When the Houston Rockets employed Daryl Morey in 2006, his first draft decide was Steve Novak, a 6’10” sharp-shooting massive man out of Marquette. Morey beloved his three-point capturing skill. But in line with a profile in The Ringer, Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy wasn’t a fan of Novak and his defense.
Van Gundy complained that Novak’s defensive limitations made it unattainable for him to seek out minutes. While Novak was skinny and never notably sturdy, Morey defined that the most important drawback was he was usually within the fallacious spots on defense. But when Morey advised Van Gundy that Novak’s father coached a highschool workforce in Milwaukee, the Rockets’ coach was shocked.
Morey recounted, “Jeff’s eating food and he drops his fork. He says, ‘What? Say that again?’ I was like, ‘Yeah, his father’s a head coach at the high school level in the Milwaukee area.’ Jeff goes, ‘If he were my son, I would have no choice but, in the middle of the night, to smother him to death with a pillow to save the family honor. The Van Gundy name would not survive if Steve’s defense was on our résumé.’”
The Rockets would end 52-30 that yr and lose within the first spherical to Utah, with out Novak taking part in a single playoff minute. Despite the stellar report, Houston fired Van Gundy after the season – and Steve Novak lived to play 10 extra seasons within the NBA.
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