04-26-2022, 02:40 PM
(04-26-2022, 02:27 PM)THE PISTONS Wrote: That's where I'm at.
Bates is above average to good with shades of great at times. But, he's not consistently any of those things.
It seems he's priced at the great level. But, he likely will only play at that level part of the time.
Guys like Hendrickson, Readers, Hubbard, and Awuzie have played at a pretty consistently Good level. They don't have stretches of below average play, etc.
I'm not a Bates hater by any means. If he were priced at his level of above average to good Safety I'd be in.
Our last period of having a good team should have taught us a lesson. We will lose players from the core. We just have to control which ones that is. And I'd keep the ones that produce consistently.
His varying levels of play and his attitude about his contract have put him firmly in the "players I'm ok with moving on from" section. There was another poster who mentioned Bates, Tee and Mixon as players we should probably move on from as this roster gets more expensive and I'd agree with that list.
Some of those good players we've mentioned play more important positions (imo) as well. On top of them being more consistent.
The training, nutrition, medicine, fitness, playbooks and rules evolve. The athlete does not.
