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Rhino Frustrated In Rip City
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  1. DHawes22
    DHawes22
    Posts: 6481

    Posted 04/19/2012 2:32 PM



    The Rhino Roars His Displeasure With Role As A Blazer - Chris Haynes
    “Yeah, it's frustrating. It's real frustrating just to see it unfold how it did,” Smith tells CSNNW.com “I don't think I got a fair shot. To see the situation end how it did, it's tough.”
    “When (Nate) McMillan started he said, 'You haven't been here, you got to work yourself into the rotation.' I work my way into the rotation, I think we we started losing, he wanted to change it up,” Smith said. “Since we were losing, I kind of got butted out of the situation.”
    “Kaleb, great guy, we won the first game out in Chicago and I thought I pretty much solidified. Was told I was going to have an opportunity, but things changed...I'm not trying to be all about myself, but at the same time I work really hard to put myself in the best position possible, the best shape to stay on the court constantly. But to see me not play a lot of minutes is very frustrating.” 
    Smith is an unrestricted free agent at season's end and he says he would love to be back in Portland, but wherever he plays, he says honesty and a specified role will be priority.

    “I would need more understanding about things,” Smith said. “Just playing. A real role. A role with the team. An understanding I rather would say. Being honest. An understanding. So, I would say that.” 
    I am a fan of
  1. DHawes22
    DHawes22
    Posts: 6481

    Posted 04/19/2012 2:34 PM

    I feel for the Rhino. Mike and Mike comment about how great of shape he's in all the time. He hustles ofr loose balls. And he's a bully on the blocks. He had a role as a backup power forward and somewhere around February, it evaporated out of thin air without probable cause. Coach McMillan tried to change things up, which included a lesser role for Craig, but when those changes didn't work out either, it's like the Rhino became the lost man on the bench. Everyone forgot about him.

    I, for one, hope he comes back next year. Maybe not as our primary backup power forward but as someone who can be a situational player, who can play to his strengths and be a matchup nightmare for a soft team inside.
    I am a fan of
  1. stacksfan2005
    stacksfan2005
    Posts: 302

    Posted 04/20/2012 1:25 PM

    i thought the rhine was pure beast mode when he did get his shot and still dont get why he wasn't used more. babbit shouldn't be a stretch 4 he should be a SF and rhino should have been primary back up PF until hickson and now he should be primary backup behind hickson while LA is out. i understand his frustrations, i'd be pissed in his situation, especially when i haven't seen him screw up at all.
  1. cmeese47
    cmeese47
    Posts: 2306

    Posted 04/20/2012 2:03 PM

    I can't blame the guy and he showed class accepting his terrible role all season. 
    I am a fan of Getting Defensive Players This Summer.
  1. daddylogan
    daddylogan
    Posts: 187

    Posted 04/20/2012 3:57 PM

    I am also a Rhino fan and wondered what happened to him. I almost thought he was not on the team anymore for a while. He has always been a positive force on the floor.

    peace out,
    daddy
    I am a fan of THE LITTLE GIANT...DAMIAN LILLARD!!!
  1. D_pickett
    D_pickett
    Posts: 608

    Posted 04/20/2012 4:07 PM

    I agree with stacksfan... Mike and Mike were a game or two ago that Luke "prefers to play the 4." I can understand this as he can spread the floor and has respectable post defense and rebounding ability. But I get the impression he is not confident playing his game against perimeter defenders, and that's NOT a reasonable excuse for an NBA player to be playing out of position. All parts of Luke's game look like the game of a 3 rather than a 4, and if he were being Batum's regular back-up, things would actually open up for someone like Rhino.

