“It’s tough,” Bayless said. “I’ve always been in a position where I’m The Guy on the team. And now I’m in a position where I’m taking a back seat to a lot of guys. I’m totally fine with it. I’ve talked to Coach about this; I’m totally fine with it. It’s just a different situation. I’m up to the challenge and I’m going to keep on working, keep on getting better and hopefully be a part of this team and help us win.”

Good. Right answer.

“I guess getting MVP of the summer league and doing some of the things I did definitely set a high bar for me,” Bayless said. “People sometimes forget that I am a rookie. But I’m in a great situation with a team that’s young and I just have to keep on getting better. I have to keep on working and make sure I’m ready when my number is called.”

Right again. And he acknowledges he’s a rookie. Yay!
McMillan: “He’s doing a better job of being open and listening to guys and listening to advice. So I think he’s definitely going to mature and develop.”

This says to me he may very well have had the rook ‘tude when he came in. Glad they say it’s “getting better”.

“You can tell he’s more natural at the (shooting guard) and he’s trying to develop that point guard mentality, figure out how to lead a team,” Brandon Roy said. “He’s just trying to learn the NBA game. This is not college and that doesn’t mean he can’t play; he’s got to learn it. I think that’s something any rookie has to work on when you try to come in and lead a team and he’ll get better at it. He’s doing a better job of being open and listening to guys and listening to advice. So I think he’s definitely going to mature and develop.”

Roy keeps saying he is naturally a shooting guard, no matter how much Bayless says he is / was a point guard. I trust Roy.

OK can read the rest fo’ yo’ sehvs. :-)

I was waiting to hear something like this from him. Confidence in your ability to succeed is important, but you have to get realistic about your own abilities and limitations to plot the right path to success. His confidence in his ability to learn coupled with his work ethic can lead to the development he needs to become a successful point guard on this team (which will be easier than it would on other teams that don’t have a Roy at SG to share the play making duties.)

I’m seeing a pattern here in Brandon offering up meaningful comments in each article about Bayless, Oden, and Batum adjusting to being NBA rookies. I think you can read between the lines and see that he is also talking about the same things directly to them. I wouldn’t be surprised if Brandon is playing just as big a role as Nate in getting their heads on straight, and convincing them to trust in Nate. I noticed in one of Rudy’s blogs, that he said Brandon was mature beyond his years, so I suspect he will also have respect for advice that Roy can give him as he adjusts to the NBA. There’s little doubt in my mind that this will remain Brandon’s team, and he will stay its leader regardless of whether LMA becomes our leading scorer or if Greg’s defense and rebounding eventually propels us to a championship.

Back to Bayless. He will get his chances this year. Injuries happen and Sergio will likely have a rough stretch or two. As he recognizes in the article, he just needs to work hard and stay ready to make the best of those opportunities when they come.