Marc Iavaroni on the LVSL

[jbeecham]

One-on-One with Marc Iavaroni http://www.nba.com/suns/news/iavaroni_050713.html

Posted: July 13, 2005

Suns assistant coach Marc Iavaroni is in Las Vegas this week coaching the Summer Suns at the Reebok Vegas Summer League. The former NBA Champion with the 1983 Philadelphia 76ers and one of the most respected teachers of big men in the game spoke with Suns.com about the progress of Leandro Barbosa, the talent of rookie Dijon Thompson and the overall performance by the young group.

Suns.com: How tough has it been to concentrate on the Suns Summer League play while your coaching search is up in the air?

Suns assistant coach Marc Iavaroni: I’m not really searching for a head coaching job. But it's been a relief to be given the responsibilities to coach the summer league team. That’s helped me stay focused on what I intended to do coming up here.

Suns.com: What is the latest on the Seattle head coaching vacancy and your pursuit of that position?

Iavaroni: Right now, I’m just not commenting on any of the head coaching vacancies. I’m leaving that to my representative and letting him do all of that stuff because I hate doing all of that stuff. I just want to do the stuff on the floor.

Suns.com: No problem. Let's talk then about the stuff on the floor. What are your overall thoughts on the team’s performance so far?

Iavaroni: The goal is to see how well people can play and then bring up the abilities of everyone on the team by the way they play. I think we’ve been fairly successful. We went against a loaded team in Boston (Monday) night. That shouldn’t wipe out that we somehow found ways to win games against Sacramento, Detroit and the Clippers, and they weren’t easy games. We had to grind them out; we came from behind and won. (Monday) night, we started fairly undisciplined and they were too good a team to grind out anything. They just overwhelmed us. We were down 19 at the half and were never in the game.

Suns.com: What are some of the objectives and goals you had for the team heading into this week, and how are those being met?

Iavaroni: There has to be a structure so that you can evaluate people. So number one, we want to make sure we’re organized. Two, we’re doing things similar to what we would be doing with the players we’re evaluating and we’re evaluating everyone, but we want to do it in the context of Phoenix Suns basketball. The structure is going to reflect how we like to play the game and we’ll see how players fit into that system. We try to see as many of them as long as possible. Granted, there are only 40 minutes in these shortened games and it has been difficult because while we’re evaluating players that may or not be ready for the NBA, the league is also evaluating referees that may or not be ready for the NBA. The amount of whistles has really hurt us in our style of ball in this summer league.

Suns.com: How satisfying is it that the NBA and the players association were able to work out a deal that avoided any kind of work stoppage, as this summer league would not have been played during a lockout?

Iavaroni: (During a lockout), we would have no contact with players, there would be no development, there would be no competition. Fortunately, we’ve got a pretty good nucleus of players. The guys who would suffer would be the guys like Dijon Thompson and Leandro Barbosa in this case.

Suns.com: What did you want Barbosa to accomplish this week and how has he responded?

Iavaroni: We wanted him to work on his defense and he’s been sporadic with that in understanding overall schemes and communication. There’s still a little bit of a language barrier and there’s still a long way for him to go. He didn’t come from a defensive place like Duke or Oklahoma State or Michigan State, teams noted for their defense. He’s going to be catching up on that and he’s making progress, but I think we all have to be patient with that. It’s not going to happen in 10 days.

Suns.com: While he is scoring a lot, his assists seem to be down. How do you account for that?

Iavaroni: He's got to learn how to find guys better and we are trying to help him with that by watching video and emphasizing attacking, but also knowing when there’s a defender in the way, and there’s got to be somebody open. It’s difficult because at this level he does find it easy to get to the basket. Witnessing his 32 points against the Clippers, he really controlled the whole fourth quarter. Then you play against a team like the Celtics and they’re going to have five guys in the paint when you penetrate, and you’ve got to find the right guy at the right time in the right way. He’s still growing in that area. That’s decision-making, that’s finding people for assists.

In his defense, (Monday) night, he created many open shots for people and they just couldn’t knock them down. So, like a quarterback, when a pass is dropped and it’s incomplete, some of those are drops.

