[2016-2017] Donatas Motiejunas as a New Orleans Pelican

Inconsistency defined that dude. Unfortunately.

 

I thought your name was Margrave?

 

Ok that was a little funny....

DD

 

This just in, he has STILL not missed a 3pt shot this year.



DD

 

After losing $37 million, what went through Motiejunas’ mind?

“The team lost an asset,” Motiejunas told Basketball Insiders. “I lost $37, 38 million, so both sides lost in this situation. No one won in this situation actually. I know, as soon as I step on the floor, the people are going to see that I’m the same guy that I was last year when I was playing. For me, I’m not going to lose anything. After this year, someone else is going to pick me up. I’m not worried about that. I know how to play basketball. I know how to make every and each team better. I adjust to the situation depending on what coach asks me to do, so I’m not worried about that. It was just a ridiculous situation, the resolution was taking too long, and it was affecting me as a player, and it was affecting me personally. Instead of being a business decision it was like more of a personal decision.”

 

I am still confused as to how he ended up an UFA, that doesn't add up at all. If both sides agreed on a new contract etc......something is missing.

Either he:

A. Failed a physical
or
B. League stepped in for circumvention of the CBA

As he is playing now, and played for the Rockets last year, and passed NJersey and New Orleans physicals....it makes me think B.

DD

 

If we assume for the sake of argument that Dmo is healthy, and can play, he cost himself 3 million in actual money. The qualifying offer was only going to be 4.4, he ended up getting 1.1.

From a Rockets perspective, I would have loved to have him on the team. But from Dmo's perspective, he is better of being on a team like the Pelicans. They lack offensive talent from the big spot, outside of Anthony Davis. That lack of talent gives him an opportunity to get some significant playing time. Arguably more playing time than he would have gotten in Houston once Capella came back.

Just my opinion on the situation.

 

Oh?

 

Yeah, I noticed that last bit too. I wonder whether he meant "personal" to him, to the Rockets, or both.

 

Didn't somebody post that he failed the physical for the Rockets? If he did fail the physical, I believe the CBA was involved because the Rockets tried to help D-Mo get over to the Nets after he failed the physical. MDA mentioned something about "trying to find a loophole" during the ordeal.

Some might ask why would the Rockets help D-Mo, I think they rather have D-Mo in the East than help any of the western conference teams.

 

But how is that a "help" if, hypothetically, he has failed the physical?

 

http://www.basketballinsiders.com/d...ncy-nightmare-with-rockets-nets-and-pelicans/

 

So when dmo says it was a personal decision.. what does that mean? Does that mean he was the one who gave up?

 

From that article:

As a restricted free agent, Motiejunas signed a four-year, $37 million offer sheet with the Brooklyn Nets. The Houston Rockets matched the offer sheet, contingent upon Motiejunas passing a physical. Motiejunas didn’t report for the physical, which gave Houston the option to withdraw its right of first refusal and scrap the deal. The Rockets and Motiejunas attempted to negotiate a new deal but failed to come to terms and the team decided to go in a different direction.

-------------------------------------------------

So they could not ultimately come to terms on a new deal? That is new information - I thought it was reported they had come to terms on a new deal......something is fishy here.....did they come to terms or not, did the league step in or not?

Weird.

DD

 

I agree. This is still not the full story. If Houston matched the offer sheet, what incentive did Morey have to reopen negotiations?

Perhaps...

- Houston and DMo's Camp come to terms on a verbal agreement which differ from the offer sheet he agreed to with Brooklyn
- Both camps agree missing the physical allows them to renegotiate the physical
- DMo misses physical
- Both camps come to table, 1 camp with a new wrinkle on the verbal agreement that the other would not accept

 

Yeah, that's something new. But we don't know if that's a fact or just the reporter's own impression of the situation. It's not a quote from DMo or from the Rockets.

 

I have come to the conclusion that these "physicals" have a lot of subjective judgment in them. One team might think a condition is too risky and another team might think that same condition acceptable. So "pass" or "fail" probably is not that cut and dry.

That said, the variant can't be too big. There has to be some objective medical facts. That's why I don't buy the "they found something really scary in that physical and let him go" theory.

I also don't think that the Rockets not outrightly saying that DMo failed the physical was doing him a favor. (As far as I know, the Rockets FO has never been quote to say that. The only place that reported of the failed physical was a Facebook post from ESPN Houston where it said that DMo himself told Joel Blank that he had failed the physical.) If there was a favor, it would be granting DMo UFA status.

 

I hope dmo stays healthy and gets a deal. No NBA player as good as Dmo was deserves to retire without getting at least one significant payday.

 

This just in, he just missed a 3 point shot literally minutes after entering the game.

Another DD jinx

 

First half he stunk.

DD