Rudy Fernandez would rather help the Trail Blazers make the playoffs now, and talk about his future later By Jason Quick, The Oregonian February 25, 2010, 5:52PM It’s a tricky subject for Rudy Fernandez these days when dealing with his future with the Trail Blazers. He says he is not unhappy in Portland. He likes his teammates. He likes the town. And he loves playing in the NBA. But at the same time, he would like to play more, and he doesn’t foresee his playing prospects improving much with three-time All-Star Brandon Roy playing the same position. After doing an interview in New Jersey this week with a Spanish newspaper, an article was published painting Fernandez as if he wanted out of Portland. Frankly, I was stunned to hear the tone of some of his comments. That wasn’t the Rudy I had been around this season. When I caught up with him in Toronto, I discovered that the Spanish report had some truths, but also some exaggerations. “For sure I talked to Spanish media, but sometimes the Spanish media people write what they want,’’ Fernandez said outside the Blazers locker room before the Toronto game. “But for sure, I want to play more. I am comfortable with you, I can talk to you right now, and for sure I want to play more. And for sure, sometimes I feel like the coach doesn’t trust me with my play. But I talk to coach after the All-Star break, and we talked together about the rest of the season. It was a good meeting. For both.’’ Throughout our conversation, Fernandez made it clear that he was uncomfortable talking about his future because he and the team were in the middle of a playoff hunt. “I don’t want to talk about this right now. I want to focus on Portland and play hard every time I’m on the court,’’ Fernandez said. “That’s my only goal right now.’’ Fernandez said he has every intent of finishing the two years remaining on his contract. The talk of him returning to Spain to play for Real Madrid is overblown, he says. “I only said I won’t close doors,’’ Fernandez said. Fernandez this season is averaging 23.1 minutes, down from 25.5 minutes last season. In part, the reduction is because he hasn’t warranted more playing time. Fernandez himself calls his play this season “irregular.” And coach Nate McMillan says part of his reduced playing time has had to do with his December back surgery and the more crowded roster this season. Last year, the Blazers didn’t have Martell Webster, and McMillan often played Fernandez more at the expense of the now-departed Sergio Rodriguez. “We are trying to win games here,’’ McMillan said. “He’s in a backup role, OK ... look, Rudy was an All-Star in his country. I understand his situation. He was an All-Star. And I would go as far as saying a Top 5 guy in his league, if not the best. Now he comes here and he’s a backup. You know? For him, that’s going to be difficult to play his game with 20 minutes. I mean, he’s used to 35, 40 minutes. “But that’s what my conversation was with Rudy before he even came over here: getting him playing time. Last year I was able to do it, but this year ... this is part of the sacrifice you are hoping to get from the team. That’ s difficult to do. I have to coach these guys as oppose to pleasing them. And that’s difficult to do. Almost impossible to do.’’ The point Fernandez wanted to make is that he is not pouting. He is not demanding out. He is not seeking to leave Portland. In fact, he is thinking mostly about the playoff race and how he can help the Blazers. If he has been unhappy, I told him he was doing a good job of hiding it. To me, it seemed like his mind has always been in a good place. That’s when he smiled and shook his head. He balanced his hand unevenly, suggesting his mental state this year. “I try. I try. I try,’’ he said of keeping his mind right. “This role, I know the role,’’ he said. “Brandon I know is a superstar and I have the opportunity to learn from him because he is a great player. I know when it’s his turn to rest, it’s my turn to play hard on the court. Right now, I’m focused on the last two months, to play hard, to help teammates and help our goals. And in the summer, we will see.’’ Some other tidbits from our conversation: Q: How are things different this season? A: “It’s a little different because probably last year I had Sergio - we had old ties and were friendly. You know, sometimes I miss my family, I need my family and I miss my friends. It’s hard to stay in another country and sometimes you think about (Spain). But I think I’m very happy in Portland and very comfortable in the city. I love the fans. I think I’m happy, and I want to stay happy.’’ Q: Describe your relationship with Nate McMillan: A: “It’s like a coach and player. We talk and have meetings. That’s it. There’s no bad relationship. He’s the coach and I respect all his decisions ’’ --------------------------------------------------------- 先贴 有时间会翻 谁有空也可以帮忙翻一下罗 下面这个是OREGON球迷的回应 特别被贴出来的 br671 "I'd really like Rudy to stay. He brings energy, flair, and excitement to this team. With consistent minutes and a clearer role, he would excel in Portland. If the Coach can use Rudy like how Greg Popovich uses Manu Ginobili, we would see more production from him. Overall, I like to see Rudy stay here in Portland. The head coach position is more expendable and the Blazers may need to see a change of coaching philosophy. Go Blazers!" captainman "Rudy is an assassin, and he is a key element if the Blazers are ever going to win a championship. If we give him up, it will be like when the Blazers gave up Danny Ainge in the 90's. Rudy brings the energy and shooting we need. Every time he goes in the game its a breath of fresh air. I like Nate as a person, but it's time to bring in a master of the game as coach. Surely Allen's money can lure one." --

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