I know...i was his biggest fan too.
He's lost me. He's too thin skinned and can't accept constructive criticism at all. Someday he may be able to, but i dont want to wait until then. The altercations, getting kicked out of practice, films, quitting, pouting, "AYYYYEEE!!!", "AND ONNNNEE!!!!". I'm done with it all. He respects no one, no idea why he expects it back. From the coaches to his teammates to the refs...it's everyone else's fault. He has a ton of talent, but he's uncoachable at this point and killing any chance of developing chemistry.
It's baffling to me that those remaining in the Dion camp continue to call for more minutes and for him to start when you keep hearing about him getting kicked out of practices, meetings, having altercations with teammates, etc. Are we supposed to reward his pouting and being a malcontent?
Same thing in game threads...everyone giggles when he yells "AND ONE!" and "AYYYYYEEEE!!!!". You all bitch because he doesn't get calls. Guess why he doesn't get calls - the refs hate him. He's disrespectful.
Dion is the problem, it's not everyone ganging up on Dion.
Interesting, a lot of that can be said about Kyrie also.
Sure Kyrie doesn't get kicked out of practice(then again if he did, they'd hide it since it's the "star"), he quits on his team, he says he wants to be the leader but he does everything opposite of being one.(holding a few summer practices doesn't make you one)
Instead of yelling and one, he throws his hands up and looks at refs and pouts to them while slow walking back to the other end.
He doesn't respect the team, his self, coaches or the organization. If he did, he wouldn't give up on games when things aren't going right, half ass try on defense , and wouldn't play 1v5 hero ball getting "his" for most the game. How many times has Kyrie slowly dribbled up the court to take a contested 3 with out making 1 pass, or using the 1 set pick and taking a contested 3. How many times does he settle for the worst shot in the NBA, a jump shot just inside the 3 point line contested? Or how about just dribbling around the 3 point line for 18 seconds before making a panic move.
Dion kills any chance of chemistry? Really?
The first unit chemistry is laughable if you even want to call it that, everyone seems out of place and not knowing which Kyrie is going to be playing, the one who tries to pass and get everyone involved(maybe a handful of games this year) or the one who's going to dribble out the shot clock and take terrible contested jump shots all night. I love watching 4 players stand around with their hands out/waving in the air like they're waiting for a pass when Kyrie is doing his 1v5 dribble around and chucks a terrible contested jump shot. With Dion you know he's going to run what Brown calls a offense, he's going to be looking to setup other players and he"ll break off the play a few times for a jump shot. Did you notice usually when he breaks off for his shot it isn't a contested 20 ft jump shot, it's usually a decent look around the 14-16 range, his problem is fading more then taking it. The only time he looks salty on the court is when the team doesn't give a shit or Brown decides to play musical chairs with his minutes.
How is he uncoachable at this point? He's done everything he's been asked to do. He's completely focused his on ball defense to the point he's actually solid there at times but overall decent(yes he still gets caught off ball watching). He's improved his spot up shooting like he was asked, he's improved his play making for other players, he's improved his mindset even if people say he hasn't. If he was such a pain why doesn't he piss and moan and not even try since he comes off the bench and at times is left to rott? He still comes out there and plays his ass off, if his shots not falling he's still playing defense. He could go out there like Blatche when on the Wizards and make a joke of basketball. Yes, Dion at times brakes off the play and takes a bad shot, but so does Kyrie and Kyrie does it more then he doesn't at this point.(how you hold Dion for that but not Kyrie is odd)
Meanwhile we got Kyrie our "star" saying he wants to be the leader of this team yet he's putting everyone on eggshells. Doesn't always pass, often doing whatever he pleases, soaks and shows poor body language, taking terrible shots, not leading huddles, not pulling guys aside and getting them going or calming them down. When has Kyrie ever rushed to the aid of the team? I still remember Dion getting in quite a few faces this year because players hard fouled Andy. Not to mention all the trade/not resigning, he could put his foot down and say "Yes I'm resigning my extension" and show his team he's for real and believes in them, instead he's just like yeah whatever.
To say Dion is the problem is just laughable and just begging to repeat past mistakes. Kyrie is obviously more talented then Dion but what good is talent when that talent is looking like he's blaming everyone but himself?
I just don't get it, Dion's gone and we get a new player or two, then what? Does that player magically get Kyrie to pass him the ball when he's standing wide open in the corner waving his hands? Does that player magically get Kyrie to give any effort on defense? Does he get Kyrie to finally grow up and take some responsibility for this team's failure? Or do we just blame that player and label him not a fit? First it was Scott, then Bynum, now Dion, when do you look at the "star" and wonder if he's a bigger part of the problem then Dion Waiters.
Calling for trading for either is whatever, these two haven't even played 82 games together on the court nor have they really shared more then 10-15mins together a game, if you really think Dion is the problem, then :chuckles: