Comments on: Rodney Stuckey starts camp in great shape

By: Sebastian

Sebastian — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 15:12:17 +0000

Max, it sure is good to read favorable posts about Stuckey.

By: sut

sut — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 23:11:06 +0000

Many good points here. I’d just like to add that whether $8MM is modest or not, fans will be ALL OVER HIM if he doesn’t take that next step we’ve been waiting on. I’ve attempted to put my dislike on hold but if it becomes evident this season that we’ve overpaid, I feel an uncorking bubbling up. I’d like to see him slide to the 2 to put two potential slashers on the floor but someone brought up in a parallel thread that he just doesn’t have the shot to scare anyone at SG.

It’s funny, we once thought we had a glut at the two and suddenly we have two projects pulling paychecks and not exactly fitting the bill.

By: Haan

Haan — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 20:44:54 +0000

“Modest”, Tarsier, relative to expectations I had heard floated, a la 45 mil for 5 years. Indeed, the rumors the week preceding the signing were at most a tic off of that. The fact that Stuckey earned less last year doesn’t mean this contract can’t be modest; you’re simply making a well-known observation about how the system works. The third counter is toughest to respond to and my answer’s most speculative there. I think Stuckey’s moved from being the centerpiece of the rebuilding process to one component, albeit maybe still Joe’s favorite one. The drafting of Knight may have been forced on Joe given the unexpected value available at that draft position. Still, the pick affects Stuckey’s status. Part of the evidence of that, of Stuckey’s lowered status, lies in the tenor of the negotiations. Joe was hardly desparate, but if anything patronizing in referring to it being Stuckey’s first negotiation. The pieces are in place for Stuckey to make a move forward. I say that without liking the team’s chances that much this year, other than in positioning themselves for a strong upcoming draft.

By: Max

Max — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 20:35:31 +0000

Stuckey isn’t just better at getting to the line…..he is also a far superior foul shooter. He also scored 16.5 points a game to Conley’s 12 during the off season in question and Conley hadn’t started nearly as many games in his career. Further, Stuckey was the best player on the 09 Pistons that did sneak into the playoffs and he had a great playoffs in 08 during which he dominated the eventual champ Celtics for stretches as a rookie. Conley had nothing on his resume like those accomplishments at the time of contract and probably still doesn’t but you have to give a nod to what the Grizz accomplished last year.

By: Patrick Hayes

Patrick Hayes — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 20:16:35 +0000

I agree that Conley’s contract seemed like way too much at the time he signed it, but he hadn’t accomplished “much, much less” than Stuckey. They were statistically pretty close to identical players. Stuckey was better at getting to the line, Conley was a far superior 3-point shooter.

By: Max

Max — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 20:07:03 +0000

I’d also like to add that while Conley validated his contract last season, he signed a much bigger contract than Stuckey least season at a time when he had accomplished much, much less.

By: Max

Max — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 20:04:16 +0000

8 Million may not be modest to you but there are players in the nba making 2 and 3 times as much that are not and never were better than Stuckey—and I’m referring to you, Rashard Lewis. Added to which, the expectations are lower because I think most fans look at Monroe as the best player to pin their hopes on now with Brandon Knight probably running second. I think fans are going to like Stuckey a lot more as a 2nd to 4th best player than they ever did as the man.

By: tarsier

tarsier — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 19:22:44 +0000

wait, lowered expectations from a modest contract?

a) he’s making over $8M/yr, that’s a big contract
b) his contract definitely used to be more modest
c) nobody has lowered expectations. the entire point of resigning him was in the hopes that he would continue to improve albeit hopefully a bit more rapidly

By: Haan

Haan — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 17:41:28 +0000

Good to hear. Not a Stuckey fan, but I recognize that he’s improved incrementally and think he’ll have his best season yet. The fire of resentment concerning the contract, a “fresh start” with a coach receptive to his desire for a faster tempo, and lowered expectations signified by the modest contract as well as the the arrival of the PG-of-the future all should help.