[chron] Novak focuses on defense in order to earn more playing time

Wasn't this thread supposed to be discussing Steve Novak and his chances of getting more PT or even making the team?

It would start out that way, then when the subject about comparing Novak with Boki would come up, this thread would just turn into a JVG bashing thread. It's no wonder that I would see so many posts to this thread when I felt that it would consist of a short number of them. I really thought this thread would be a yes or no question type one as far as whether Steve Novak makes the team or not, let alone get PT if he did make it.

As for Steve Novak, I just don't think that he really makes the team because his only specialty is spot up and shoot three-point shots while not having much else to offer to this deeply talented team. Another thing, I don't think he really fits in with Rick Adelman's motion offense either since it involves players moving around without the ball.

I really think that if he was really going to excel in this league, he not only needs to improve his defense and rebounding (just think, his deficiency on defense and rebounding was the reason why JVG didn't want to play him that much), he also needs to add more to his offensive game as well, such as being able to drive in to the hoop when a defender converges on him to contest his three-point attempt rather than just settle for it.

If the Rockets should trade him, they should try trading him to an Eastern Conference team.

 

hmmm... i think they can cut Sura and Lucas, and trade Reed, Landry and Butler for second, or even first (you never know with Morey) round draft picks. then they can keep Snyder, Harris and Novak.

 

Nobody wants Reed, Landry, or Butler bad enough to give us a 3rd round pick when they can just wait till we cut them and pick them up for nothing.

I don't think that Butler will be cut though, our only backup center is over 40 years old.

 

Novak and Defense goes together like peanut butter and soy sauce.

 

sounds like bulter is just playing the role that big jake played last year. insurance and a warm body with 6 fouls to give.

 

Peanut butter and soy sauce together work nicely in this recipe:

"CHICKEN SATE WITH PEANUT SAUCE

MARINADE:

1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon curry powder
2 tablespoons crunchy peanut butter
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
...
"

for headless chickens

 

We've gone over that in the other thread. The season was turned around by many other factors. And hindsight tells us that throwing Boki away for the Jackson-Wesley trade was shortsighted.

BTW, perhaps you and JVG enjoy watching the last hoorah in some over the hill players career. I enjoy having a good long term future for the team, getting ready for Yao to mature for a championship run.

Make up your mind. Do you want to excuse JVG's failure by claiming he didn't have enough offensive players, or do you want to rave about the 50+ win season and say he didn't need more offensive help?

I guess the Rockets didn't have a nickel to buy half a dozen Boki-level player when only 4 players could score in a playoff game. Maybe they couldn't afford a car to drive to KFC?

 

Boki wouldn't have became the player he is today if he stayed with the Rockets. Sometimes, a change of scenery can do wonders for your game. It was the right trade at the time because at that point, Boki just sucked. No defense, he couldn't hit a jumper to save his life and didn't start hitting his shots until he went to New Jersey. The fact that he is playing with Jason Kidd at the point instead of what we had is a major factor in his improvement also.

 

i dont get it what happen to all the novak talk

sigh

 

Or two changes of scenaries. New Orleans didn't find any use for him, either. 5 years and 3 teams to develop into a 20 mpg guy?

You can find one of those in free agency with your MLE, or less, easy.

 

You want more than highlight clips? Here you go:

58% of Head's shots were 3s.
50% of Nachbar's shots were 3s.

Head shot .431 from 2 pt range.
Nachbar shot .500 from 2 pt range.

While their eFG% are about the same, they are not doing it the same way. Like I pointed out, Nachbar is better at getting close range shots.

 

I'd cut Snyder before Harris. But I'll take a shooter like Head over Harris everyday, unless Harris proved that he could hit that open 3 over 40% of the times.

Novak is not fast. But he has a fast release. He can get his shot off in the NBA. If only he knew how to get open and actually made shots in game, not just in practice...

 

You didn't answer my question. If you can get these players so easily, why didn't JVG find enough of them to play a decent offensive game?

 

Fair enough.

But some posters here still want to trash Boki either because they want to defend JVG's roster decisions or because they want to downplay their prediction that Boki would never amount to anything.

 

Because CD and Les refused to give Mike James his trade kicker after JVG showed up at Mike's door at midnight pleading for him to return?

Because CD and Les eventually spend the money on a Bouncy Whale and a crappy Greek scrub?

 

i dont know if he's better at getting closer shots. It's hard to say one way or another, since luther role has been to shoot outside while tmac works the mid range and yao down low.

 

Do you really mean a future 2nd round pick? The NBA Draft is only two rounds today.

I'll agree with you that next week, the Rockets might be forced to cut players to trim the roster rather than trade players for future draft picks since teams would probably rather pick up any one of those players the Rockets let go for nothing rather than give up a future draft pick.

 

After JVG agreed to trade James away the previous season because he couldn't trust him to be the starting PG? And then refused to get James when he was again available for Juwan in mid-season? LOL, you are really van gundier than Van Gundy.

BTW, nobody really knows why James suddenly wanted that stupid kicker and balked at the deal.

So it's all CD and Les fault, huh? Who could we have got at that time? Weren't there a dime a dozen Boki-level players out there you said?

 

ya the third round thing was just an exageration, I watch the draft closely just like every other Rockets fanatic that frequents this site.

The only reason a team would make a trade before we cut a player is if they didn't want to deal with competition for that player or they thought that player might not want to play for them if there were options for that player. Another reason would be if they thought we might keep that player and not cut them at all which is a good reason for coaches/gm's to tell the media just how great all our possible cuts are playing during the preseason.

 

Your thinking is very JVG-like. Yes, in JVG's system, everybody has a FIXED role. So to be fair, we don't really know at this point whether Head can go inside because that's not his role in JVG's system.

I guess you guys are right after all. Boki type players who can play more than just one roles could never blossom under JVG.