Easy on Nate

[rohanzsta]

due to the recent showings of Von Wafer, i'm starting to read a lot about how Nate should slowly fall out of the rotation once delonte gets back in the mix. i have one question for though... why are you guys all so quick to throwing Nate under a bus? sure he is having a rough patch, but he has been playing a much different role as of late due to rondo's injury. nate "sliding to the end of the bench" because of an increased role in wafer would be disastrous. he is high-energy, a proven scorer, and can light a crowd up in half a second. not only that, but the biggest problem still is... that Wafer has still not shown any signs of being able to consistently shoot. assuming delonte is the backup PG, and Quis the backup SF, wafer at the 2 over nate is not guaranteeing a solid scorer. i'm sure i will get a few people against me on this thread, but all i'm saying is that this debate of Nate/Quis at the backup 2 is significantly skewed right now because not only has Nate been playing poorly, but also Wafer has been playing well. However, at the end of the day, today's game was the first and only time Wafer has made a significant impact wearing celtic green.

Don't be so quick to throw Nate under a bus. He is still light years ahead of Wafer at the backup 2 spot.

[Megatron]

due to the recent showings of Von Wafer, i'm starting to read a lot about how Nate should slowly fall out of the rotation once delonte gets back in the mix. i have one question for though... why are you guys all so quick to throwing Nate under a bus? sure he is having a rough patch, but he has been playing a much different role as of late due to rondo's injury. nate "sliding to the end of the bench" because of an increased role in wafer would be disastrous. he is high-energy, a proven scorer, and can light a crowd up in half a second. not only that, but the biggest problem still is... that Wafer has still not shown any signs of being able to consistently shoot. assuming delonte is the backup PG, and Quis the backup SF, wafer at the 2 over nate is not guaranteeing a solid scorer. i'm sure i will get a few people against me on this thread, but all i'm saying is that this debate of Nate/Quis at the backup 2 is significantly skewed right now because not only has Nate been playing poorly, but Wafer has been playing well. However, at the end of the day, today's game was the first and only time Wafer has made a significant impact wearing celtic green.

Don't be so quick to throw Nate under a bus. He is still light years ahead of Wafer at the backup 2 spot.

No, he isnt "lightyears ahead of wafer"

Wafer is talented, if he was given as many minutes as Nate I am completely sure he could produce the same stats, if more, Wafer penetrates ALOT. Nate barely penetrates, hes been nothing but a "bring the ball up the court, fade to the wing and shoot 3's" for the past couple of weeks. If his 3 shot isnt falling, hes completely useless.

[j804]

Nate, is that you?

[rohanzsta]

***

[rohanzsta]

No, he isnt "lightyears ahead of wafer"

Wafer is talented, if he was given as many minutes as Nate I am completely sure he could produce the same stats, if more, Wafer penetrates ALOT. Nate barely penetrates, hes been nothing but a "bring the ball up the court, fade to the wing and shoot 3's" for the past couple of weeks. If his 3 shot isnt falling, hes completely useless.

So what? that's his role on this team, and up until recently, he has been doing a [dang] good job of it. His scoring on the second unit has been a huge plus to this team's success, and you shouldn't overlook it just due to the poor slump he has been of in late. like i said, he is not playing the same role, and clearly his position as a starting 1 in replacement for rondo has been hurting us. but as a backup 2? nate's explosiveness, support, and role on this team has been exactly what we need. there's no debate right now until wafer continues to perform. assuming delonte got healthy, rolling nate out of the rotation for wafer would be disastrous.

[guava_wrench]

I am not one of the Nate-haters, but I am fine with him losing minutes if he is outplayed. I don't think Wafer has shown enough yet to overtake Nate, but there is still 2 weeks before West returns for him to prove himself.

Nate has been erratic, with his main contributions being a few games when Rondo first went down. Nate was also unimpressive last season.

Height issues mean that Nate starts with an immediate disadvantage to other guys who play the 2, especially since playing him with Quis and West would mean having below average height with all 3 guys (assuming Nate would defend the smallest opponent).

That being said, Wafer does not yet deserve to play over Nate. I think people are getting carried away a little now that Wafer is looking competent.

