I don't think Wade will ever lead the league in scoring but he does a lot of everything else that makes him very valuable. His ability to get to the rim and draw fouls is something i wish Tmac would do more, instead of settling for the outside shot.
Absolutely agree with you. I'm just defending myself a little cause he implied I was being silly by comparing TMac to Wade. If TMac is healthy, he can be just as devastating as Wade. But TMac may not need to be so overpowering because Yao might be even better than TMac next season. Wade doesn't have that luxery which is why he was so aggressive.
Hey, you won't find a bigger TMac fan than me, but without Wade, "Shaq and Pat Riley plus a host of veterans surrounding him" would have been SWEPT by Dallas. But I agree, if TMac can stay on the floor for 70+ games this year, look out Western Conference.
Novak is not going to play PF. If he gets minutes, it will be as a SF, possibly with a lineup of James/McGrady/Novak/Battier/Yao, Mutumbo or Howard. He will thrive by camping behind the arc and receiving kick out passes from the low post, dribble drive, or double from the high post. We're probably going to have Novak defend slow SF's or powerless PF's. If neither is on the floor, then his minutes will be limited. All that said, I'd like to see him get 6-8 mpg, with the ability to earn more time. People don't shoot like Novak against air, much less in summer league.
Novak could be huge. Missing 18 FTs in 4 years of college is unreal. I always thought there was a high correlation between perimeter shooting and FT% and if that's true he might be the most deadly shooter we have.
Novak could be a very useful shooter for us but I don't think he is going to be another Detlef Schrempf. Schrempf was an all-star. I don't think Novak has that kind of potential.
If your theory holds, then Yao should be the best perimeter shooter on this team which may actually be true though
I can't let this little gem pass without response. Honestly, no, we don't have depth. We still haven't recovered from losing depth in the TMac trade. That was brutally evident last year. Do we have 9 guys who don't make you cringe when they're on the court? Can we find a way to keep the Ryan Bowens and Rick Brunsons of the team off the floor and close to the cheerleaders where they belong?
Hey Schrempf rode the pine in Dallas before turning into an all star in Seattle. Never can tell when players are going to turn into something special sometimes. Even Dale Ellis rode the pine in Dallas before turning into an all star in Seattle. Where was Ben Wallace drafted? How about Brad Miller? Hmmm. Just goes to show that sometimes suprises happen regardless where a player was drafted. There is a reason that Novak was a 2nd rounder and not a lottery pick but that does not mean he will not turn into a great rotation player or a starter or even an all star.
True, but he was sort of a college star before that. I think he still holds like 8 records for the college team of the University of Washington.
Still, if we are down by 1 or 2, how much is everybody going to like this setup? McGrady at the top dribbles into the high pick set by Yao who then turns and rolls to the basket, Battier in the left corner, Novak in the right corner, James at the 3 point line extended right. That's killer.
You know Novak was not a second rate player in college. He had a pretty damn good college career. Doesn't he hold a couple of records at Marquete for 3 point shooting percentage and free throw percentage?
almost too many options. if we get some depth via a solid offseason and (deep breath) stay healthy we are back in the playoff picture.
The question about Novak is not whether he can shoot. We know he can. He proved he's very good at it in college. Whether Novak gets playing time or not next season will depend on his defense. Is he physically and mentally strong enough to bang with the PFs in the NBA? That will decide how many minutes he will get on this team.
Heh...surprise...some fans will brand players after 1 summer league game. Uh, how about game 2? Still shooting nearly 50%, 100% FT, 6 boards, 2 stl, 4 blk. Yeah he looks worthless ...
After 2 games LA is averaging 11pts/4.5rebs/6PFs in 32 mins. Nothing to write home about. Here's the Draftexpress write up on game 2 for him: http://www.draftexpress.com/viewarticle.php?a=1396 Game Four Final: Portland 87 - Golden State 70 Blazers Eric Weiss LaMarcus Aldridge Aldridge showed the same soft touch he did yesterday, but added some tough interior rebounding and defense to the mix. Aldridge used his body more to create space than simply settling for the initial shot on the quick turnaround or step back. Aldridge had an emphatic block on a driving Will Bynum in which he swatted the shot at its pinnacle, over 12 feet at least. Some active offensive rebounding led to a put-back jam and a couple of free throws. Solid half overall. Aldridge was less involved in the 2nd half, mostly due to the dominance of Roy, Webster, and Outlaw. Aldridge stayed on the glass and kept a strong presence on the interior which enabled the perimeter players to operate more freely. When he did get the ball, Aldridge was usually fouled on the play, he finished all of his free throws.
Well I would not be surprised if Yao drains 3 pointers - my guess 40%, but I will take his tow pointers at 50% please ( and the fouls!)