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Suns guard Leandro Barbosa is leading the Summer Suns in scoring at the Reebok Vegas Summer League.
(Noah Graham/NBAE Photos)

Suns.com: How satisfied are you with his decision-making?

Iavaroni: He’s been making progress and the only way he’s going to do that is if we help him through video, through drills and through our schemes to continue to see over and over why certain plays need to be made, why the defense is countering, why you need to counter their counter and in most cases it’s all pick-and-rolls.

Suns.com: Have you seen any leadership skills come out of Barbosa in this his third season?

Iavaroni: Leandro’s a pretty quiet kid, and still needs to display more overt and vocal leadership. That’s not easy. He’ll say something and instead of it being a word like “bump,” it will come out as “boomp.” When you’re playing with Americans, “boomp” doesn’t sound like “bump.” So, I think it’s just another challenge that he’s going to have to face. Time is the ultimate judge.

Suns.com: What has been your impressions of rookie Dijon Thompson?

Iavaroni: He’s good in the open court. He makes very smart basketball plays, he’s unselfish and he just wants to find a way to get the ball to the basket or to the open man. We’ve been very pleased with that. He can shoot it, (but) he’s a little streaky from beyond the three-point arc. We’re still working on that. We, as a team, have not shot well (from beyond the arc), so we’re in a little bit of a three-point slump and I’m sure he’s not happy with his performance there. His range can be extended and made more consistent, because it is further than the college three-point line.

Defensively, he’s made strides. He’s playing harder and he’s playing lower. He’s a long, lean guy who’s got very long legs, so that makes it tougher to defend, but he’s learning. You’ve got to play with your body, beef up your body. You’ve got to dish it out and know where you’re going to end up taking it. So, it’s usually your choice.

Personally, he’s a sweet kid. I like him a lot as a guy. But, you can be that way off the court. Leandro’s a sweet guy too and he’s one of my favorites. But, Leandro’s a killer on the court and he wants to beat people, and compete, do whatever it takes. I think that’s something Dijon is going to have to find out, as well. He’s more like Jamal Wilkes, if I can bring up an old-time name. Everybody has to be themselves, but you just want to make sure that in the process of being yourself, you’re not creating a weakness, that you’re always trying to improve yourself.

Suns.com: Has anyone else stood out to you this week?

Iavaroni: Well, we’ve liked Steve Graham. He brings out a toughness that he was born into and bred at Oklahoma State. We like that in him. he also excels in the full court. He makes basketball plays. He’s primarily a defensive-type player, but he’s got a nice little stroke and he can knock that down. He just hasn’t had that role in college of being a major player. That’s something that he has to find a little niche and a role, and understand it’s not going to be a Raja Bell role. It’s going to be more of a fill-in role if he’s fortunate enough to be in that position.

Suns.com: Can you see any of these guys playing their way onto the training camp roster this fall?

Iavaroni: That remains to be seen. So many things go into that. We’ve got a player who’s from Brazil as well, Lucas Tischer, who’s a very good athlete. He jumps, he attacks the rim and everybody out here is like, “Did you see that?” (laughs) So, he’s a quick jumper and he’s got a decent stroke. But, he’s developing his game. He’s got a long way to go, but who knows? He might be a prospect.

Suns.com: How is this summer different from past summer league play with so few players already on the roster?

Iavaroni: You have to get people to come together pretty quickly and I think they’ve done that. I’ve heard our guys referred to as “Motley Crew” and I took offense to that. Just because we have a lack of name guys or high draft picks doesn’t mean that we can’t come together, play together and play the Phoenix Suns way and I’ve been very happy with that. Being 3-0 and going against a team (Celtics) that’s got seven NBA veterans on it, I’m not ashamed at all. I do want to make sure they continue to play as a team and we didn’t hold together so well under that type of pressure. Regardless of who we have, it really hasn’t changed for me. There might have to be more teaching, there might have to be more patience and we don’t have a lot because it’s a short time frame. But the goal is still the same and that’s to play hard, smart, together, and see what happens. We want to be the best team in the league, if not have the best record.

Suns.com: What is it like for you to work with the younger players in such a teaching environment?

