Joined: 01 Mar 2004 Posts: 5301 Location: Redondo Beach
Posted: Mon Oct 16, 2017 10:33 am Post subject: Huertas Spanish Language Interview
I hope someone here on LG can translate this interview with Huertas, because it seems like a candid criticism from Marcelo on his experience with the Lakers, and his opinions of other players/coaches/front office staff... at least from what I can gather from the google-translated version of the interview.
BNC : It's inevitable to ask you: After two years without playing much in the NBA, can you say that it was not worth going to the United States having the prestige you have in Europe?
HUERTAS : I do not agree with that. It was worth it, no doubt. The experience was incredible. I learned a lot. Unfortunately things in the NBA depend on where you are, the moment, the purpose of the franchise, innumerable factors that interfere in the day to day. They interfere with the campaign, the performance, the opportunities. For me it was very complicated because people talk, they talk about what they think, what they see, but basically few know how things are. In the first year was very complicated because it was a team in rebuilding, farewell to Kobe Bryant, parties, the team had no goal, focus.
Kobe was not cool, could not take the team in the back, youngsters who needed to have the protagonism great could not take over. Although the preseason was good, I ended up being out of rotation and it took me a while to get back. In the end I played cool, where I showed my game. At the end of the tournament coach Byron Scott left, Mitch Kupchak, the general manager, told me that they would make the qualified offer for me not only for what I ended up playing, but mainly for what I represented in the locker room, for the professionalism, these things. When they came back and chose Luke Walton, Luke called me and said, "I want you to stay, it's important for the system, it's going to change a lot. We will have a more open style, speed, open field. We need a guy like you. " And he filled my ball, asked me to stay. I said, "I'll be very honest, Luke. I'll stay if it's part of the rotation. " I was in conversation with other teams. I did not want it to happen that same thing happened to Byron. I asked for his sincerity. If it was not for me to play, I'd go to another team. But he told me he wanted to. I gave my word, he his, I knew everyone, and I thought I would have some continuity.
During the summer I signed, then two days later they closed with Jose Calderon another shipowner. I already had the flea behind my ear, I called Luke, but he told me not to worry, he said he would use both. There he already had a contract signed. In the middle of that they chose the Brandon Ingram, high pick, wing. In the pre-season a lot of people said that Nick Young would not stay, but Nick was the best player in the preseason. In the locker room he is excited, up and the board decided to keep it. That was a big setback, as they had hit with also winged Luol Deng, Nick stayed and in position 2 were Jordan Clarkson and Lou Williams. How was Ingram going to play? Like the front-office(director) would respond to the fans? What happened? They put the Ingram of shipowner even without him having the slightest notion, cocoon of shipowner. He was super shy inside the court. I think that was very clear. Our team was wrong about that. D'Angelo Russell is a point guard but much more scorer than an organizer. The guy coming out of the bench needed to come in and control the team because it was a crazy shot after another. We often saw how the games in five minutes went to the marsh. Someone needed to control this rhythm. Calderon and I were harmed. All this for Ingram to leave the bank and play.
Quote:
BNC : This all with you in the bank. Did not they say anything?
HUERTAS: In December Luke came to talk to me. "I know I told you that you would play, but now the team is in place. I'm not going to be able to handle the rotations. I want you to train hard, your opportunity will come. " And I'd kill myself to train. I was fine, I thought he'd give me a chance. But when there was room, it was always Calderon's. In the NBA does not seem, but there is a question of very strong hierarchy. That bothered me a lot. I did not have a chance and I was left out. It bothered me. In February I spoke again, I went to demonstrate what I was thinking, I asked for an explanation and said: "If you do not count on me, before the trade deadline look for a way out for me." It was not being nice. And then he agreed. He asked what I wanted him to do for me. We were not going to the playoff anymore, did not quite understand the reason the boys had to play 40, 42. It did not make sense. In my head I was completely crazy. He was helping, training a lot, giving advice, but he had no reward. It stung me inside, I was annoyed with the situation with everything that was happening.
And then in the middle of a trip I was changed. It was five minutes before the trade deadline ended and I went to Houston. By that time Magic Johnson had already taken over the reins of the team. They, Magic and Luke, called me on the bottom of the plane and said of Houston. They said they did not have time to let me know and they had to finish the transaction. Both told me that the Rockets was a playoff team, that D'Antoni was very fond of me and that he could be the seat owner. That on the plane. They thanked me, filled me with praise. I talked to my agent, and he told me Rockets would cut me off. The Magic said they would stay with me, but Houston changed their mind and wanted a pivot for the playoff. Then I said, "Is that really serious?" They lied to me again. Again. But inside I thought it was good. I went back to Los Angeles, I continued training there, I did not let myself be shaken,
I watched a lot of games later on TV and it felt so good that I was not going through what I was watching on TV. From the bank you try to be positive, but from the outside I felt good. What happened last year had never seen on a basketball team. Commitment, seriousness, lacked all this. Deep down I wanted to be playing, but looking coldly I was grateful that this had happened to me. He did not deserve to go through that. Things happened one after the other. Inexplicably. His head was very full, complicated. He had never been in a situation like this before. But I was always focusing on good things. For all that I had done in my career, I believed it would not be in vain.
