Don't read Nachbar's troubles as a rap on Nachbar. Read them as a tribute to Yao. What Nachbar is going through is what a lot of people expected Yao to go through in his first NBA season. It's amazing that Yao adapted as fast as he did and is already playing as well as he is. Nachbar only looks bad by comparison.
They didn't draft him; they traded down, and got Pat Garrity in the trade, as well...so they got the #9 and #19th pick for their #6. And I don't recall anyone mocking Nellie. Dirk was 19yrs old. Nachbar is 21. Nachbar to Dirk is not a valid comparison, anymore than comparing a Sr to a Freshmen from the US. You should compare Nachbar to other 21 yr olds like Pau Gasol. Really, you should compare him to 6'9 21yr olds like Peja. 7ers always should be compared to other 7ers; that's why I don't believe you are correct when you said people were laughing at Nellie. Besides, Dirk had several exceptional shooting display games his first year. The first game I saw Dirk play I was stunned. I didn't even know even really follow him, and I said, who is that 7'er with the nice 3 point stroke. To me, Nachbar doesn't look like he has the stroke as advertised. We shall see, but I'm pretty convinced that if he had Peja's stroke out of the gate, then he would have gotten Peja minutes out of the gate. I don't buy this apparently popular opinion that great shooters might have to relearn it just because they are switching leagues. I don't think Nachbar was the great shooter for games....things like a slow stroke or having to jump higher in game to get your shot off can cause your numbers to drop when you are all of a sudden guarded closer. Now does that mean he can't learn 3 pt range...no. But, I certain Rudy would give him more minutes had he arrived with a Peja stroke. And Rudy is quoted as saying (after camp) that Boki is not as good a shooter as Peja.
Posey, Mobley, and when healthy Glen Rice eat up most of the minutes at the three. I wouldn't expect a rookie to beat out any of these guys, so don't look for Boki to get significant time anytime soon. I just hope that in the next couple years he can be Posey's backup (assuming we keep Posey around).
That was the whole point of my initial post -- even Rudy wouldn't sit someone on the bench who would otherwise fill a big need for the team. It's simple: If Boki had game, he'd be seeing some PT, even as a rookie. He seems like a likable kid, though, so I hope he can work on things over the summer and come back next year ready to contribute, even as an 8th or 9th man.
Exaclty, and Yao had everyone behind him trying to make him feel better. He got playing time, and touchs (not as many as we would like) but he still did. How is sitting on the bench 98% of the season help you get accustomed to the NBA? the guy needs more time because of how he is not getting much playing time. I saw Boki in clips from his former league, and clips of him during the summer with the Rockets. This guy can really shoot, and appears to have a quick first step. He can drive, and clean up some other shots. But best of all, he can shoot. Once he is fitted into our team, things will be better. you can't give up on a player who is not given a time to play.
We're going to need Boki when we trade Cat, and move Posey to the 2 ( I hope). Let's see what he's got next year.
Only every living, breathing, walking, talking basketball fan, sports writer and radio host in Dallas. There was even one radio show that had a skit about a German professor that built 7' white stiffs for the sole purpose of being drafted by the Mavericks. Dirk was compared to the likes of Jim Farmer, Uwe Blab, Bill Wennington and Cherokee Parks. Nellie was called crazy and completely blasted in Dallas for not taking Paul Pierce instead of some 7 foot white stiff from Germany. Of course everyone in Dallas thinks Nellie is a genius now.
Hold on, hold on. Remember, when Peja came from Europe, the Kings had just come off a 27-55 year and were flat out terrible. This was before they rebuilt into the team they are now, and did not have nearly the talent that they do now, or the Rox do now. That's why Peja was given the opportunity he was right out of the gate. And even then, he still came of the bench for his first TWO seasons. And don't think if the Kings were a deeply talented team with a logjam at the SF spot (like the Rox), Peja would have had even that much of an opportunity to play. And, btw, Peja's rookie year (22 yrs old), he averaged 21 minutes, and still only 8.4 pts on 37% shooting and 32% from 3-pt. Boki never gets near that many minutes to get into the flow of the game and get into a rhythm. I'm not saying he will be as good as Peja, I'm just saying that we need to give him time to adjust and get his confidence level up. Ironically, Eddie G (at age 20), who has also taken an undue amount of criticism on this board, in the 24 minutes per game he is averaging, is also getting 8.4 pts and shooting 38% and 32% 3-pt (same as Peja at age 22). So, please, eveyone, be patient with Eddie as well.
It sure would be nice to settle this debate (and mystery) once and for all by giving him adequate playing time to prove himself. It's not like our offense has been setting the world on fire anyway. Except for the last game, of course!
