Professor Dantley puts Nuggets through paces Rocky Mountain News: Adrian Dantley's fancy footwork helped keep him in the NBA for 15 seasons. And that's a reason the Denver Nuggets have hired the six-time NBA All-Star to work with their inside players during off-season workouts this season: The team wants him to show the players some of the techniques he learned in a potential Hall of Fame career. "I'm mainly working with the big guys, but some of them haven't shown up yet," Dantley said Wednesday. "I'm trying to show them some things that I had success with, give them my little say on inside play, on post play."
...because, as it has been hoped for and written in this forum all season, this Rox group needs, or certainly appears to need, development of some of its players, like EG, for example.
If they truly want to "keep the team together" as much as they all claimed at the end of the season then why wouldn't they get together and do something to prove to management that they should be kept together! Invent some new plays... work on passing... post-up moves... something. But do it (unofficially) as a TEAM! Hell, even Karla Malone took players from his team to work out with him in the summer. Where is the guy that does this kind of chemistry-building for the Rockets?
Great points, WyoRox. If the Rockets management is committed to developing the current core of players...DEVELOP THEM! Adrian Dantley's tutelage probably wouldn't put the Rockets into the playoffs. But regimented offseason practice and training sure wouldn't hurt the fundamentals-poor Rockets.
I have my doubts about how useful it is to bring in successful retired players to train with young players. It seems to me that Denver's efforts are aimed more at showing the public that the Nugs are trying and they should buy tickets than it is to actually improve their players.
Hmmmmm. Having former NBA players as your coaches. Novel idea. Oh wait, are Tomjonavich and Smith not former NBA players? And who says they are not teaching our players (Yetti)? Some of you guys never want to hold the players accountable for not being able to grasp what they are taught.
How can you not admire Kiki V.'s plan for that young team. They're so inexperienced, but always go at it every single night. That team has fire. And the management goes and gets Dantley. They're gonna be good in the future...maybe even the near future.
yoo know what hurted EG development, when the rocs traded kenny thomas. KT was teaching EG all the post up moves and everything from a PF's role to bangin and hustlin in the paint. now, who can teach EG that kind of knowledge, MoT, please...
Maybe signing Adrian Dantley this offseason is our big veteran move Doc was hinting about. That would be huge!!!