[mikeyvthedonParticipant]

Signed with Real Madrid through 2012-13. I think that is a good deal for him, he never really found his niche in the NBA. Spanish Chocolate was fun to watch his first couple yearsin a Blazers uniform, but he never seemed to develop beyond being a great passer and having some nice handles. His shooting was definitely inconsistent, and I find with some of these players, once they do not perform at a star level or get the playing time they believe they deserve more than having actually earned it, they play the “I will go back to Europe” card. I thought the Blazers trading Sergio was best for both teams, but he never got consistent minutes on Sacramento, and never really capitalized in a run and gun system that would seem to be very Sergio Rodrigues friendly. I am sure he will do quite well in Europe and will be a great addition over there, and maybe he will crack Spains line-up in future tournaments, though he is behind Rubio, Calderon, Navarro and Fernandez on the guard depth chart in Spain. I know many a Blazer fan loved “The Spanish Armada” and were very worried about Sergio leaving and what it would do to Rudy, but I always found it very ineffective, and Rudy was the real talent of the duo. However, Rudy seems to have hit the same rut as Sergio, where he came in with tons of promise, and has yet to develop on what looked like a vast amount of potential. I saw Rudy atleast having a bright future in the NBA, and without a doubt he would be one of the top players in all of Europe. I hope this does not become the trend with European players, and I hope they still seek to work hard and show they can compete with the best in the NBA, because otherwise the NBA and the teams that spent first round picks on these players really lose out on some talent.

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