Bench development?

wizkid83 · Feb 25, 2007

Madman George said:

i don't think there gonna be any bench development from now on. it hasn't happen up until this point. the team is going well so understandably the coach doesn't want to mess with it. however it is unfair for rookies to stay in a team if they are not going to be used. why not trade them(Spanoulis Novak) for a veteran to some team in a rebuilding mode were they will get playing time and even start??
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Maybe it's because no body else is giving us anything worthwhile for them? Because other teams think that, well, they suck too? I personally think that those two young players can be developed, they just need a little more playing time. However, they have to earn those time in minutes they get, and practice. And not handed to them because we "need" to develop young players.

CoolColJ · Feb 25, 2007

jopatmc said:

Development of players is still one area that Van Gundy lacks. He doesn't believe in it. He believes that playing young player that need to develop costs coaches wins and gets them fired. The only, only, only reason that Luther played his rookie season is because we were so injury depleted last year that JVG did not have a choice. Otherwise, Luther would have road the pine and would just have been given spot minutes this year. He would have basically had JLIII's role this year, spot minutes here and there.

I don't mind JVG not developing players. It does bother me that he doesn't develop a player when we have a need, and we don't have a veteran to play the role. Such as the backup point guard role. We have exactly two point guards on this roster. JLIII is an Earl Boykins shot taker. Luther is a 3 point shooter. Luther cannot handle at all and JLIII cannot see the court and distribute. They are not point guards. The only point guard on this roster besides Rafer is VSpan.

What happens if we lose Rafer to injury? Does anybody really want to see teams double the ball away from Tracy and then watch Luther chase the ball down the court as he tries to beat the 8 second count? All game long? What about when TMac needs a blow? Then what? We should have either traded for a point or developed VSpan, one of the two. Since we didn't make a trade, that leads me to believe we should be developing VSpan. But, it won't happen, until a major injury to Rafer, and then JVG will try to patch other players in that aren't point guards. And our offense will bog down. All because of the hesitation to develop a rook.

I'm not saying all rookies should play. Novak has been absolutely horrible in his limited minutes. He can't defend anybody. He's a gigantic soft spot in our defense. And we don't need him. We've got plenty of players to take minutes at the PF position, and we've got plenty of distance shooting in Luther, McGrady, Battier, and Rafer. So, there is not really a need to develop Novak this year. If McGrady goes down, we are going to play Battier with Juwan at the forward spots, and Luther in the backcourt with Rafer, with Bonzi and Snyder lurking in the wings. If Battier goes down, we move McGrady down to the 3, and move in Luther and give Bonzi more minutes. There's no need for Novak.

But if Rafer goes down .........................as mediocre as he is, as bad as he is at finishing and midrange shooting, we have no replacement at this point.

VSpan has not been developed. It's been obvious from preseason on that VSpan is a pick and roll point guard. But, JVG gives him spot minutes and the vast majority of those minutes has been sitting in the corner taking 3 point shots. What? That's not developing anyone. The time for VSpan to improve his 3 point shooting is in the summer, not during games. Why would you put a player in a position to perform a skill that is not a skill that he has? Just to kick him in the rear, break his spirit? Kinda like breaking a wild colt? I do not understand that at all. It makes no sense. If you are going to play him spot minutes, at least put him at the top and let him run off the picks at the top of the key, not catch and shoot 3 point bombs from the corners. And then use his poor shooting number as an excuse not to play him or use the fact that his turnovers are high in those spot minutes, when he's playing with teammates that aren't expecting his passes and can't convert or have fumblitis on the pass.

That's why I wonder and I have to think that JVG is trying to humble this kid. What other reason would you do that to a player? You wouldn't tell Shane Battier that he had to be a point guard and distribute. That's not his game. You wouldn't tell Novak that he had to post up and send him in the game in scrap minutes and have him posting up. You don't send in JLIII to be your defensive stopper and slow down Nash or Iverson when he can't play a lick of defense. You don't put Deke 20 feet from the bucket and tell him to dribble drive. If you are smart, you don't tell Bonzi to hang out at the 3 point line and spot up for the 3 point shot. You don't have Rafer try to back down his defender on the post up ala Chauncey Billups. Why would a coach tell VSpan to spot up in the corner? Besides, he doesn't want to play him and he doesn't want him to look good. He doesn't want to have to mess around with VSpan this year. He thinks it could cost him games when the truth is not developing VSpan could wind up costing him a championship.

There has been plenty of opportunities to give VSpan quality minutes at the point this year without costing this team any wins. When he has played, he has played 75% of his minutes at the 2 guard, not even his natural position.

Developing players is an area that JVG is unbalanced in.

In the Dallas game, one of many, it was so obvious that we needed a penetrating attacking point when they are putting 2 guys on McGrady and even denying him receiving the ball. But all we got was chuckers and a point guard that can't finish.

When your team has a weakness, and you want to win a championship, you either have to make a trade to cover that weakness or you have to develop a talent on your roster. We didn't make a trade. JVG should be developing VSpan in light of that.
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+1 SPOT ON!!!!

Blake · Feb 25, 2007

roxfan123 said:

You must be kidding. Swift was #2, KBrown #1, EG...? And the Howard from Mavs, Manu at Spurs, you know, they were drafted toward the bottom of first round. If it tells you anything, draft doesn't tell you everything. As I said, I am happy about the current situation, but the thought of having Howard and Alston as starter next year, or the next few years, bites me hard as they are not getting any younger, or better for that matter. I think we need to develop some young players, is that too hard to understand?
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I don't think that Novak or JL3 are ever gonna be great players. i'm hoping that they are NOT in our long-term plans, unless they are used sparingly. Snyder will be good, but Bonzi takes his minutes. I could see people complaining about it.

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