I really hope that he figures out how to make it work but I just don't see it. He doesn't understand that the NBA is full of millions of passionate fans who seem to love the game more than he does. He constantly calls himself more than a basketball player and we know that he is more than that but when someone enters into the NBA draft we expect them to have a certain passion for the game. I think he currently lacks the passion because he sees the business side of the NBA and it's not pretty. He thought he could do what he wants when he wants but the fact is in the NBA players are really just investments for the team. This isn't a school who hasn't had success in a long time and you come by and make it happen. Every player in the NBA has talent to make it in the league. The differentiation from player to player is their desire to improve. Compare a Steph Marbury to a Kobe Bryant, they are closer than one might think skill wise but at a young age one of them sought to get better, to be the best and the other thought he was entitled to success. Now Marbury got paid, he had some good statistical years and flourished with KG but Kobe wanted more than money and more than stats he wanted to win. I think White is at the far other end of the spectrum, the talent is there but the passion to be great just seems to be lacking.
Is Royce White even taking meds for this? The coaches and staff and agents or whoever has his ear should force feed him some pills for the anxiety. I've got more than one family member that struggles with mental problems. Mental illness is real, it is serious, and for that reason it does not go away just by wishing it away. You need to be medicated or it's not happening. Don't kid yourself Royce. Take your damn pills. Oh and take care of your kids while you're at it.
In some ways, I don't think he (Royce White) really cares about an NBA career. Would the Rockets be able to do a buyout of his guaranteed contract and let him go on his merry way? I think that would be best for the organization -- less distraction.
I don't think so. He has a lot of potential, and really costs very little at this point. The guy is 22 years old. Between now and the end of his rookie contract status, he should be doing a lot of maturing. Let's hope.
At this point, there is a clear bias against anything he says in the long term. He's dug his own grave and for that I do feel a little bit bad. This statement in isolation is exactly what you want from your player.
I agree that mental illness is serious and real, but I do hope you are kidding about pressuring him into taking medication. That is a personal choice that is his to make only. And it is a conversation that should be held exclusively between him and his physician, and only needs to be shared with the coach. A good coach is a father figure who advises, guides and steers off the court, but never forces. On court is a different matter though.
I meant, only needs to maybe be shared with the coach, if the situation calls for it. He must make that call, regarding his condition.
True. Plus they will try to bring him down at every juncture.. just like they've done in this order: 1) He can't even play D-League. 2) He can't even put up good numbers in the D League. 3) He's not even dominating D-League. 4) He's dominating against a bunch of scrubs and he's fat. So on and so forth. This will continue into.. 5) It's just summer league. 6) It's just preseason. 7) See he can't get minutes, must not be earning them. 8) Looked lost out there. Advertised Bball IQ is BS. 9) It was a fluke. 10) Doesn't deserve to be getting minutes. Which is fine. This whole Royce problem also showed us that there are some sick fans out there as well. Even went as far as death threats I think. At the end of the day, if there was no hope for Royce, Morey would have cut his insignificant salary very quickly. McHale asked for Royce. The players seem to be friends with him, although they keep a safe public distance. Overall it seems every decision maker is on the same page: Royce is uniquely talented and can be a productive rotation player by next season, despite everything that happened, no matter how ugly you paint it. That will piss a lot of people off, but their opinion really doesn't matter at all.
Pass and don't look back. Why waste money on a player who brings medical condition more often than not. There are some players who play with medical conditions that we don't hear about, but for White, we seem to be well-educated on that. Unless Leslie Alexander really love him, he should getting unchained by the Rockets.
As I got older, I started to realize that statements like, "Oh he has so much talent but doesn't work hard" or "She has a lot of skill but none of the passion" weren't really framing the issue properly. Hard work is a talent. Perseverance is a skill. Passion is proven in effort, not in words. When you're talking about the difference between good and great, developing the hand-eye coordination, timing, balance, muscle-memory, etc. it takes requires more than just good genetics, it requires countless hours of training and preparation. Royce White could potentially be as good as any forward in the NBA. The problem is he clearly can't or won't put in the work it takes to get there. That's just as useless as being the 4'8" skinny guy who can barely jump over the sidewalk. Ironically, he's living proof that the psychological is just as important as the physical. Unfortunately, he's become a negative example instead of a positive one.
Morey has stated in various interviews that Royce needed a year of adjusting on every new level of competition so far. So, they gave him a year, with the next season considered as the real test for Royce from the very beginning. The problem for Royce will be that the team is ahead of schedule and there is a possibility to become an immediate contender with the good acquisition during the summer. I'm afraid there will be no time to really test and develop Royce... He should come to Europe, here would be perfect for him. Then maybe in few years he could try the Beverley comeback...
