KingSpeed

Not exactly the kind of point guard we're looking for. If he can neither A) make an outside shot or B) set up his teammates, then he's not worth getting excited about. It's always cool to see a new guy drop 13 points (not THAT impressive for a 13th pick in the draft), but when he needs 14 shots and is supposed to be our point guard but fails to get more than 4 assists over TWO GAMES and everyone keeps telling us that he's a true point guard who is looking to get lots of assists.... well, then.... I'm not sure what there is to be happy about here.

Damon's not great, but Telfair isn't much better if at all.

mediocre man

Yet every coach, Commentator, executive and person that has seen him play says he is special. I'd be currious to see how many assists the team get when he is in the game. The ball movement is so much better when he is playing....It's almost like he makes everyone else better.

He's only 19, and playing his first meaningful minutes in the NBA. As teams see him play they will start collapsing on him more as he flies through the lane thus leading to more assists.

I think you need to have a little more patients with him Nathan. I think in his case it's what WILL be, and not what already is. He looks like like he could be very good. This team is brutal when it comes to trying to get assists. Damon succeeds because he holds the ball too long forcing the player he passes to to shoot.

KingSpeed

His +/- is -7.3. He has the second worst (only to Carlisle) +/- on our team.

Marbury was only 19 when he was a rookie and he was better. Tony Parker was only 19 and he played better. Damon wasn't 19, but he was MUCH better with his first meaningful minutes. In fact, he won rookie of the year! "Only 19" doesn't hold water for me. Either you're good enough to play in this league or you should stay in school.

mediocre man

None of the players you metioned went straight from highschool to the NBA. Damon went several years to college, Marburry went 1 year, and Parker had a ton of international experience.

Do I think Telfair would have better if he'd gone to college...yes. But I still think he'll be a fan favorite and an all-star in the coming years. He's going to make mistakes. Payton Manning had more interceptions that TD's his first year, and last time I checked he was doing ok.

futuristxen

Man. I read stuff like this and wonder if I'm watching the same player.

From what I've seen anyone trying to get out and discount this kid now is just sowing the seeds of their own humiliation. Kid is ready to play RIGHT NOW. He has got "it". Before he's done with the Blazers he'll be one of the all-time best to have ever worn the jersey.

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HKF

How about getting some players who move w/o the ball into Portland Nathan? Could that work?

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jackiejackal

How interesting that perhaps the ONLY bright light for next year's
team is so torn to shreds.
Who knows what people see when they watch a basketball game.

Maybe it's because this team is so bad,that some people think
that anyone less than Superman himself is inferior.
I think he has a quality about him that looks promising.
I used the word charm last night and it was made fun of.
This team is about the least charming of the entire NBA.
To see a high school kid with that infectious smile take the court
and be smiling during the game,that's pretty cool in my book.
After years of craggletooth and bonzi snarling and grimacing
after each poor play..
I guess beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.
I like what I see.
Others have forgotten just how bad some of the stars of today
looked back then..not much better than Telfair.

To heck with you then..
he still has alot of fans and what I have heard around the league,seems to be thought of well by the color guys and announcers etc.
I have never heard anyone except here make fun of him.
That seems abit tacky,since I think total minutes he has finally compiled enough minutes to say he has played an entire game in the NBA.
One game total since coming out of high school. !

jackiejackal

Nathan are you aware that he would have had many, many more assists if the players he so deftly passed to would have made the shots??

SoCalBlazerFan3

Marbury played one year of college before logging minutes in the NBA.

Parker had been playing PROFESSIONAL basketball in France since he was 15.

Damon played 4 FULL YEARS of college ball before being drafted.

Telfair hasn't even played a full games worth of minutes yet!!!

Why don't you look at the facts before posting ridiculous statements just to support your stupid positions.

Oh wait, this is coming from the same guy that posted this comment:

furball

Apparently, Jason Quick is not the only one Damon has nude pictures of.

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TP3

I think you have to give NBA defenses a little credit here. When he drives, I see defenders guarding passing lanes which means he HAS to shoot because that's what they are giving him.

I know if I were coaching against him I'd make him beat us with his shot and not with the pass...everybody knows that's his strength.

kaydow

That's what I see too. It seems like every time he goes to the well, defenders are sagging back in the passing lanes, not expecting him to shoot. Teams will adjust, and come to help when Seb comes to the rim . . . then we see his assists start to pile up. Case in point, that play last night (fast break--Telfair and DA two on one) where he fakes a pass back to DA and the defender fell for it, and he had an easy lay-up) We already know the kid can pass, and so does every team he plays against. I expect now that he has shown he's not afraid to shoot, he's ready to break out with a 7 or 8 assist game soon. One more thing, any "good" thing we see from him this year is a bonus. I didn't expect much from him this season. I'm not going to jump off the bandwagon if he goes 1-9 with 5 t/o in his next game. He's going to have games where he struggles this year.

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Big Kaydow

Perfection

C'mon now. You can't compare it to Damon. Damon came out of Arizona and onto a crappy, young expansion team where he was allowed to take a ton of shots and averaged in the area of 20 points per game. He started...because he was the best option at the posititon. Regardless if Telfair is our "best" PG, he simply doesn't play and doesn't have experience in the NBA game. Sure, Parker has always played magnificent (which I think he is one of the best PGs in the league), but I think that he also got more PT at the beginning. It's sort of like the whole SAR-Off the bench thing. You can't expect them to play as well as if they started.

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alext42083

Let's look at the history of these guys in their first three games of meaningful action and Telfair's first four, since he's had four games of more than 10 mins of play..

Stephon Marbury
1996-97
#1: 8 mins, 0-3 FG (0-1 3FG), 0 pts, 3 rebs, 2 asts
#2: 21 mins, 4-10 FG (4-7 3FG), 12 pts, 0 rebs, 7 asts
#3: 26 mins, 5-14 FG (2-6 3FG), 14 pts, 5 rebs, 1 ast

Tony Parker
2001-02
#1: 21 mins, 3-8 FG, 9 pts, 3 rebs, 3 asts
#2: 7 mins, 1-2 FG, 2 pts, 2 rebs, 0 asts
#3: 26 mins, 5-12 FG, 15 pts, 2 rebs, 6 asts

Damon Stoudamire
1995-96
#1: 38 mins, 4-14 FG, 10 pts, 3 rebs, 10 asts
#2: 43 mins, 7-23 FG, 26 pts, 6 rebs, 11 asts
#3: 43 mins, 8-15 FG, 22 pts, 6 rebs, 10 asts

Sebastian Telfair
This year
#1: 14 mins, 1-3 FG, 2 pts, 0 rebs, 6 asts
#2: 16 mins, 0-5 FG, 9 pts, 3 rebs, 2 asts
#3: 25 mins, 4-8 FG, 11 pts, 1 reb, 3 asts
#4: 21 mins, 5-14 FG, 13 pts, 1 reb, 1 ast


With the exception of Damon, who was the only actual "player" on Toronto, I'd say Telfair's numbers are somewhat similar to Parker's and Marbury's when they first started out in the league.
Not that great shooting percentage, Parker and Marbury had more assists though, but players have to finish the play in order to record an assist. The assists will come with more playing time and guys getting used to his passing skills and know that he'll get 'em the ball when they're open.

My point here is, I guess, give the guy some time, rather than saying he won't amount to anything after four games of actual meaningful play. Give him a break, already.

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