Iavaroni: It’s the most satisfying. It’s also the part where you have to be extremely meticulous and when you’re not, it shows. There are so many little things that go into execution, both defensively and offensively. Just little things like when to inbound the ball, when you want to do it on the slack or if you want to do it when the referee hands you the ball. How not to look at the referee until he hands it to you because he’ll throw you the ball before we’re in a position to run a play. Making sure when the whistle blows, guys get to their spots right away and then looking at the referee and accepting the ball. These are little things that add up. It’s fun to teach that, it’s fun to find it in the film, it’s fun to explain it. It’s fun to get them working toward a perfect state. What’s not fun is when look back and say, “I forgot to teach that, I didn’t think I had to teach that.” You assume so much. You can’t assume anything.

Suns.com: What are your plans for the rest of the offseason, assuming you’ll still be with the Suns?

Iavaroni: I think people will go their own way and I’m going to take a week off. I haven’t taken a week off in a while. (laughs)

 

[Errntknght]

>>Iavaroni: We wanted him to work on his defense and he’s been sporadic with that in understanding overall schemes and communication. There’s still a little bit of a language barrier and there’s still a long way for him to go. He didn’t come from a defensive place like Duke or Oklahoma State or Michigan State, teams noted for their defense. He’s going to be catching up on that and he’s making progress, but I think we all have to be patient with that. It’s not going to happen in 10 days.<<

Ten days! How about two full time years and ten days? They should have had far more instruction and practice than they'd get in four years of college.

Is it possible that with young guys being collectively paid three to five million bucks a year teams don't have assistant coaches that instruct and drill them daily all season long?

 

[jbeecham]

Well I believe this is the 1st summer that Barbosa has spent the majority of his time in PHX (usually goes back to Brazil and runs basketball camps) and it's pretty well known that teams don't get to practice much during the season due to travel and constantly having games. During practices the focus is more on developing the team game and preparing for the next opponent rather than working on individual skills, especially with players who aren't likely to play. The development of players that do not play is really dependant on their own work effort and willingness to improve, which it looks like Barbosa hasn't learned he needs to do yet.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

so the dude still can't defend, can't get others involved, and still can't communicate. he's a nice guy. will never be a point guard. holding out hope otherwise is folly.

apparently the mustard ain't spicy enough. nice guys finish last. he's a stiff on the end of the longer bench. no pt. outta the L next year.

 

[playstation]

draftexpress.com breakdown of the suns/celtics game:

The Suns scored 34 points in the first three quarters. That should tell you all you need to know. If you are looking for more, everyone was terrible. How's that?<br />
<br />
<i>Jonathan Givony</i><br />
<br />

<b>Mindaguas Katelynas</b>- Katelynas finally came to life a bit in the first half after being in a coma ever since Portsmouth ended. He was very active on both ends of the floor and made a couple of very nice unselfish plays. He drained a 3, nailed his mid-range jumper, passed well and generally did everything that was asked of him. <br />
<br />
Apparently the Suns saw something we didn’t, and Katelynas got benched for the rest of the game after scoring 5 points in 7 minutes. He came back at the end of the fourth for three minutes when the Suns were down by 30+ and was so eager to prove himself that he committed a couple of fouls, scored one basket and didn't do anything else. <br />
<br />
<b>Leandro Barbosa</b>- Making more of an effort to pass rather than look for his own shot, because this is probably what the coaches told him to do. Needless to say, that is not Barbosa's game, and he is looking awful here along with the rest of the team. He made some nice moves to split the defense three or four times, but no one can hit any shots when he dishes it off so it's all for naught. Barbosa looks like he is being chained down here and his team is really suffering from it. <br />
<br />

 

[playstation]

will never be a point guard. holding out hope otherwise is folly.

lol

doth thou believe tis true.

last time i heard 'folly' was at a renaissance festival. great word though.

 

[scotsman13]

so the dude still can't defend, can't get others involved, and still can't communicate. he's a nice guy. will never be a point guard. holding out hope otherwise is folly.

yea i remember after the marbury trade how his defense in the full court was one of his strenghts. his game is very much like marburys but not as refined. ouchie the nba point guard is one the hardest spots to learn even for people who have played point guard in america in college. it is said that it can take a player 5 years to learn to be a point guard. dont you think that you mind give him a little room to grow and learn the job.

