Ty-Reking Havoc

I remember when Tyreke Evans won NBA Rookie of the Year back in 2009.  If Blake Griffin had been healthy, he probably would have won, but that's not how fate worked.  After that first season when he averaged 20-5-5, everyone thought he would become one of the best young players in the league.  Unfortunately, that didn't happen as he constantly got injured, and his statistics regressed every season.  Worst of all, the Sacramento Kings did terrible and never made the playoffs, so every year, they were always in danger of relocating.  In the end, they didn't move, but new ownership signaled the end of the short lived Tyreke Evans era.

Fast forward to this current season, where things are a lot different for Tyreke.  He's on the New Orleans Pelicans now, he's not starting anymore, and he has Anthony Davis, instead of Demarcus Cousins.  Their team has struggled badly, but I don't think it's Tyreke's fault, since he is doing all he can in limited time.  I know this sounds wrong, but if I had to blame anyone, I would blame Monty Williams, the Pelicans head coach.  He's always been average at best, but has been praised because of the talent he's had, like Chris Paul.  But the record shows, even when he has talent, he never knows what to do because his teams still stink.  They never do well in the playoffs, and in the case of this season, they won't be anywhere near it.  With Monty Williams, another reason why he's a terrible coach is because it took him so long to play Tyreke.  I mean, this guy was a former Rookie of the Year, and has some of the best dribbling and slashing ability in the league, but he isn't starting over Al-Farouq Aminu, Brian Roberts, or Austin Rivers?  What a joke!  Recently, since Tyreke has been starting, he has thrived statisticly the way he did his rookie year.  And while he may be inconsistent, his play shows he can produce, which made me wonder what took Monty Williams so long to realize it.

Now, I have to admit, I'm biased toward Tyreke.  As much as I love him, I can't deny he does a lot of things wrong.  He can't shoot the ball, makes questionable decisions, and doesn't hustle all the time, but no one can deny the talent is there.  Maybe because he has struggled, I should be harder on him, but he's still one of my favorite players, whether he's on the Kings or Pelicans.  And while I do wish he was still on their team, I'll be cheering him on, hoping he gets his game back together, and back to superstar potential.