Originally Posted by
Pivotpoint
Good points. Shooting % numbers very close. Korver trending up quickly. I used to wince a bit when he would get isolated on defense. He seemed flat footed and slow. Watch him now. He's up on his toes and more aggressive. Gaining respect of Ref's. They are letting him play on defense and watching for moving picks against him as he roams the baseline and 3-point line on offense. Confidence is a wonderful thing. Even more important for a role player like Novak/Korver. Rebounds, blocks, hustle plays are all big bonuses and allow the coach to keep you on the floor for extended minutes.
Korver is peaking at the right time. Last two games, 7 rebounds each. A 3 point shooter fighting for rebounds? Three blocked shots against the Knicks. Huge game against Heat. It won't show up in the stat book, but look at the last game in closing seconds. Korver was pinned against the side lines by two guys, third approaching. Somehow, he passed the ball to Boozer who flipped it to Watson for the game tying 3. I believe Korver will be a huge asset to the Bulls in the playoffs.
I admit that these are short trends. A couple years with Tibbs and Bulls could certainly help a guy like Korvers game. Novak might have benefited also, if in Korvers situation. Both guys obviously like to shoot, but Korver looks like he's starting to enjoy playing Defense and fighting for rebounds.
Think of it this way. If you were coaching a team, heading into the playoffs, who would you want sitting on your bench? Korver or Novak?