Please lock if already posted. Audio Link Transcript Opening Statement: Well, we had a couple of injuries to deal with like most teams, but other than that, we're relatively healthy and we're looking forward to a good bounce-back year. Q: How much are you thinking about playing a smaller lineup? Van Gundy: Not really sure right now, but I would suspect ... I don't know what our starting lineup would be, but I would think Battier would finish many games at [the] four. Q: Talk about where Steve Novak fits into the rotation. Van Gundy: He's a younger player, we'll see how it goes throughout the rest of the preseason. He is without question one of the best shooters in the NBA and we'll just see how he develops from here. Q: What's your opinion on this summer's World Championship? Van Gundy: Well I think it's a great honor to represent your country. I understand the business side and the complaints by some about not wanting ... certainly if you have a Memphis situation with Gasol getting injured in one of those games ... but I think the overriding thing for me is that you get few chances to represent your country and I was glad for Shane that he was able to do that and Yao obviously and Billy as well. Again, I understand both sides, but I was happy for our guys that they got that opportunity. Q: After Luther Head put up exceptional numbers as a rookie, what role do you envision for him this year? Van Gundy: I think first of all, I don't get caught up in the hyperbole. I wouldn't say "exceptional numbers." He shot 40%, 36% from three and 69% from the line. I think he did fairly well; I think he was rushed into playing more than he was ready to due to injury. But at the same time, while that didn't benefit us as a team, it certainly benefited Luther. And this year, hopefully we'll be healthier, and how well he plays will determine his role. He's played well in two preseason games he's played in. He has not played particularly well in the practices. Hopefully he'll play and play well. Q: Talk about your expectations for the new season and which players may be cut. Van Gundy: Well I think like every team it's always hard to make cuts because you work with these guys and particularly a lot of our young guys came for the entire summer, so that's probably the least enjoyable part of the job is telling someone there dream has to be put on hold. When that time comes to make those decisions, it's always difficult. As far as our expectations, we just plan on trying to put as much into the year as we can and then how we go about the process will determine the results and we'll live with those results as long as we put as much as we can into the process. Q: Please say something for the Chinese fans. Van Gundy: Well, first of all, obviously my respect level for Yao and not only his talent but also his character is unsurpassed. I think he is a tremendous man and a tremendous athlete with tremendous character. I was fortunate because of my trip there two years ago to see China for the first time and it was a wonderful experience. Met a lot of fans over there that obviously because of Yao are huge basketball fans and we appreciate there support very very much. And I know Yao Ming appreciates it as well. Q: Can you talk about your pace of play with this group? Van Gundy: I think every team tries to find the best tempo that it can to play its most efficient basketball. And I would say ours, because of Yao's ability in the post, our best tempo would be a mid-tempo game. Q: What is your advice for former NBA player Wang Zhizhi if he wants to get back into the NBA? Van Gundy: My brother coached him at Miami and obviously thought he was a very very good shooter with good mobility. It's very hard when you're the ninth, tenth, eleventh, twelfth guy to ever get enough time on the court to prove that you can play. And I think sometimes instead of having that role, guys would rather go -- whether it would be to Europe or China -- and be a bigger fish in a smaller pond because they can get more minutes and more opportunities ... I think Wang Zhizhi certainly has the ability to play in the NBA. Whether he wants to do that or stay over in China, I think would probably be up to him. Q: What is your impression of the new NBA zero-tolerance? Van Gundy: I think anything that helps the image of the NBA which is in direct relationship to the business of the NBA is a good thing. I think our players are adults. To be expected to act like one I don't think is an injustice to anyone. I do however, the concerns are that it be called uniformly from team to team and star player down to fifteenth man. And secondarily, I think there will be emotion and human reaction in a game and particularly late in games, I hope they limit how much they utilize the technical foul. Interesting how he said Luther hasn't been performing particularly well in practice. Maybe he was saving it for the games?
His answers are SOOO vague.. I don't like it. The only real answer that I thought he gave was the last one about the zero-tolerance
They might have well put a robot to answer the questions instead of JVG. JVG would be a good poker player, He never tips his hand lol
Wasn't the answer about Battier finishing games at the 4 pretty specific? I think he is just unsure about starting him there. Right now he may be going back and forth about using TMac at the 2 and Battier at the 3, and then switching to TMac at the 3 and Battier at the 4 in the 2nd half.
i agree. i love luther and hope he does well. however, he didn't really earn those mintutes last year. he had some very good games and some very bad ones. his #'s were good enough to get onto the rookie team but they didn't particularly stand out and they were due to his heavy minutes. the remark about him having not played well in practice isn't surprising. look who he's going against. tmac, bonzi, shane, billy, snyder, rafer.
What do you expect him to say? Q: How much are you thinking about playing a smaller lineup? VGundy: Yes, all the time.