[guava_wrench]

due to the recent showings of Von Wafer, i'm starting to read a lot about how Nate should slowly fall out of the rotation once delonte gets back in the mix. i have one question for though... why are you guys all so quick to throwing Nate under a bus? sure he is having a rough patch, but he has been playing a much different role as of late due to rondo's injury. nate "sliding to the end of the bench" because of an increased role in wafer would be disastrous. he is high-energy, a proven scorer, and can light a crowd up in half a second. not only that, but the biggest problem still is... that Wafer has still not shown any signs of being able to consistently shoot. assuming delonte is the backup PG, and Quis the backup SF, wafer at the 2 over nate is not guaranteeing a solid scorer. i'm sure i will get a few people against me on this thread, but all i'm saying is that this debate of Nate/Quis at the backup 2 is significantly skewed right now because not only has Nate been playing poorly, but Wafer has been playing well. However, at the end of the day, today's game was the first and only time Wafer has made a significant impact wearing celtic green.

Don't be so quick to throw Nate under a bus. He is still light years ahead of Wafer at the backup 2 spot.

No, he isnt "lightyears ahead of wafer"

Wafer is talented, if he was given as many minutes as Nate I am completely sure he could produce the same stats, if more, Wafer penetrates ALOT. Nate barely penetrates, hes been nothing but a "bring the ball up the court, fade to the wing and shoot 3's" for the past couple of weeks. If his 3 shot isnt falling, hes completely useless.

I think it is unfair to decide on Nate's minutes at the 2 once West returns based on how he played PG while West was out. Nate isn't playing like a 2 or 3 because he is playing the 1.

[GreenEnvy]

due to the recent showings of Von Wafer, i'm starting to read a lot about how Nate should slowly fall out of the rotation once delonte gets back in the mix. i have one question for though... why are you guys all so quick to throwing Nate under a bus? sure he is having a rough patch, but he has been playing a much different role as of late due to rondo's injury. nate "sliding to the end of the bench" because of an increased role in wafer would be disastrous. he is high-energy, a proven scorer, and can light a crowd up in half a second. not only that, but the biggest problem still is... that Wafer has still not shown any signs of being able to consistently shoot. assuming delonte is the backup PG, and Quis the backup SF, wafer at the 2 over nate is not guaranteeing a solid scorer. i'm sure i will get a few people against me on this thread, but all i'm saying is that this debate of Nate/Quis at the backup 2 is significantly skewed right now because not only has Nate been playing poorly, but also Wafer has been playing well. However, at the end of the day, today's game was the first and only time Wafer has made a significant impact wearing celtic green.

Don't be so quick to throw Nate under a bus. He is still light years ahead of Wafer at the backup 2 spot.

As someone who suggested he slips to the end of the bench in another thread, I don't think he is going to.

I think Nate brings some energy and firepower to the offense. The second unit can get stagnant and a guy who can get streaky and knock down a couple treys or layups. But, he really shouldn't be playing the 2-guard. If he can't run the point, he is too short to guard the opposing 2's.

It will also be hard to create shots against other SG's in the league. So if we are using him for open jumpers and transition buckets, why can't we use Wafer for that? He hustles up and down the floor and also has a nice jumper (which he still hasn't truly found yet, but we saw it in Houston). He has proven, especially tonight, that he can defend and rebound significantly better than Nate.

I think Von will have to do this for a lot more than just one season, but I think Doc is willing to give them both a chance, because one will be the odd man out when the rotation shortens.


Wouldn't it be ironic if Nate and BBD fall out of our top-10 after how well they performed in the playoffs last season? It certainly seems possible right now, which I guess is a tribute to just how deep we can be when at full strength.

[Rondo_is_better]

I withheld judgment on Nate until today. If he continues to play a) as poorly and b) in the same manner as he is right now, he should be dropped from the rotation once Delonte returns.

[Snakehead]

I withheld judgment on Nate until today. If he continues to play a) as poorly and b) in the same manner as he is right now, he should be dropped from the rotation once Delonte returns.

I think he could still get time but certainly less time.  And I'm not so quick to jump on Von Wafer's bandwagon yet, though he was really good tonight with more time.

It's funny, weren't most people saying he should be cut a week ago?  Or days ago maybe...



Anyways, if Nate is being creative with his dribble he doesn't bring as much as someone who can slash and shoot about as well.  Let's see how he continues to play and how Von Wafer continues to play before we make a decision.