My 2¢ worth: Boki hasn't seen a lot of PT In the small amount of PT he's had, I haven't seen him do very well. I don't buy this excuse of "give him more PT and he'll do better" and here's why: 1) He regularly practices with a darn-good team full of NBA players. It's not like he hasn't touched a basketball in months. He shouln't need PT to be a decent player. Sure seems like Michael Jordan can go a long time without PT, get right back in the game, and do a pretty good job. 2) When a pine-rider like him finally gets PT, he should shine like a beacon. He should make people say, "Wow! why hasn't he seen more time?!?!". Boki hasn't done that. We're half-way through the season. If Boki had been kicking ass during his trash time and during practice, I guarantee you he'd have a lot more PT. The fact that he doesn't see much PT is testament that Boki hasn't been kicking ass during pracitce or during trash time. Either that, or he farted in Rudy's office. -- droxford
He's nowhere near where we thought he would be at this point. However, I would imagine that he's learning a lot from just watching and PRACTICING. He's only like 22 or so, so he really has nowhere to go but up. Right now, he seems to be a Dan Langhi clone or something. Hopefully, he is taking in as much as he can from the bench and in practice.
theguent. Go back and check what you are talking about. Peja, Divac, Webber and JWilliams joined the Kings in the same year, 1998-1999. The team was remade that summer. Corliss was still on that team, Funderburde, Pollard...etc. That team went off, OK, compared to the previous year, but under a 50% clip. They were thinking they should make the playoffs (having landed Webber), just like us. They then ran out the season with a huge streak 11-1 to end the asterix season, with Peja playing, and made the playoffs. Don't give me any of your naive statistical propositions about the Kings sucking the year prior to that season as if the Rockets didn't suck prior to Nachbar's season. What is so different about their 22 win season and landing Webber/JasonWilliams/Divac/Peja in the off season versus ours landing Yao/Nachbar. It actually seems much harder for a 21 yr old Peja to break into that lineup than Nachbar. check your history before trying to check other's. What? You think people here just throw up stats blindly like you???
HP- hey man. Don't take it so personal. All I was trying to show was that comparing Boki coming into the league to Peja coming into the league is unfair because its a different scenario. Yes you are correct- all those players were on that years Kings squad. BUT.... Look at who you are talking about- Vlade (C), Webber (PF), Pollard (C/PF), JWilliams (PG). Who was competing for minutes at the Small Forward spot???? Corliss Williamson was their starting 3, who has ZERO range and nowhere near the skills to play on the perimeter. He should have been a PF, which he is primarily now. The only reason he started at SF on that team was because they had didn't have anyone else to play it. Peja wasn't ready, much like Nachbar. The reason Peja got 21 min./game on that team was b/c they didn't have really have any other perimeter options. Tariq Abdul Wahad was there starting 2, and he shot an abysmal 28% 3-pt that year. With competition like that, that's why Peja was able to log so many minutes. You can't seriously compare the PERIMETER players on that team with the ones on the Rox lineup- Cat, Rice, KT and now Posey, TMo, and even Hawk. That's why Boki can't get any minutes. AND- c'mon now, any Rox fan has got to realize the only reason we only won 28 games last year is b/c we were decimated with injuries. If everyone was healthy, the talent was/is there. That's why we won 45 games the year before with virtually the same team. That's the difference between our 20-win year and the Kings of 97-98. I'm not one to blindly throw out stats. I know my sh-t. And normally, I do agree with most of the stuff you post. But, just b/c I don't agree with you and try to show you something to change your way of thinking, don't come at me with these disparaging remarks. Your senior member status does not make your opinion any more valuable than anyone else's here.
Boki just needs ONE confidence builder game to break out just like Yao did earlier. Confidence does make a big difference for a young player.
Nachbar might be having the same problems uprooting a Morris,Hawkins,Rice and Posey just like Peja had a hard time getting good minutes in front of Corliss. His first yr he avg about 8pts on a .500 Kings team. The next yr he avg 11pts and the team won like 50+games. The next yr, they traded Corliss and Peja became an all star. I don't know, but he's kinda caught up in the numbers game. When Peja was with Sac early on it was just him and Corliss at the 3. Its like with Hedo in Sac now. Jim Jackson is getting most of his minutes because he's stronger a better defender and a veteran. Hedo was suppose to surplant Christie at the 2 , but now it looks like he'll stay on the bench at least another yr or be traded. Sometimes its in the numbers and who a veteran coach feels better with.
I said it this summer and I'll say it again --- Nachbar is a bum. He is basically a less athletic Dan Langhi. He will not develop into a Dirk, Peja, or even a Hedo -- he just doesn't have the game. Too slow, no handles, no defense --- a real bust.
