Minnesota Sports Forum

The goal of the rookie program isn't the issue for me personally, I work with troubled kids, and I am all for mentorship. It is the fact that there is a superficial obligation for these guys to become model citizens, based on an archaic vision of ethics set out by white suits who don't identify with these kids in any way. Everyone knows in the end there real job is to win and that is the mark they will be judged by. Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant are shitty citizens by all account but are loved because they win and made the league lots of money. If they really cared about Shabazz's development they would have kept him there rather than sending him home for such a ridiculous rule.

You do realize that the players association has to sign off on decisions like creating a rookie camp to assist in the effort of preventing young, immature people from bombing out of the league and losing all their money? This camp wasn't created by white suits to keep the players down to show their authority. It was created to help the incoming players not ruin their lives by making immature decisions with training, money and everything else that comes with the lifestyle. Some players don't need it, but a lot do and it is meant to help the league not have to deal with an image problem of a bunch of young players flunking out of the league and going broke because they couldn't handle it. The rule was created to keep player focus on the camp for 4 days. How does it help to let a guy come back for breaking a rule that everyone else there wants to break, but doesn't? If you bring him back, then the next night everyone is getting laid and not paying attention to the conference because there wouldn't be any perceived repercussions for breaking the rules when they would have just let a guy come back. It may be a dumb rule, but it is probably the most needed to be enforced rule in the camp otherwise everyone would break it.

If it is just educational and the goodwill of the league towards its players then there should be no rules around it. Certainly not rules about personal conduct outside of the educational time. The reality is when you put behavior rules as a conditional of participation you are putting a moral and cultural expectation around this program. This moral expectation came from the suits.

I just wanna know where all this tough love measure stuff was when Kevin Love punched a wall and killed his-- and his teammates' season.

Anyway, the overreactions to this are usually what I refer to when I say that this organizations and this fanbase really overvalue character. While this wasn't a good move for Shabazz, let him get into camp. Let him be around the guys we claim to be leaders and calming influences. Let him have to fight his way onto a rotation spot. If you don't think something as minor as this can be forgotten and looked over rather easily (he broke a rule, not a law), then you don't trust the Rubios, the Pek's, the Martin's, the Brewer's, and the Adelman's who we all assume are outstanding people.

If Shabazz starts affecting what this team does ON the court, be upset. This doesn't do that. Worry about wins and losses. Once we're winning, you'll forget all about this. If we're on the verge of a playoff game and you're sitting watching Shabazz celebrate with his teammates and all you can think about is "but he broke a rule at the rookie program" you overvalue character too much and won't know winning when it hits you.

WildWolf2813 wrote:I just wanna know where all this tough love measure stuff was when Kevin Love punched a wall and killed his-- and his teammates' season.

Anyway, the overreactions to this are usually what I refer to when I say that this organizations and this fanbase really overvalue character. While this wasn't a good move for Shabazz, let him get into camp. Let him be around the guys we claim to be leaders and calming influences. Let him have to fight his way onto a rotation spot. If you don't think something as minor as this can be forgotten and looked over rather easily (he broke a rule, not a law), then you don't trust the Rubios, the Pek's, the Martin's, the Brewer's, and the Adelman's who we all assume are outstanding people.

If Shabazz starts affecting what this team does ON the court, be upset. This doesn't do that. Worry about wins and losses. Once we're winning, you'll forget all about this. If we're on the verge of a playoff game and you're sitting watching Shabazz celebrate with his teammates and all you can think about is "but he broke a rule at the rookie program" you overvalue character too much and won't know winning when it hits you.

That is way to calm and rational. I am offended.

WildWolf2813 wrote:I just wanna know where all this tough love measure stuff was when Kevin Love punched a wall and killed his-- and his teammates' season.

Anyway, the overreactions to this are usually what I refer to when I say that this organizations and this fanbase really overvalue character. While this wasn't a good move for Shabazz, let him get into camp. Let him be around the guys we claim to be leaders and calming influences. Let him have to fight his way onto a rotation spot. If you don't think something as minor as this can be forgotten and looked over rather easily (he broke a rule, not a law), then you don't trust the Rubios, the Pek's, the Martin's, the Brewer's, and the Adelman's who we all assume are outstanding people.

If Shabazz starts affecting what this team does ON the court, be upset. This doesn't do that. Worry about wins and losses. Once we're winning, you'll forget all about this. If we're on the verge of a playoff game and you're sitting watching Shabazz celebrate with his teammates and all you can think about is "but he broke a rule at the rookie program" you overvalue character too much and won't know winning when it hits you.

I don't know if people can handle this. It seems too calm. Shabazz must feel the rath of Minnesota Sports forum posters!!!

Nate Wolters (@NateWolters)
8/9/13, 4:24 PM
Had a fun time and learned a lot at rookie transition, lot of great guys in the 2013 draft class!!

Not sure if this has been posted already, but a Flip quote regarding this:

"In our league, you have to be disciplined and being 'disciplined' is being able to adhere to whatever rules are given and you gotta abide by the rules," Saunders said. "So that's been disappointing. But when I talk to him, he's either gonna learn the rules and learn to abide by things with the big boys or he's gonna really quick learn a geography class: where Des Moines is in the NBDL down in Iowa."

Love it!!

When you haven't even stepped foot on the court for training camp and the guy who drafted you is making threats to send you to the D league, you know we are looking at a bust. This guy won't even see a minute with Adelman at the helm.

sjm34 wrote:When you haven't even stepped foot on the court for training camp and the guy who drafted you is making threats to send you to the D league, you know we are looking at a bust. This guy won't even see a minute with Adelman at the helm.

I really hope he doesn't see much time. If he does it just means all the better, more experienced options are hurt or underperforming. I believe that he will likely see much time in the D-League this year, and I believe he was going to even prior to this mistake.