[guava_wrench]

due to the recent showings of Von Wafer, i'm starting to read a lot about how Nate should slowly fall out of the rotation once delonte gets back in the mix. i have one question for though... why are you guys all so quick to throwing Nate under a bus? sure he is having a rough patch, but he has been playing a much different role as of late due to rondo's injury. nate "sliding to the end of the bench" because of an increased role in wafer would be disastrous. he is high-energy, a proven scorer, and can light a crowd up in half a second. not only that, but the biggest problem still is... that Wafer has still not shown any signs of being able to consistently shoot. assuming delonte is the backup PG, and Quis the backup SF, wafer at the 2 over nate is not guaranteeing a solid scorer. i'm sure i will get a few people against me on this thread, but all i'm saying is that this debate of Nate/Quis at the backup 2 is significantly skewed right now because not only has Nate been playing poorly, but also Wafer has been playing well. However, at the end of the day, today's game was the first and only time Wafer has made a significant impact wearing celtic green.

Don't be so quick to throw Nate under a bus. He is still light years ahead of Wafer at the backup 2 spot.

As someone who suggested he slips to the end of the bench in another thread, I don't think he is going to.

I think Nate brings some energy and firepower to the offense. The second unit can get stagnant and a guy who can get streaky and knock down a couple treys or layups. But, he really shouldn't be playing the 2-guard. If he can't run the point, he is too short to guard the opposing 2's.

It will also be hard to create shots against other SG's in the league. So if we are using him for open jumpers and transition buckets, why can't we use Wafer for that? He hustles up and down the floor and also has a nice jumper (which he still hasn't truly found yet, but we saw it in Houston). He has proven, especially tonight, that he can defend and rebound significantly better than Nate.

I think Von will have to do this for a lot more than just one season, but I think Doc is willing to give them both a chance, because one will be the odd man out when the rotation shortens.


Wouldn't it be ironic if Nate and BBD fall out of our top-10 after how well they performed in the playoffs last season? It certainly seems possible right now, which I guess is a tribute to just how deep we can be when at full strength.

In how many games did they really bring it last year in the playoffs, especially Nate? Don't we mostly just remember the Donkey and Shrek game?

[rsan]

His shot selection has just been horrible as of late, starting with the orlando game. Rondo being back should help take a load off of him, but we are gonna have to give it time. I just hate it when he handles the ball. Quis should be handling it a lot more. Wafer does deserve more playing time, but his shot isn't falling, which could hinder our 2nd team.

[GreenEnvy]

due to the recent showings of Von Wafer, i'm starting to read a lot about how Nate should slowly fall out of the rotation once delonte gets back in the mix. i have one question for though... why are you guys all so quick to throwing Nate under a bus? sure he is having a rough patch, but he has been playing a much different role as of late due to rondo's injury. nate "sliding to the end of the bench" because of an increased role in wafer would be disastrous. he is high-energy, a proven scorer, and can light a crowd up in half a second. not only that, but the biggest problem still is... that Wafer has still not shown any signs of being able to consistently shoot. assuming delonte is the backup PG, and Quis the backup SF, wafer at the 2 over nate is not guaranteeing a solid scorer. i'm sure i will get a few people against me on this thread, but all i'm saying is that this debate of Nate/Quis at the backup 2 is significantly skewed right now because not only has Nate been playing poorly, but also Wafer has been playing well. However, at the end of the day, today's game was the first and only time Wafer has made a significant impact wearing celtic green.

Don't be so quick to throw Nate under a bus. He is still light years ahead of Wafer at the backup 2 spot.

As someone who suggested he slips to the end of the bench in another thread, I don't think he is going to.

I think Nate brings some energy and firepower to the offense. The second unit can get stagnant and a guy who can get streaky and knock down a couple treys or layups. But, he really shouldn't be playing the 2-guard. If he can't run the point, he is too short to guard the opposing 2's.

It will also be hard to create shots against other SG's in the league. So if we are using him for open jumpers and transition buckets, why can't we use Wafer for that? He hustles up and down the floor and also has a nice jumper (which he still hasn't truly found yet, but we saw it in Houston). He has proven, especially tonight, that he can defend and rebound significantly better than Nate.

I think Von will have to do this for a lot more than just one season, but I think Doc is willing to give them both a chance, because one will be the odd man out when the rotation shortens.


