Garcia: Karl Says Rudy Fernandez More Than "Cuteness" After All

Art Garcia of FoxSports.com has a quick feature on former Portland Trail Blazers guard Rudy Fernandez and the impression he's leaving on his new coach, George Karl of the Denver Nuggets.
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Nuggets coach George Karl did admit his doubts in the Portland version of Fernandez.

"I saw some cuteness," Karl said, "but I didn't know he kind of understands the game of basketball a little bit like a point guard. He sees the game as a playmaker. I saw his cuteness, but I didn't know his habits were pretty first-class."

"He has the knack to find the open man," Karl said. "In American basketball, they read the defense after they catch it. In European basketball, they have a tendency to make the read before they catch it. I like the read before you catch it."
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Fernandez is averaging 8.3 points, 3.4 assists and 1.3 steals in 23.0 minutes per game off of Denver's bench this season.

Fernandez was traded by the Blazers to the Dallas Mavericks on the night of the 2011 NBA Draft. Dallas, in turn, traded him to Denver during the December free agency period.

-- Ben Golliver | benjamin.golliver@gmail.com | Twitter

4 months ago Ben Golliver 14 comments 0 recs |

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Comments

sounds like a mini-Rudissaince in Denver

more power to him, we’ve still got those rookie-year memories. I just wish he’d panned out in PDX.

by Saba on Jan 25, 2012 2:17 PM PST reply actions 1 recs

This is how I read that:

“…cuteness…cuteness…pretty…i like…” —George Karl

I don't always root for an NBA franchise, but when I do, I prefer the Portland Trail Blazers.

by Oh. Em. Gee. on Jan 25, 2012 2:22 PM PST reply actions 3 recs

When he played here he

devolved into a ‘stand around waiting for the three player’…..clank. Sound familiar?

by XBlazerfan on Jan 25, 2012 2:26 PM PST reply actions 1 recs

it's not like Rudy is setting the world on fire over there

"If I had a dime for every basket I made today, you'd still suck!" - from the book 'John Dies @ the End'

by sammymohawk on Jan 25, 2012 2:28 PM PST up reply actions

he's be an arson suspect for years.

could never pin the guy, though.

I don't always root for an NBA franchise, but when I do, I prefer the Portland Trail Blazers.

by Oh. Em. Gee. on Jan 25, 2012 2:33 PM PST up reply actions

True

I watched him a couple of times, he looked the same. At least the coach thinks he’s cute!

by XBlazerfan on Jan 25, 2012 2:39 PM PST up reply actions

i've been known to get play based on my cuteness.

zing!

I don't always root for an NBA franchise, but when I do, I prefer the Portland Trail Blazers.

by Oh. Em. Gee. on Jan 25, 2012 2:47 PM PST up reply actions

Incorrect observation. Therefore, incorrect conclusion.

When he played here he devolved into a ‘stand around waiting for the three player’…..clank. Sound familiar?

I really miss Rudy’s chemistry with LMA, particularly his lob-off-the-curl play…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fR7FiXGYRBM

Rudy was never considered a great defender, but from his great rookie year to his final season he was working the passing lanes…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lhzMVwWgpI

Later on, I came to really appreciate his willingness to make the hustle play when nothing else was working for him…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sp3nX5N5aKg

Of all the things you can accuse Rudy of doing wrong, being lazy on the court was not one of them. Lacking confidence? Definitely. Instigating drama with the front office over his playing time? Check and check. Failure to add muscle? Sure. Undiagnosed Seasonal Affective Disorder? Maybe.

There is nothing in Rudy’s career that you can pin on Nate McMillan. If there’s anything at all we can point to, it would probably be Jerryd Bayless. Those guys obviously didn’t play well together and Jerry’d ball hoggery and questionable court vision impacted Rudy’s happiness as much as anything.

In theory, theory and practice are the same. In practice they're not.

by conspirator5 on Jan 25, 2012 4:41 PM PST up reply actions

Uncanny

how identical his stats are… http://espn.go.com/nba/team/stats/_/name/por/year/2011/portland-trail-blazers

So much for the “Blazers are just misusing Rudy” clamor we heard for so long and the theory he would blossom elsewhere. Rudy is what he is, and I don’t miss his chucking at all, what with all the new chuckers we have.

by The Penguin on Jan 25, 2012 2:28 PM PST reply actions 1 recs

And don't forget his disappearing act in the play-offs

by BBK on Jan 25, 2012 2:33 PM PST up reply actions

I don't miss him.

Granted, the entire team has changed, but Rudy was supposed to be what Jamal Crawford is now. I like JC a LOT better. Even when his shot isn’t falling or his play is inconsistent, he doesn’t just disappear or pout.

by superfly05 on Jan 25, 2012 3:41 PM PST reply actions 1 recs

He was good at point, remember the pick and lobs to lma?

Rudy would have been a great starting pg if given some guidance….imagine him in this offense run/gun

OSU '06
GForce Crash Wallace FTW!

by TyboOSU on Jan 25, 2012 4:33 PM PST via mobile reply actions

My favorites

I think Rudy had two moves.

1) The crossover create some room step back three.

2) The driving, stop at the free throw line, spining fade-shot.

BRoy #7

by hohowan on Jan 25, 2012 4:49 PM PST via mobile reply actions

Wish he was traded after rookie year

I’ll never understand why Rudy wasn’t traded after his first year. His position is sg not sf and at the time we had roy who was going to get almost all the minutes there. I think we would have been able to get a great asset then.

"Almost all those politicians took money from Enron, and there they are holding hearings. That's like O.J. Simpson getting in the Rae Carruth jury pool." Barkley

by west coast viking on Jan 26, 2012 1:59 AM PST reply actions