Rudy talks about rumors.

Acording to Marca Rudy talked to Efe Radio:

1º.- There´re always rumors and he knows about them from the press.

2º.- He hasn´t talked to his agents about him leaving the Blazers. He has only comented with them about the possibility of Turkoglu going to Portland.

3º.- He doesn´t close doors to any team from Europe or the NBA.

4º.- Asked about whether Torkoglu going to Portland might affect his playing time, he said: I want to play. We´ll have to talk with Portland and ask them how can I do it.

More about the same interview in ACB.com

" Turkoglu is a perimeter player and we are speaking about almost six for two positions. This makes me think that the team does not give me space for my work. I have demonstrated that I could be more of a factor."

"I have been surprised with the minutes that I have played but if now they pick up a player in my position, that will stop my progression, and what I want is minutes so I can improve."

over 2 years ago amlmart1 38 comments 9 recs |

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This is about what I thought was going on

The reported tirade didn’t sound like our beloved Rudolpho

"You're welcome friend
I love you."
- Tom "Dragline" inHawaii

by 92wastheyear on Jul 2, 2009 8:07 AM PDT reply actions

Two words:

Smoke screen. Call me a conspiracy theorist, but I think the whole Hedo thing and the “reported” turmoil being caused is smoke and mirrors by the Trailblazer organization. I’ll bet we “woo” Hedo and get him somewhat interested in coming to Portland and offer him less than what other teams are willing to pay. Then KP goes after the guy he really wants: Heinrich.

I'm going to come up with the best line here ever, something really clever.

by musicdaniel on Jul 2, 2009 8:29 AM PDT reply actions

time to give up the Hinrich folks

Face it, whether you were hot after Kirk or not, he is clearly not at the top of the Blazers priority list.

How did you guys win that?
"We scored enough points. We scored 107, they scored 105.
-Nate McMillan Postgame, 3/4/2009

by douglast on Jul 2, 2009 9:06 AM PDT up reply actions

Ben Gordon to Detroit

has pretty much closed the door on Hinrich.

by parkinglotj on Jul 2, 2009 10:05 AM PDT up reply actions

So says the media ...

But the reality is that a trade of Blake/Outlaw for Hinrich works marvelously for Chicago because they can slide Salmons to the 2, start Deng at 3, use Outlaw as backup 3/4, and Blake backup to Rose, and all are expiring contracts, which helps their cause of landing Wade in 2010.

"These are dreams that we have." --Rudolfo Fernandez

by bfan on Jul 2, 2009 11:37 AM PDT up reply actions

I'm not so sure...

Without Gordon there is no viable option at the backup 2 spot behind Salmons except for Hinrich who can guard bigger 2’s. This is not exactly Blake’s specialty. Chicago would like to save some money by moving Hinrich but they would need more in the backcourt in return than Blake.

by Blazer Fan in Chicago on Jul 2, 2009 11:45 AM PDT up reply actions

Rudy?

I'm a really really ridiculously good looking orange mocha frappaccino drinking manhammer sandwich

by hobobob on Jul 2, 2009 1:43 PM PDT up reply actions

no

trading Rudy to get a marginal improvement over Blake is a non-starter for me

How did you guys win that?
"We scored enough points. We scored 107, they scored 105.
-Nate McMillan Postgame, 3/4/2009

by douglast on Jul 3, 2009 2:11 AM PDT up reply actions

I don't know if we can know that

Hedo is a FA, so it is easy to go and talk to him, ABOUT him, and whatnot. No other team controls him.

Hinrich’s fate is in the Bulls’ hands. They may want to see how the Gordon situation shakes out after all, and perhaps now even if we want Hinrich with all of our soul, the Bulls will keep him because they lost Gordon.

Doesn’t mean our management isn’t after him. The way you can go after a player signed to a team and a FA are just different.

Mortimer

by Mortimer on Jul 2, 2009 10:07 AM PDT up reply actions

maybe

but calling this Hedo push a smokescreen and Kirk our “#1 target” are both pretty much laughable assertions at this point. you don’t fly out to have dinner with a guy, then bring him back to your place for a tour if it’s all a smokescreen. That’s terrible business.

If our #1 target this offseason was Kirk Hinrich, then KP and company have lost me. Not saying he’s not a bit of an upgrade, saying he’s not a target, not saying we don’t end up with him. But no way was he our “#1 target”.

