Our team is filled with players that were passed up in the draft, neglected and disrespected. Jeremy Lin was cut twice, and once by us. Pat was a late 2nd round pick and cut several times before going to Russia to play. Chandler Bang mysteriously fell to the 2nd round and is now the 3rd best player on a serious championship contender. James Harden played 3rd banana to Westbrook and Durant in OKC, and was traded in lieu of Serge Ibaka from the team to the Rockets. Dwight is perhaps the most hated person in the media, at least earlier in the season especially in LA, after being one of the most beloved fun-loving guys in Orlando. Coach McHale well we all know how much hate he gets around here. This team is starting to play with a chip on its shoulder, and Morey did a bangup job putting this team together.
Unless you are the 1st overall pick, you were "passed up in the draft" by at least one team. Guys like Lin and Beverley I get, but to claim that Harden and especially Howard are "rejects" is ridiculous.
I didn't mean rejected for ALL of them. Howard was and is disrespected as I said and Harden was too in some way seeing as the OKC management put more importance on a roleplayer than an at the time potential superstar.
Can't believe you threw Dwight in there. Dwight is not a reject, in fact every single team wanted him back he just decided to leave.
You could maybe say this about the 2009-2010 Houston Rockets team, but no way in hell about this current roster!
Lebron James, along with Bosh and Wade, received as much negative press and fan attention for teaming up as Dwight ever did for leaving Orlando or LA, likely more actually. So, was the Miami Heat "a team of rejects" because it had these guys plus other guys who were either lower draft picks, undrafted, traded or allowed to leave as free agents at one time? The same goes with Kobe (selfish!) and Pau Gasol (soft!), both when they were on separate mediocre teams before Gasol got traded to LA and in their first year together when they failed to beat Boston for the title. Or what about the team Houston just played, the Blazers? Aldridge was traded for Tyrus Thomas on draft night. Lillard had to go to a mid major school. Lopez was let go by PHX and then NOP. Batum was a low 1st round pick and traded by Houston on draft night. Wes Matthews was undrafted. Thomas Robinson was traded twice as a rookie... By your criteria, many teams can call themselves "teams of rejects" and this term is basically meaningless.
Probably what he meant was "undervalued". A bit more nuanced than "rejects". Well, I guess. Maybe it has to do with how Morey put this team together. But guys like Lin when we signed them, they weren't exactly undervalued.
Maybe rejects isn't the right word but, i definitely agree with you that there is hunger. Morey has put together the right group of guys who all have a lot to prove.
No sir all of them are not rejects. LOL Got to be more careful with the word usage around the GARM OP.
Howard was supposed to be on the decline and there was no way harden was supposed to be THIS good. I understand where the op is coming from, I had the same thought a couple days ago