I don't care what's going on- Hollins or Harangody should not be playing over Samuels.
This is Cleveland we can't afford to let talent walk out the door.
These guys are all man-children who have been given everything since they were young, as an organization you have to be able to reach them. At a certain point it goes on the staff and franchise versus the player, not everyone is going to be a model citizen by any stretch of the imagination. Using the "stick" on everyone is foolish, some need the "carrot."
You are right, Samardo should be getting more minutes and clearly be higher in the rotation, if not really be our regular starting center without question. But, Samardo ...now that Eyenga is gone, is Byron Scott's biggest enigma. Obviously, pieces of the Samardo Samuels mental puzzle haven't all become well known, nor have really come to the surface ...but we all know something is present that has held this kid back at different points in time, in his basketball life.
We are talking about a kid that was one of the most highly recruited big men in the country coming out of high school, and between then and going pro the guy fell off the ladder and didn't even end up getting a 2nd round afterthought selection. I don't know all that's gone on in the past nor all that's gone on since he came to Cleveland, but I've heard he spent long stints in a vegitative state, flat-lining in his dorm couch at Louisville, and got a bad reputation that included attitude and internal fire and drive lacking.. Coaches close to the situation at Lousville said he became a huge prima-donna in his short time there.
Obviously, getting totally snubbed in the draft eventually lit a fire under him, and he got himself in shape to the point he had some dominating, eye opening performances in Summer League games, to the point a bidding war went out, with numerous NBA teams trying to get this guy onto their training camp rosters. The Cavs, looking for anything of substance, and available roster room space went the extra mile needed to secure him and signed him to a contract.
In his time here, he has shown that he has very real talents to be a quality big man in this league, but ...I'm sure the internal issues that caused problems at Louisville have faded in and out here as well. I think Scott, although never havng anything slip out in the press, has had to use several means that are at a coaches disposal to try and get messages through to him to try and get him to get on course and stay on course.
I don't think he's a bad cat or anything ...I don't know many specifics, but I just think he's immature, and displays attitude and sporadic hustle and drive ...with so much at stake, and so much money that he could make if he could get his mind right and really work and get himself in top physical shape in the offseason, and tap intoi the vast potential that is within him, he could be another key core piece for us moving forward. But, he's got to conquer those demons that have, at times, hurt him and set him back both in college and in his time here.
He's not the type guy any organization would feel comfortable with offering him a longterm, big money type contract. The fear being, once he gets it, he will revert back, and end up being a bad investment.
Time will tell, but their is more to the issue than meets the eye when trying to figure out the strange and inconsistent swings in how many minutes he gets throughout the course of this season. Obviously something has been go9ng on, and messages beinbg sent by our head coach to try and get this kid focused and on point.