How did you guys win that?
"We scored enough points. We scored 107, they scored 105.
-Nate McMillan Postgame, 3/4/2009

by douglast on Jul 2, 2009 10:43 AM PDT up reply actions

I'd fly out to have dinner with Hedo

and he’s not one of my targets. Does that change anything?

I'm a really really ridiculously good looking orange mocha frappaccino drinking manhammer sandwich

by hobobob on Jul 2, 2009 1:48 PM PDT up reply actions

One night stand?

Witty Unpredictable Talent and Natural Game

by iDea on Jul 2, 2009 3:44 PM PDT up reply actions

No can do

not if you want to have relations with his agent ever again. That’s why players have agents, so they cant be jerked around by teams in the way you describe. That’s not arms length negotiations. Your post is very naive.

by Windy409 on Jul 2, 2009 8:52 PM PDT up reply actions

This sounds reasonable and obvious...

…Rudy isn’t sure how Hedo will affect his playing time, but expresses concern if his playing time is reduced because he feels he should play.

And he’s absolutely right. If Rudy is playing less than 25 minutes per game he’s not being used properly.

by JordanLeDoux on Jul 2, 2009 8:43 AM PDT reply actions

Exactly. He should be getting more minutes and I don't think Turkoglu would cut into them.

They play different positions anyway. Sure, Rudy spends some time at SF when he’s on the court with Roy, but with all the lineup possibilities, Rudy fits in too many ways for him not to see the court. I understand his concerns and I think the Blazers will do a very good job of explaining why this is a good thing for him, rather than a bad thing.

You know…….if they weren’t possibly going to overpay for Hedo…….which they still may or may not.

Yes! Yes! In the face!

by LeafHawk on Jul 2, 2009 9:26 AM PDT up reply actions

This is so much better than yesterday...

I like seeing Rudy be reasonable about it. I didn’t totally believe that he was furious over Hedo… but still, it was scary. We’ve had a few years of having nothing but fun here and completely loving our team. I don’t want to see that end with a bunch of angry players forcing trades and demanding playing time.

by One Team to Rule Them All on Jul 2, 2009 9:52 AM PDT reply actions

I agree with Rudy

I’d worry as well. But, I’m sure KP and Friends will talk with him and let him know his role and spot on the team, and our future, is secure.

Either way, if we do or don’t get Hedo, other moves will happen. If we get Hedo, a good wing is gonna get traded for sumthin’ else. Rudy, just like us, has to let it shake out how it shakes out. It just affects him a TEENSIE bit more than it does us ;-) (WINK).

If he WAS super angry, we have time to smooth things back over. He’s under contract for 3 more years, after all, and we wouldn’t just give him away because he didn’t like how the roster looked a few months before the season starts.

Mortimer

by Mortimer on Jul 2, 2009 10:15 AM PDT reply actions

I almost always agree with you and your fun writing, but here

Rudy’s still saying the wrong things. Whatever makes the team better is what he should be behind. Even if you don’t feel super-excited and are uneasy about your role, you don’t say jack. That’s a private conversation you have with your team. And, if you’re confident, you like the better players. If you’re not confident, then you’re suspect as an athlete.

I just hope he’s not polished and isn’t really that worried. Maybe he’s just giving his analytical position instead of how he feels. He’s no Frye, that’s for sure.

I'm a really really ridiculously good looking orange mocha frappaccino drinking manhammer sandwich

by hobobob on Jul 2, 2009 1:53 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs

I disagree, he's being open and reasonable, not shrill or demanding.

People have a right to talk about stuff.

by raoulduke on Jul 2, 2009 7:39 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs

Ideally, and usually, I do agree with you

With Rudy, I do think it’s a different situation since I suspect he was promised the chance to have a big role with the Blazers, and the minutes and attention that entails, so that he would leave behind the millions of Euros he could easily have gotten in Europe to play for, at most, a 1/5th of what he’d make in Europe.

Since it’s a special situation, I can understand his worry. He made a 4 year commitment to be paid cheap, which cost him at least 16 million bucks. To make that back in the long run, he’s gotta be on a team that makes him look good. And even if it’s not ALL about the money, getting assurances he’d be a big part of a team and then possibly sitting on the bench could be enough to make him worry— though I don’t think he has anything to worry about, really.