Quote:
BNC : Being very sincere: do you regret going to the NBA?
HUERTAS : I do not regret it at all. I believed and saw that there was space, condition. The NBA is a business(business), you have to be in the right place at the right time. I unfortunately did not fall for the right team for me. That was a very big barrier. I always felt sad and I thought, "It's not possible that this will continue like this." But I tell you: in relation to locker room, in Europe there would never be a few things I saw in the NBA. Never, ever. Regarding commitment, responsibility, even respect. In the NBA players are babies, the owners of the ball. Everyone is afraid to deal with the athlete. In Europe there is no such thing. You step off the line, you are punished sportily, financially, away, suspended, the devil. That does not exist in the NBA. He saw things and said, "That is not possible." But, perhaps naively, he believed that something would change. I trained a lot, Bullet. Very very much. It was after training, made specific, I helped the younger ones, whatever you could imagine I was doing. If it was in Europe I would play. As a professional I imagined that at least 10 'would play. Except that D'Angelo Russell would suddenly leave, Luke would play for the entire team and I would not go in. He got bitten, upset. In the next game I tried to stay positive but did not roll. I always believed that good things would happen, because from the moment you get depressed or (bleep) you show that you're not ready. I was ready to take the chance, but it did not roll. This mental work is complicated, day after day, it is difficult. Had to keep me prepared. You can play 30 games, if you play 31st, you would have my chance and you would have shown something.
Quote:
BNC: Was there any contact with Magic Johnson, who went on to run the franchise and was a player of his position as well?
HUERTAS: I had few contacts the week he came in. Protocol contacts. Informal conversations. Nothing very specific. Magic picked up a tricky moment of the franchise not only sportily but with family fray, justice involved. A mess on and off the court. He wants to remodel. A rotation full of young people and he wants them to be the future. All the veterans practically left. Timofey Mozgov and Luol Deng left the rotation and won a fable. This year, 3 young people were drafted. Now it's the boys, a little more circled by more experienced. That's the impression I have. Unless you bring the Lebron James, which I do not believe will happen, it will be very much in the hands of the young people. As long as you do not get someone from that profile, it will be very much based on the kids, on their development.
Thanks. I love how all these guys think "I didnt get my chance" or he didn't fulfill his promise. Dude, you sucked. That's it. That's why you didn't play or get the opportunity. You obviously didn't beat out every other point guard in practice so that's why you sat. That's why your back in Europe. The cream rises to the top, get over it.
I've read this interview a while ago, the main takeaway is that he was about to leave the Lakers after the 1st season and only stayed because Luke insisted and said he would have an important role in the team. He felt kind of betrayed when they brought Calderón a couple of days later and he had no chances, though Luke kept saying he would. _________________ ....
I was also upset when they brought in another shipowner.
Google Translate at its best.
As you may guess it means Guard. In Portuguese, the word is Armador, which is better translated as Playmaker. But, Armador is also a merchant marine word for this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ship-owner _________________ ....
Huertas was a good guy but dude... wake up and smell the coffee, he was a nonathletic, over 30 PG trying get playing time ahead of better known vets and high "potential" draft picks, what did he think was going to happen?
Huertas was terrible, I was shocked when we brought him back for a 2nd year. If he was better then he would have gotten more PT. I guess the big mistake on the lakers end was deciding for some reason that we wanted him back and then blowing smoke. He says he had other interest in the the NBA? Comeon man, he may have been the worst NBA player I've ever seen that got minutes. He makes Caruso look like Iverson.
Joined: 27 Jun 2005 Posts: 29999 Location: Likely nowhere near you
Posted: Mon Oct 16, 2017 12:19 pm Post subject:
ocho wrote:
I was also upset when they brought in another shipowner.
A basketball team cannot function without scores of shipowners! _________________ Courage doesn't always roar.
Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying...'I will try again tomorrow.'
