Post by jrmzt on Mar 26, 2010 15:43:58 GMT -5
A very interesting article in ESPN The Magazine. They always have good articles but since this one is related to the Celtics, I'll post it here. Enjoy!
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One-on-One: Bust a move
Which overhyped offseason roster acquisition is the biggest dud?
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By Chris Broussard and Ric Bucher
ESPN The Magazine
Hedo Turkoglu and Rasheed WallaceGetty Images, US PresswireHedo Turkoglu and Rasheed Wallace made headlines last summer but haven't delivered.
The only thing Ric Bucher and Chris Broussard like to do more than report on the NBA is argue about the NBA. So we decided to combine those two skills in our weekly One-on-One series, in which they'll debate the hottest topics in the Association.
Question: Who was the biggest dud of last summer's overhyped moves?
RIC BUCHER: There was plenty of hoopla over title contenders making key acquisitions to fortify their championship hopes, and most, if not all, of the acquisitions have been vastly underwhelming. But the one that sticks in my craw more than any other is Rasheed Wallace. Maybe it's my own fault for believing Sheed was the perfect PF to reduce the Celtics' dependence on Kevin Garnett. I never thought he'd do a Bonzi Wells and decide that since he's getting paid a fourth of what he previously did, he'll give one-quarter the effort, but that's exactly what it looks like he's doing.
CHRIS BROUSSARD: Rasheed definitely has been a bust, but I didn't expect a ton from him. He mailed it in last season in Detroit, and while playing for a ring with great vets would seem to motivate him, at 35, once you've turned off the switch, it's hard to turn it back on.
RB: You pointed out exactly why Sheed's performance is unforgivable. I don't buy the on/off switch argument. If that's the case, Cleveland shouldn't have gone anywhere near Shaq. Sheed has a chance at another ring, playing alongside one of the most relentless workers in the game in KG, for an organization as hallowed as the Celtics, and we get this? It doesn't just make Sheed look bad now -- it throws a shadow over his entire career.
CB:: I'm going with Hedo Turkoglu. He was the most sought-after free agent of the summer and he definitely hasn't lived up to the five-year, $53 million contract Toronto gave him. He's not playing great, and the team's barely holding on to a playoff spot in the weak East. For $10 mil a year, the Raptors definitely expected more.
RB: I'm giving Hedo a pass because (1) he's been injured a good part of the season; (2) the Raptors have taken him off the ball a lot and made him a complementary player more than he ever was in Orlando; and (3) he's still above his career averages in most categories.
CB:: Man, remind me to hire you as my excuse maker when I fail to deliver. Hedo has played 63 of 69 games and is averaging nearly 32 minutes a night. Is he sore, hurt, banged up? Maybe. But excusing his subpar play because of that is a crock. Last time I spoke with Hedo, even he wasn't letting himself off that easy. Yes, he does talk about being moved off the ball, but the Raptors have gone to him plenty of times during the fourth quarter and he hasn't delivered. Hedo grew into a near-star in Orlando, and his points per game and field goal percentage there were higher every season than what he's doing now. He was supposed to boost Toronto to where Atlanta is right now and give Chris Bosh pause about heading elsewhere.
RB: No excuses here; just facts. Turkoglu has played with a broken eye socket and a sprained ankle this season. Fact. His shots, touches and minutes are all way down. Fact. The same minutes produced the same numbers three years ago in Orlando. Fact. He struggled after signing his last big deal in Orlando. Fact. If you want to ignore all that, act as if he's just dogging it and put the Raptors' struggles on him, no problem.
CB: You want facts? You can't handle the facts! Turkoglu showed up for training camp complaining about being fatigued and was given a couple of weeks off. Whose fault is that? Because you'll probably give an excuse, I'll answer for you: Hedo's. His battle wasn't against injuries but against poor conditioning. Your blame-it-on-the-in-in-in-in-in-injuries argument is bogus, since Hedo's worst month of the season came before he fractured his eye socket. You mentioned Hedo's numbers being similar in his first season in Orlando. Yeah, that Hedo would not have gotten a $53 mil deal either. The All-Star-caliber Hedo of the previous two seasons is the Hedo Toronto expected. Instead, the Raptors got the Hedo who was a ho-hum role player in his early Orlando days.
