Originally Posted by
MichaelMcNamara
There are already tons of young vets on this team, thought - Gordon, Anderson, Lopez, Vasquez, Smith, etc. You bring in another Tyreke Evans or Martell Webster or Corey Brewer, and that is nice and all in theory, but who is the leader of that team? Who do the guys look to after a three game losing streak? Who plays the role of buffer between Monty's wrath and the young players?
All that stuff really matters. One day AD will have to be that guy, but how is he going to learn to be that guy without a role model to draw from? Again, I dont think the Pelicans have a chance at being a contender in AD's first contract, and some probably disagree with that. I think these next 3-4 years are about his growth, in multiple areas. He will grow by playing in important games and by being in a culture that expects to win and hates to lose.
Those things will be important in year 6 or 7 when he is a top 3 player in the league, and Iggy will be well off the books by then.