I was kinda just having fun there. Thought I'd try to get a chuckle outta you, since you rattled off about 4 posts in a row that depressed me in their truth. but trust me, that TMac / Novak high pnr can be deadly. More deadly than the Francis and Bullard one was for that 1st year. btw: the very next possession, they did attempt a switch, but because of miscommunication (looked like), TMac got and drilled a 3. sigh, he should have drove, but we were trying to make up a 9 pt lead (or so) at that point. In general, if TMac can't turn the corner when given a decent pick (like one from you or me, for instance), any better than Francis could, then TMac is not the same TMac and we have a problem. If he can turn the corner on switches and going-under defense like we design for in our offense, then they'll have to trap him and that's where Novak burns them.
It could work at times but Novak's too big of a defensive liability right now. Another defensive liability, Padgett can, be a great pick and pop player. He's good at getting open and getting set off of picks. He hasn't been shooting very well this season.
Yes. Novak's minutes don't have to be high, but they should be there almost every game. This is the way to work a promising rookie into the rotation, and this is how any sane coach -- Popovich, Jackson, Adelman -- would do it. The only exception is for a rookie whose talent is so overwhelming that he becomes an instant starter. Neither Novak nor VSpan are in that category, so the slow but very steady way is best.
the high pnr can work a lotm, and it will. but you're right, what does it give up is the question. I actually think his confusion on where to be on <b>offense</b> is disruptive, as well. He looks like he's used to running around 4 teammates who are watching where he is at all times, giving him picks, getting outta of his, etc., but now he's the one who has to pay attention to others to know what to do, and he's confused. But not when he's shooting...lol
I agree. We can send him to the NBDL like Jackson did with Bynum and Turiaf. Get him some minutes. Bring him back after a month. Test him out, if he is decent. Send him back again if he needs more minutes.
I'm not giving JVG a no win situation. Check back my previous posts you'll find I always talked about playing Novak five minutes a game at this point. 5 minutes, not starting against a good team. Underplaying Novak with the zero minute policy is not good for me, overplaying Novak is the same. Don't take the easy way out. Face the fact that it sucks to be a rookie under JVG, because JVG has a big ego. When he was criticized for not playing Novak at all, his reaction is abrupt and unusual. The end result does not prove JVG wrong for not playing Novak because starting Novak is a knee jerk, self pretecting convulsion.
With all of the talk of zones and people asking how Novak should be used it seems to me that Novak's role is to be a zone buster for when other teams play zone to shut down Yao. Zone's work on denying inside penetration and what kills zones is outside shooting that forces the other team to come out and defend perimeter players. A tall 3 pt. set shooter seems to me to be the perfect antidote to a zone.