RB: It just doesn't make sense: A player is less involved in every imaginable way, but he's at fault for not carrying the load? Whereas there's nothing wrong with Sheed, other than he's out of shape. All the Celtics need from him is 20 to 25 solid minutes off the bench. A former All-Star playing against second units, blocking a few shots and getting a few timely post-ups would not seem to be an extraordinary expectation. Hedo might be disappointing; Sheed is demoralizing.
CB: Sheed is 35 years old and had been on a steady decline for the past three seasons. "Former" All-Star is absolutely right. You expected "a few timely post-ups"? Why? Sheed hasn't put in significant work on the block since 2006 -- and I think I'm being generous with that. The Pistons could have told you he doesn't want to play anymore. And for all your disdain for him, Sheed is not going to keep the Celtics strapped financially for the next four years. Hedo is 31 and in his 10th season. His play might actually get worse as his pay increases. That's the definition of disappointment.
RB: If it's financial commitment you want, I'll take a 31-year-old with a five-year deal over a 35-year-old with a three-year one, especially when the latter is struggling to give me even 20 quality minutes.
CB: Here's my bottom line: The Raptors' failure to play up to their potential has more to do with Hedo's underachievement than Boston's failures have to do with Sheed's poor play. If you want to blame anyone in Boston, blame Danny Ainge for signing him to a three-year, $19 million deal.
RB: Funny how you fail to mention why Hedo was fatigued -- he played for the Turkish national team over the summer, a team he carries almost the same way Dirk Nowitzki carries Germany. You also fail to note that Chris Bosh missed most of training camp, too. The early struggles are easy to explain -- they've used him as a conventional small forward, which is not what made him All-Starish in Orlando.
CB: Hedo is not using his national team as an excuse, and I didn't mention Bosh's missing training camp because Bosh is delivering. I have no problem with a player being excused from camp if he gets in shape and plays well. I'm not making excuses for Sheed, either. I'm just saying the writing was on the wall with him. With Hedo, everyone (including myself) expected more.
RB: Put down the broad brush. I didn't blame Hedo's poor season on sitting out part of the preseason, you did. You said he came into camp complaining of fatigue without explaining the source of that fatigue. Hedo isn't willfully undercutting the team's system; he's struggling with a different role.
CB: No one said or even suggested Hedo was willfully undercutting the Raptors' system. I do think he's trying, but it hasn't worked out. If Hedo had given the Raptors what they expected, they'd be fighting for home-court advantage in the first round. As it is, they're fighting for the eighth seed. If Sheed gave Boston what he gave Detroit the past two seasons, they'd be better, yes, but they wouldn't be ahead of Cleveland in the East.
RB: Sheed isn't just underperforming; he appears to be dragging the team down, and for a guy universally advertised as "a great teammate," that's outrageous. And if the writing was on the wall with him as clearly as you say it was, why did KG and the rest of the Celtics throw themselves at Sheed's feet to join them?
CB: You're talking about a disappointing role player off the bench with a moderate contract versus a disappointing No. 2 guy with a long and fat contract. It's pretty obvious which one is more detrimental. Hedo's decline is something new.
RB: Hedo is not being used in Toronto the same way he was in Orlando; why would it be a mystery that he's not as effective? And why would you jump to the conclusion, what with an arduous offseason, a new system, the pressure of a new contract and injuries that Hedo is in decline? Maybe he won't live up to the contract, but in decline?
The difference between the two is that there are plenty of reasons to believe that Hedo can and will return to his form of the past few years. The Raptors acquired him as a building block, not just for a boost this season.
CB: Two of your excuses -- that Hedo has had such a tough adjustment to a new role and that his "arduous" offseason took too much out of him -- are easily dismissed by the fact that his best month of the season statistically was his first. On top of that, you've decided he's so mentally weak that he's cracking under the pressure of his new contract. Then you correctly add that he was signed to be a building block, which just makes his subpar play that much more disappointing. You're actually making my argument for me.
Ric Bucher and Chris Broussard are senior writers for ESPN The Magazine.
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Personally, I feel that Sheed was the bigger bust because in terms of championship contending, we got him to try win another title. Whereas the Raptors got Hedo just to tr persuade Bosh to stay. Therefore in terms of a bigger letdown for a franchise, a title is worth more than just keeping a player. Although that said, we still have a chance to win but if Sheed is playing like how he is playing now, hes just not worth the contract give to him since Big Baby is doing everything he can do but better. Plus like it was argued above, Hedo is in the wrong role. He needs to be the playmaker and ball handler but they've taken that away from him and expect him to just be a shooter with the occasional penetration.