Joined: 19 Apr 2003 Posts: 22841 Location: La Jolla, San Diego
Posted: Mon Oct 16, 2017 2:39 pm Post subject:
textbook wrote:
Thanks. I love how all these guys think "I didnt get my chance" or he didn't fulfill his promise. Dude, you sucked. That's it. That's why you didn't play or get the opportunity. You obviously didn't beat out every other point guard in practice so that's why you sat. That's why your back in Europe. The cream rises to the top, get over it.
Well, all players will feel like they got something to offer. Vander Blue had an excellent Summer League, he's probably scratching his head too. They have tunnel vision in terms of their self belief. They should, that's the only way you can make it.
What I got out of the interview was the atmosphere of the Lakers, the double talk that coaches give to players. I mean Huertas is not the best player in the world, so if he ask you to be honest with him and to not sign him unless he'll be part of the rotation, then why in the world would you lie to him? Lie to a marginal player just to keep him around. So far, I'm pretty down on Luke Walton. His communication with Huertas just confirms to me why so many things are "up in the air." Luke is an indecisive dude. A player's coach who doesn't like to hurt people's feelings.
I never wanted Huertas to be in the rotation, and to learn now that Huertas only wanted to come back if he was part of the rotation... I'm baffled why the Lakers would give him assurance just to get his signature. If I'm a talent evaluator and the decision maker, and this marginal NBA talent gives me this ultimatum or request, the dude is gone.
Most of what he said sounds about right. Much of this is about what you'd expect to hear from a player who played overseas but never broke through in the NBA. I hear stuff like this and wonder what guys like him were expecting when they came to the league, especially knowing that they weren't necessarily good enough to be rotation players, let alone starters.
He sounds like a disgruntled, former player who didn't understand the logistics of the NBA before he came, nor that he wasn't a good enough player to stick. He's old, can't shoot, and offers nothing defensively. Who knows, perhaps he would've had a better shot at cracking a rotation a decade ago when the game was played a lot slower. Not in this era. _________________ “Christ did not die to forgive sinners who go on treasuring anything above seeing and savoring God. And people who would be happy in heaven if Christ were not there, will not be there."
- John Piper
Joined: 16 Jun 2005 Posts: 40345 Location: Dirty South
Posted: Mon Oct 16, 2017 8:41 pm Post subject:
Eindhoven wrote:
ocho wrote:
I was also upset when they brought in another shipowner.
Google Translate at its best.
As you may guess it means Guard. In Portuguese, the word is Armador, which is better translated as Playmaker. But, Armador is also a merchant marine word for this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ship-owner
ah man, you messed it up....I preferred it remaining "shipowner".
It's funny, I read that entire thing and not once did he mention the fact that he never learned how to shoot.
At the time they promised him playing time they were being sincere; then another point guard became available that had actually taken the time to learn how to shoot (Calderon) and the Lakers made the right move.
Most of what he said sounds about right. Much of this is about what you'd expect to hear from a player who played overseas but never broke through in the NBA. I hear stuff like this and wonder what guys like him were expecting when they came to the league, especially knowing that they weren't necessarily good enough to be rotation players, let alone starters.
He sounds like a disgruntled, former player who didn't understand the logistics of the NBA before he came, nor that he wasn't a good enough player to stick. He's old, can't shoot, and offers nothing defensively. Who knows, perhaps he would've had a better shot at cracking a rotation a decade ago when the game was played a lot slower. Not in this era.
I agree with everything. Huertas used to be a very good player; in a backcourt of Brazilian Team, he was always the best player, ahead of Barbosa.
I'm always suspicious of players who leave Europe for the NBA after a certain age. As good as a player is, it's very hard to adapt, as there are two very different kinds of basketball. On the top of that, Huertas came to the NBA already past his prime; he had quite a fall in his game in his last year in Barcelona.
Still, it's funny going back to his official thread and see how people was hyped about him after preseason... _________________ ....
Joined: 02 Apr 2006 Posts: 3079 Location: Portugal
Posted: Tue Oct 17, 2017 1:16 am Post subject:
Eindhoven wrote:
Dude, it's not Spanish, it's Portuguese!
...
I congratulate you for the clarification.
Portugal exists since 1143, way before Spain was formed.
Portuguese is the official language of Brazil, Macau (now part of China, since 1999), Angola, Moçambique, Guiné Bissau, São Tomé e Principe and Cabo Verde (Samuel "Edy" Tavares is a native from).
Until the 60s in some parts of India (state of Goa, Damau and Diu cities in state of Gujarat).
By no means it is a dialect of Spain, or a variation (like UK and USA english), while their are a lot of similarities. Even in Spain there are other languagues spoken (Catalan, Basque, Galician, are official, but you can add Guanche. and don't tell Mallorca and Valencia people that they speak Catalan). _________________ -----------------------------------------------------
http://www.youtube.com/user/NBAMadeira
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