    That being said, we will likely not have Rhino next season. He said the right things to the media, but the guy isn't coming back. He'd be an idiot to commit before anything is sure about Hickson anyway. If JJ will be back, Rhino will want to get out as fast as he can. My real prediction, though, is that neither will be back, and we will be right back in a situation where we need to find a solid backup 4.
    I am a fan of
  1. Tobyus Sanchezo
    Tobyus Sanchezo
    Posts: 1600

    Posted 04/21/2012 3:54 PM

    Coolest T-Shirt at the Fan Shop, and the dude don't even get to play. MAKES NO SENSE
    I am a fan of playoffs in two zero one three
  1. kenny c.
    kenny c.
    Posts: 412

    Posted 04/22/2012 9:13 AM

    Hey Rhino, that's the way the cookie crumbles, your gripes are multitude in this league. Face it, you weren't getting us into the playoffs and you aren't the forward of the future, you were always going to be a back up. Sorry you didn't get the run, but we need to run these new kids to see what we have.
    I am a fan of Winning
  1. schwabbii
    schwabbii
    Posts: 178

    Posted 04/22/2012 10:14 PM

    Run the new kids? What if J.J. Hickson was put into Rhinos shoes and placed on the bench permanently? We certainly need to find out what the young guns can bring to the table yet are we passing up a guy that will help us out in other ways? I think of him as a Pryzbilla. The Vanilla Gorilla was never a viable consistent starter (for the most part), yet he gave the team what we needed for so many years. 
    I am a fan of
  1. Tobyus Sanchezo
    Tobyus Sanchezo
    Posts: 1600

    Posted 04/23/2012 6:12 AM

    We're all frustrated with Rip City. If you're not frustrated with this season, then you obviously haven't been watching enough Blazer games. Some of those road games in particular were atrocious, almost unbearable. Craig Smith getting basically cut midseason but stuck on this team is unusual to say the least.

    Gotta have 8 dudes in uniform, break glass in case of Rhino.
    I am a fan of playoffs in two zero one three
  1. barnettfan
    barnettfan
    Posts: 370

    Posted 04/23/2012 11:07 AM

    @schwabbii JJ was put in rhino's shoes just not for the blazers but for cavs and kings. 2 coaches have passed on C Smith and the one coach is playing everybody. That kind of tells me something. I do not get to see many games so my evaluation of Smith is not real good but I did see him make a bonehead play that cost us a game pretty much. we were up by 4 and he fouled a shooter taking a 3pt shot (which he made) tied the game @ the charity stripe and the rest is history. I see him out muscle anyone and hustle but not much else. I just dont see him as a viable asset especially with what is coming down the pipes in the draft at that position if he was taller it would be a differant story for me.
    I am a fan of
  1. cmeese47
    cmeese47
    Posts: 2306

    Posted 04/23/2012 11:41 AM

    You got to reward hard work and hustle even if you only give the guy a few minutes per game at least allow the guy to prove something to you. Not to forget energy is contagious and he certainly brought a lot of that. A Rhino, JJ front line would be interesting to say the least.
    I am a fan of Getting Defensive Players This Summer.
  1. BDawg
    BDawg
    Posts: 1459

    Posted 04/24/2012 6:26 AM

    With all of the speculation earlier this season that a variety of players may have "quit" on Nate, there was certainly opportunity for a guy like Smith to step in and lead by example.  There is no "quit" in the Rhino.  Sad to this observer that he wasn't given more of an opportunity this season with the chronic and terminal lack of effort, particularly defensively and on the glass. 
    I am a fan of players that play with PASSION and PRIDE
  1. schwabbii
    schwabbii
    Posts: 178

    Posted 04/25/2012 1:20 AM

    Why did they even sign the guy if they weren't gonna use him?! He needs to teach LA how to rebound.
    I am a fan of
  1. stacksfan2005
    stacksfan2005
    Posts: 302

    Posted 04/25/2012 12:37 PM

    i'd rather watch pryz and rhino hustle and suck than a bunch of panty whipes like jamal crawford suck it up and not care.

    maybe its the ganja smoke in portland, but huge potential players like batum and crawford just seem lazy in portland.
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