______________________________________________________
One-on-One: Bust a move
Which overhyped offseason roster acquisition is the biggest dud?
* Comments 8
* Share
*
By Chris Broussard and Ric Bucher
ESPN The Magazine
Hedo Turkoglu and Rasheed WallaceGetty Images, US PresswireHedo Turkoglu and Rasheed Wallace made headlines last summer but haven't delivered.
The only thing Ric Bucher and Chris Broussard like to do more than report on the NBA is argue about the NBA. So we decided to combine those two skills in our weekly One-on-One series, in which they'll debate the hottest topics in the Association.
Question: Who was the biggest dud of last summer's overhyped moves?
RIC BUCHER: There was plenty of hoopla over title contenders making key acquisitions to fortify their championship hopes, and most, if not all, of the acquisitions have been vastly underwhelming. But the one that sticks in my craw more than any other is Rasheed Wallace. Maybe it's my own fault for believing Sheed was the perfect PF to reduce the Celtics' dependence on Kevin Garnett. I never thought he'd do a Bonzi Wells and decide that since he's getting paid a fourth of what he previously did, he'll give one-quarter the effort, but that's exactly what it looks like he's doing.
CHRIS BROUSSARD: Rasheed definitely has been a bust, but I didn't expect a ton from him. He mailed it in last season in Detroit, and while playing for a ring with great vets would seem to motivate him, at 35, once you've turned off the switch, it's hard to turn it back on.
RB: You pointed out exactly why Sheed's performance is unforgivable. I don't buy the on/off switch argument. If that's the case, Cleveland shouldn't have gone anywhere near Shaq. Sheed has a chance at another ring, playing alongside one of the most relentless workers in the game in KG, for an organization as hallowed as the Celtics, and we get this? It doesn't just make Sheed look bad now -- it throws a shadow over his entire career.
CB:: I'm going with Hedo Turkoglu. He was the most sought-after free agent of the summer and he definitely hasn't lived up to the five-year, $53 million contract Toronto gave him. He's not playing great, and the team's barely holding on to a playoff spot in the weak East. For $10 mil a year, the Raptors definitely expected more.
RB: I'm giving Hedo a pass because (1) he's been injured a good part of the season; (2) the Raptors have taken him off the ball a lot and made him a complementary player more than he ever was in Orlando; and (3) he's still above his career averages in most categories.
CB:: Man, remind me to hire you as my excuse maker when I fail to deliver. Hedo has played 63 of 69 games and is averaging nearly 32 minutes a night. Is he sore, hurt, banged up? Maybe. But excusing his subpar play because of that is a crock. Last time I spoke with Hedo, even he wasn't letting himself off that easy. Yes, he does talk about being moved off the ball, but the Raptors have gone to him plenty of times during the fourth quarter and he hasn't delivered. Hedo grew into a near-star in Orlando, and his points per game and field goal percentage there were higher every season than what he's doing now. He was supposed to boost Toronto to where Atlanta is right now and give Chris Bosh pause about heading elsewhere.
RB: No excuses here; just facts. Turkoglu has played with a broken eye socket and a sprained ankle this season. Fact. His shots, touches and minutes are all way down. Fact. The same minutes produced the same numbers three years ago in Orlando. Fact. He struggled after signing his last big deal in Orlando. Fact. If you want to ignore all that, act as if he's just dogging it and put the Raptors' struggles on him, no problem.
CB: You want facts? You can't handle the facts! Turkoglu showed up for training camp complaining about being fatigued and was given a couple of weeks off. Whose fault is that? Because you'll probably give an excuse, I'll answer for you: Hedo's. His battle wasn't against injuries but against poor conditioning. Your blame-it-on-the-in-in-in-in-in-injuries argument is bogus, since Hedo's worst month of the season came before he fractured his eye socket. You mentioned Hedo's numbers being similar in his first season in Orlando. Yeah, that Hedo would not have gotten a $53 mil deal either. The All-Star-caliber Hedo of the previous two seasons is the Hedo Toronto expected. Instead, the Raptors got the Hedo who was a ho-hum role player in his early Orlando days.
RB: It just doesn't make sense: A player is less involved in every imaginable way, but he's at fault for not carrying the load? Whereas there's nothing wrong with Sheed, other than he's out of shape. All the Celtics need from him is 20 to 25 solid minutes off the bench. A former All-Star playing against second units, blocking a few shots and getting a few timely post-ups would not seem to be an extraordinary expectation. Hedo might be disappointing; Sheed is demoralizing.