Wouldn't it be ironic if Nate and BBD fall out of our top-10 after how well they performed in the playoffs last season? It certainly seems possible right now, which I guess is a tribute to just how deep we can be when at full strength.

In how many games did they really bring it last year in the playoffs, especially Nate? Don't we mostly just remember the Donkey and Shrek game?

Nate had a pretty big game against Orlando too, IIRC. And BBD had a nice run in 2009 in addition to the Finals game.

But as of late I don't know what BBD is thinking, he just fires off shots at will. Nate isn't being as selfish, he just isn't hitting the shots he has to to be effective.

[jbsprinter1]

You know, I'd normally be one to easily get angry at a struggling player, but not this year. Last year, Rondo, Sheed, Ray, TA, etc all did things that p---ed me off. Yet, everyone redeemed themselves at some point. Nate's been struggling for a few games, but he's a streak shooter. We all knew that before we made the trade. He plays his best coming off the bench. Let him get used to that role again - Rondo just got back.

What gets me angry, however, is a player like Big Baby, who isn't necessarily struggling, but is taking ill-advised shots now that he's a starter, even with other HOFs on the team. I REALLY hope Doc talks to Baby and reminds him of the team concept. That shouldn't change just because of a few injures.

[guava_wrench]

due to the recent showings of Von Wafer, i'm starting to read a lot about how Nate should slowly fall out of the rotation once delonte gets back in the mix. i have one question for though... why are you guys all so quick to throwing Nate under a bus? sure he is having a rough patch, but he has been playing a much different role as of late due to rondo's injury. nate "sliding to the end of the bench" because of an increased role in wafer would be disastrous. he is high-energy, a proven scorer, and can light a crowd up in half a second. not only that, but the biggest problem still is... that Wafer has still not shown any signs of being able to consistently shoot. assuming delonte is the backup PG, and Quis the backup SF, wafer at the 2 over nate is not guaranteeing a solid scorer. i'm sure i will get a few people against me on this thread, but all i'm saying is that this debate of Nate/Quis at the backup 2 is significantly skewed right now because not only has Nate been playing poorly, but also Wafer has been playing well. However, at the end of the day, today's game was the first and only time Wafer has made a significant impact wearing celtic green.

Don't be so quick to throw Nate under a bus. He is still light years ahead of Wafer at the backup 2 spot.

As someone who suggested he slips to the end of the bench in another thread, I don't think he is going to.

I think Nate brings some energy and firepower to the offense. The second unit can get stagnant and a guy who can get streaky and knock down a couple treys or layups. But, he really shouldn't be playing the 2-guard. If he can't run the point, he is too short to guard the opposing 2's.

It will also be hard to create shots against other SG's in the league. So if we are using him for open jumpers and transition buckets, why can't we use Wafer for that? He hustles up and down the floor and also has a nice jumper (which he still hasn't truly found yet, but we saw it in Houston). He has proven, especially tonight, that he can defend and rebound significantly better than Nate.

I think Von will have to do this for a lot more than just one season, but I think Doc is willing to give them both a chance, because one will be the odd man out when the rotation shortens.


Wouldn't it be ironic if Nate and BBD fall out of our top-10 after how well they performed in the playoffs last season? It certainly seems possible right now, which I guess is a tribute to just how deep we can be when at full strength.

In how many games did they really bring it last year in the playoffs, especially Nate? Don't we mostly just remember the Donkey and Shrek game?

Nate had a pretty big game against Orlando too, IIRC. And BBD had a nice run in 2009 in addition to the Finals game.

But as of late I don't know what BBD is thinking, he just fires off shots at will. Nate isn't being as selfish, he just isn't hitting the shots he has to to be effective.

Baby is doing what I wish KG would do. He is catching and shooting. KG is often too reluctant to shoot on open looks, and has a habit of dribbling once to his left off of the catch, even when he is already open.

Baby is playing like he is in Phx, where they want you to shoot your open looks. If he can shoot the jumper, why not shoot it when you have a look? Just keep to the distance where you can hit it. I prefer that to being wishy-washy and turning over the ball or having the team take a contested shot because you lacked confidence.

With more big guys who play closer to the rim this season, I want his jumper to be reliable by the playoffs.

IIRC, Nate's big game in Orlando was the game where we all said 'finally he seems like he can contribute.' Before that he had seemed clueless, so our expectations were really low. He doesn't have the advantage of low expectations this season.