I do agree with you for the most part— these things can spiral out of control quickly, and he shouldn’t leak these worries to the press. That doesn’t help anything. With Rudy’s special situation, and the ‘solid’ he did for us to play so cheap, I get his worries. More than I do for, say, Sergio.

To me, Outlaw is the one who should be upset. I don’t expect Hedo time to cut too much into Rudy time. I see a Roy/Hedo/Rudy/LMA/Oden lineup to finish games.

Man, I’m talking like Hedo is signed. Did I talk myself into thinking it was the best we can do already?!

I love when players show personality, I hate when they leak complaints to the media as a 1st resort. I understand doing it if management isn’t responsive, or not understanding to the player’s problem. If Rudy truly has a problem, letting KP and Friends know about it is enough for now, until he can see how the roster situation shakes out. I mean, obviously, if we get Hedo, KP and Friends know we got too many wings now. A move will be made, and unless it’s gangbusters Rudy ain’t going nowhere.

Mortimer

by Mortimer on Jul 2, 2009 8:35 PM PDT up reply actions

That's right

Blazers promised Rudy Playing Time. That’s why he left Europe and gave up a lot of money. They met him and made a promise. Besides, does KP realize that next year they will have to improve the contracts of Roy an LMA? And a year later Oden’s contract? Looks risky paying 50 years to Turkoglu, the guy’s 30.

by Bend3r on Jul 3, 2009 11:18 AM PDT up reply actions

What?

Turkoglu is a Guard and we are speaking about almost six for two positions.

A guard? That’s news to me. Sure he played a little point forward in Orlando, but that’s still a small forward position. And anyway, Turkoglu most likely would play the 3 and 4 in Portland. Did Rudy confuse Hedo with Vince Carter? Sounds a little fishy.

by JasonT on Jul 2, 2009 10:16 AM PDT reply actions

I was thinking the same thing

Rudy is not a small forward, even when the went with a guard heavy rotation last season you would have Roy playing the 3. It’s Batum, Webster, and Outlaw that should be worried because someone out of that group is gone.

"Should I ask? What's a punani?" - by annthefan on May 3, 2009 1:55 PM

by Sexual Tyrannosaurus on Jul 2, 2009 10:45 AM PDT up reply actions

I think in Europe they generally consider wings to be guards… or something like that gets lost in translation sometimes. I’ve seen a few things like this come through in translations.

by danielfarrell on Jul 2, 2009 10:45 AM PDT up reply actions

Bad translation. He said "exteriores".

Meaning SG and SF. Maybe it´s more like “perimeter players” or wings.

by amlmart1 on Jul 2, 2009 1:05 PM PDT up reply actions

I saw a translation on Hoopsworld that had it as "wings"

by TheThinWhiteDuke on Jul 2, 2009 8:28 PM PDT up reply actions

i think Europeans think of positions a bit differently

rather than the American tradion of G, F, C, then tend to look at things more as either you are a post player or a perimeter player (wing). Hedo is clearly a perimeter guy, as is Rudy. Perhaps it’s a translation thing, but that’s my guess as to what he meant.

How did you guys win that?
"We scored enough points. We scored 107, they scored 105.
-Nate McMillan Postgame, 3/4/2009

by douglast on Jul 2, 2009 10:46 AM PDT up reply actions

You´re right.

by amlmart1 on Jul 2, 2009 1:06 PM PDT up reply actions

Thanks, fixed.

by amlmart1 on Jul 2, 2009 1:13 PM PDT up reply actions

thank you for this amlmart1!

Blazers Edge.com

by Ben Golliver on Jul 2, 2009 10:32 AM PDT reply actions

Rudy's reaction is somewhere in the middle....

between outrage and demanding to be traded, and complete indifference at the other extreme. I agree it makes sense that he would have some concern and questions over his playing time and role on the team. All the reassurances from KP and Nate don’t mean much till he sees how it all shakes out in the fall.

In the event that we do land Turk, my hope is that the Blazers do not follow that up with a moderate upgrade at PG (Hinrich, Miller, Sessions, etc) and instead give a lineup with both Roy and Rudy as starters a try. This would be very feasible with the added ball handling and playmaking ability of Turkoglu at SF. I think that could really be effective. If it didn’t work out, we still would have Blake to fall back on, and we could still try to make a deal for a PG at mid-season next year.

by socalblazer on Jul 2, 2009 10:40 AM PDT reply actions