CB: Sheed is 35 years old and had been on a steady decline for the past three seasons. "Former" All-Star is absolutely right. You expected "a few timely post-ups"? Why? Sheed hasn't put in significant work on the block since 2006 -- and I think I'm being generous with that. The Pistons could have told you he doesn't want to play anymore. And for all your disdain for him, Sheed is not going to keep the Celtics strapped financially for the next four years. Hedo is 31 and in his 10th season. His play might actually get worse as his pay increases. That's the definition of disappointment.
RB: If it's financial commitment you want, I'll take a 31-year-old with a five-year deal over a 35-year-old with a three-year one, especially when the latter is struggling to give me even 20 quality minutes.
CB: Here's my bottom line: The Raptors' failure to play up to their potential has more to do with Hedo's underachievement than Boston's failures have to do with Sheed's poor play. If you want to blame anyone in Boston, blame Danny Ainge for signing him to a three-year, $19 million deal.
RB: Funny how you fail to mention why Hedo was fatigued -- he played for the Turkish national team over the summer, a team he carries almost the same way Dirk Nowitzki carries Germany. You also fail to note that Chris Bosh missed most of training camp, too. The early struggles are easy to explain -- they've used him as a conventional small forward, which is not what made him All-Starish in Orlando.
CB: Hedo is not using his national team as an excuse, and I didn't mention Bosh's missing training camp because Bosh is delivering. I have no problem with a player being excused from camp if he gets in shape and plays well. I'm not making excuses for Sheed, either. I'm just saying the writing was on the wall with him. With Hedo, everyone (including myself) expected more.
RB: Put down the broad brush. I didn't blame Hedo's poor season on sitting out part of the preseason, you did. You said he came into camp complaining of fatigue without explaining the source of that fatigue. Hedo isn't willfully undercutting the team's system; he's struggling with a different role.
CB: No one said or even suggested Hedo was willfully undercutting the Raptors' system. I do think he's trying, but it hasn't worked out. If Hedo had given the Raptors what they expected, they'd be fighting for home-court advantage in the first round. As it is, they're fighting for the eighth seed. If Sheed gave Boston what he gave Detroit the past two seasons, they'd be better, yes, but they wouldn't be ahead of Cleveland in the East.
RB: Sheed isn't just underperforming; he appears to be dragging the team down, and for a guy universally advertised as "a great teammate," that's outrageous. And if the writing was on the wall with him as clearly as you say it was, why did KG and the rest of the Celtics throw themselves at Sheed's feet to join them?
CB: You're talking about a disappointing role player off the bench with a moderate contract versus a disappointing No. 2 guy with a long and fat contract. It's pretty obvious which one is more detrimental. Hedo's decline is something new.
RB: Hedo is not being used in Toronto the same way he was in Orlando; why would it be a mystery that he's not as effective? And why would you jump to the conclusion, what with an arduous offseason, a new system, the pressure of a new contract and injuries that Hedo is in decline? Maybe he won't live up to the contract, but in decline?
The difference between the two is that there are plenty of reasons to believe that Hedo can and will return to his form of the past few years. The Raptors acquired him as a building block, not just for a boost this season.
CB: Two of your excuses -- that Hedo has had such a tough adjustment to a new role and that his "arduous" offseason took too much out of him -- are easily dismissed by the fact that his best month of the season statistically was his first. On top of that, you've decided he's so mentally weak that he's cracking under the pressure of his new contract. Then you correctly add that he was signed to be a building block, which just makes his subpar play that much more disappointing. You're actually making my argument for me.
Ric Bucher and Chris Broussard are senior writers for ESPN The Magazine.
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Personally, I feel that Sheed was the bigger bust because in terms of championship contending, we got him to try win another title. Whereas the Raptors got Hedo just to tr persuade Bosh to stay. Therefore in terms of a bigger letdown for a franchise, a title is worth more than just keeping a player. Although that said, we still have a chance to win but if Sheed is playing like how he is playing now, hes just not worth the contract give to him since Big Baby is doing everything he can do but better. Plus like it was argued above, Hedo is in the wrong role. He needs to be the playmaker and ball handler but they've taken that away from him and expect him to just be a shooter with the occasional penetration.