What he’ll make of it is yet to be determined, but it appears that Andray Blatche will get his second chance. According to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports, Blatche will sign a one-year deal for the vet’s minimum with the Brooklyn Nets. ESPN says the deal won’t be guaranteed, essentially making this a paid tryout… but assuming Blatche is in shape, he ought to be able to crack the roster for a Brooklyn squad with a frontcourt so thin they’ve been forced to consider options like Hilton Armstrong and Eddy Curry.
The Nets are obviously looking at this as a very low-risk signing, especially if the contract isn’t guaranteed. If that truly is the case then there is really no argument to be made that this doesn’t make sense. As big a knucklehead as he’s been, Blatche is arguably the most talented player left to be had, and he’s also 6’11. While many would argue that talent has never been the issue—and they would be right—Blatche has been working out in Houston, he did leave some sort of positive impression in his meeting with Avery Johnson, and he has been saying all the right things since the Wizards let him go earlier this offseason.
In August, ‘Dray stated that his preferred destination would “be back on the court,” and that “it doesn’t matter if it’s the Heat or the Spurs or the D League.”
Say what you will about Blatche, but this statement reflects the humble attitude a player in his situation needs to maintain. While I’m not ready to anoint the dude a changed man based on a little posturing, I will say that this: if these words continue to resonate in the approach he takes throughout this experiment, Andray Blatche will make it with the Nets.
And the quest for the triple-double will continue. (I’m sorry, Andray, but you can be a saint for the remainder of your career and I’m still gonna give you the lifetime Ricky Davis treatment for that sh!t)
