afraid to deal with the athlet 

Post#3 » by udfa » Mon Oct 16, 2017 11:52 pm

It seems like there's a lot of truth in Huertas comments, but a lot of sour grapes too.

The translation is awful.
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Re: Marcelo Huertas: "In the NBA, players are babies, the owners of the ball. Everyone is afraid to deal with the athlet 

Post#4 » by Coxy » Mon Oct 16, 2017 11:52 pm

That's some great insight into how the inner parts of a franchise really works, from the players perspective. Glad he shared it and told it how it was, and is.
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Re: Marcelo Huertas: "In the NBA, players are babies, the owners of the ball. Everyone is afraid to deal with the athlet 

Post#7 » by Augusto61 » Mon Oct 16, 2017 11:58 pm

nothing but the truth. mad respect for him to share this darkside of business that they hide so much.
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Re: Marcelo Huertas: "In the NBA, players are babies, the owners of the ball. Everyone is afraid to deal with the athlet 

Post#8 » by Pachinko_ » Mon Oct 16, 2017 11:58 pm

Luke sounds like a good manager, keep everyone motivated with lies just in case you need them and then ignore all your promises and make your decisions based on what you think best at the time. Sucks having to manage people.
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Re: Marcelo Huertas: "In the NBA, players are babies, the owners of the ball. Everyone is afraid to deal with the athlet 

Post#10 » by Potedon » Tue Oct 17, 2017 12:10 am

NBA players are babies yet this dude is crying about not getting enough minutes because trained hard even though he was complete garbage when he was on the court. Please stay in Europe and don't come back.
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Re: Marcelo Huertas: "In the NBA, players are babies, the owners of the ball. Everyone is afraid to deal with the athlet 

Post#11 » by azcatz11 » Tue Oct 17, 2017 12:19 am

Potedon wrote:NBA players are babies yet this dude is crying about not getting enough minutes because trained hard even though he was complete garbage when he was on the court. Please stay in Europe and don't come back.


He's not crying. He was promised one thing but a different situation occurred. I can empathize with him. I'm sure he realizes it's a business
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Re: Marcelo Huertas: "In the NBA, players are babies, the owners of the ball. Everyone is afraid to deal with the athlet 

Post#12 » by lamscott » Tue Oct 17, 2017 12:22 am

azcatz11 wrote:
Potedon wrote:NBA players are babies yet this dude is crying about not getting enough minutes because trained hard even though he was complete garbage when he was on the court. Please stay in Europe and don't come back.


He's not crying. He was promised one thing but a different situation occurred. I can empathize with him. I'm sure he realizes it's a business


Yah. Reading is fundamental people.

Although I wonder if he understood that his time on court was not very good. Therefore, his time on the practice court may not have been any better.

Promising playing time to sign a contract was a bit shocking to hear from the horses mouth.
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Re: Marcelo Huertas: "In the NBA, players are babies, the owners of the ball. Everyone is afraid to deal with the athlet 

Post#13 » by Kevin Johnson » Tue Oct 17, 2017 12:25 am

Pachinko_ wrote:Luke sounds like a good manager, keep everyone motivated with lies just in case you need them and then ignore all your promises and make your decisions based on what you think best at the time. Sucks having to manage people.


Yup, I am sure it sucks for a ton of players who make the NBA and never get a chance to actually even get a few minutes to show what they can do. They do everything to contribute and are promised a role but are lied to and eventually dumped. But the that is life in your every day workplace. Most people are used, underpaid, never given a decent raise or promotion. At least you got an NBA contract and got paid for a season. Most of us can only dream
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Re: Marcelo Huertas: "In the NBA, players are babies, the owners of the ball. Everyone is afraid to deal with the athlet 

Post#14 » by LLcoleJ » Tue Oct 17, 2017 12:25 am

I wish I could be disappointed with my role in my job while making 2 million bucks.
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Re: RE: Re: Marcelo Huertas: "In the NBA, players are babies, the owners of the ball. Everyone is afraid to deal with th 

Post#15 » by PD28 » Tue Oct 17, 2017 12:25 am

Potedon wrote:NBA players are babies yet this dude is crying about not getting enough minutes because trained hard even though he was complete garbage when he was on the court. Please stay in Europe and don't come back.

Oh comon now, I think there is validity to what he says. Lakers only had one goal that year, to tank and develop Ingram and D'Angelo (even though both are pretty trash). At least own up to your other players that's what you are doing so they know lol.

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Re: Marcelo Huertas: "In the NBA, players are babies, the owners of the ball. Everyone is afraid to deal with the athlet 

Post#16 » by azcatz11 » Tue Oct 17, 2017 12:26 am

Tarik Black wrote:I wish I could be disappointed with my role in my job while making 2 million bucks.


Everything is relative
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Re: Marcelo Huertas: "In the NBA, players are babies, the owners of the ball. Everyone is afraid to deal with the athlet 

Post#17 » by walk with me » Tue Oct 17, 2017 12:32 am

Great read.

Everything he is frustrated about is why the nba is a broken product.
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Re: Marcelo Huertas: "In the NBA, players are babies, the owners of the ball. Everyone is afraid to deal with the athlet 

Post#18 » by LLcoleJ » Tue Oct 17, 2017 12:36 am

azcatz11 wrote:
Tarik Black wrote:I wish I could be disappointed with my role in my job while making 2 million bucks.


Everything is relative


Never played for an NBA franchise nor a professional league that pays you money to play basketball.

That being said, most people on this board know enough that a 30 year old rookie/vet player is not going to get a lot of playing time. The team was bad when he signed and they absolutely had to make room for guys like Deangelo and Ingram to get minutes.

Was he naive enough to think he would be a player that changed the outcome of games on a young team that has had awful seasons with coaching changes? Was he better than Lou Williams and Jordan Clarkson ?

He expected to play and couldn’t make the rotation. If he was good enough another NBA team could have stepped in and given him and get a vet min deal.
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Re: Marcelo Huertas: "In the NBA, players are babies, the owners of the ball. Everyone is afraid to deal with the athlet 

Post#19 » by baldur » Tue Oct 17, 2017 12:37 am

he was even declining back in europe prior to his nba arrival. how does he justify his terrible performance in the nba?
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Re: Marcelo Huertas: "In the NBA, players are babies, the owners of the ball. Everyone is afraid to deal with the athlet 

Post#20 » by Jables » Tue Oct 17, 2017 1:00 am

This guy has no doubt had some bitter experiences, but he doesn't really sound mature or professional either. He was 33 and his production was godawful and getting worse, what did he expect? It was a miracle he found himself on an NBA team.

It must be galling as a pro for many years for a rookie with no experience at the position to be playing PG over you, but surely by that point you've gotta know what the deal is? He says Calderon got more of a shot but Calderon played like 10 games, two more minutes and shot better. Dude their priority isn't to get you up and running.

If I played 76 games, was very rarely of any note, and then bitched about how I never got a shot and every other player is a baby ...

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