 

[Errntknght]

jbeecham >>Well I believe this is the 1st summer that Barbosa has spent the majority of his time in PHX (usually goes back to Brazil and runs basketball camps) and it's pretty well known that teams don't get to practice much during the season due to travel and constantly having games. During practices the focus is more on developing the team game and preparing for the next opponent rather than working on individual skills, especially with players who aren't likely to play. The development of players that do not play is really dependant on their own work effort and willingness to improve, which it looks like Barbosa hasn't learned he needs to do yet.<<

You may be correct about how things are done but were I an owner or GM I certainly wouldn't want my assets being developed at less than the maximum attainable rate. If a young player showed he had no interest in improving he'd be disposed of as quickly as possible. Otherwise he'd certainly not be left on his own to pick up what he could - he'd be regularly tutored in English when needed on top of his work on basketball. Millions of dollars are invested in young players and letting them languish is going to result in it being wasted. It would easily be worth it to hire an additional coach to work with them if that happens to be the problem.

I wouldn't expect such efforts to turn Barbosa, for example, into a prime time PG in two years but I'd expect him to have, at least, learned the overall defensive scheme and the language in that time. In fact he should know the defensive scheme inside out and be well on his way to learning the offensive game of every guy he'll be called upon to defend. IMO, Leandro doesn't have the court vision to ever make a PG in D'Antoni's style of offense, but that's another issue.

 

[George O'Brien]

After reading all the statements a few years ago that JJ would never be good NBA player, I take all of these "expert" prouncements, about what Leandro can or can't develop into, with a grain of salt.

What matters is that Leandro does not appear to be ready to take on major responsibility early this season. It doesn't matter if he will ever be a PG, only if he can play that role now. For that reason I'd rather discuss who the Suns could pick up for veteran minimum that would be better than JJ an JMax as combo guards.

My read on it is that there aren't very many guys available for the price who would be any better than JJ an JJax. The only guy who might be is Gary Payton and he brings a lot of baggage and has played in a vastly different system than the Suns. But he proved with the Celtics that he can still play.

 

[Joe Mama]

After reading all the statements a few years ago that JJ would never be good NBA player, I take all of these "expert" prouncements, about what Leandro can or can't develop into, with a grain of salt.

What matters is that Leandro does not appear to be ready to take on major responsibility early this season. It doesn't matter if he will ever be a PG, only if he can play that role now. For that reason I'd rather discuss who the Suns could pick up for veteran minimum that would be better than JJ an JMax as combo guards.

My read on it is that there aren't very many guys available for the price who would be any better than JJ an JJax. The only guy who might be is Gary Payton and he brings a lot of baggage and has played in a vastly different system than the Suns. But he proved with the Celtics that he can still play.

this is really like comparing apples and oranges. Nobody ever said JJ didn't have the skills to be a very good player. He was just terribly inconsistent, and he didn't appear to have the aggressiveness or mental fortitude to be a star. If you remember many of us sat every game that it was frustrating to watch him because his shot looked so good but just would not go into the basket.

Barbosa on the other hand has shown almost no signs that he is a point guard. I think it sounds like the Phoenix Suns have accepted the fact that he's probably never going to really be an offensive point guard. Instead they are correctly trying to get him to improve his defense, so he can come into the game and defend the opposing point guard very well. If he can shoot, get to the basket, bring the ball up court, and play strong defense on opposing point guards there's definitely a place for him in the NBA.

Joe Mama

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

yea i remember after the marbury trade how his defense in the full court was one of his strenghts. his game is very much like marburys but not as refined. ouchie the nba point guard is one the hardest spots to learn even for people who have played point guard in america in college. it is said that it can take a player 5 years to learn to be a point guard. dont you think that you mind give him a little room to grow and learn the job.

i understand that. however, that said, evidence of SOME growth would be a good indicator that he'll develop. thus far we've seen no growth. he's still considered lost on defense. he still doesn't distribute the ball. he still doesn't make good decisions. you can teach a player til you're blue in the face, but at some point they have to show signs of progress. i fear that we've seen none. maybe the staff has seen something in practice that we are not privy to, but thus far he hasn't indicated the ability to pick up anything. he could shoot and get to the basket when he came into the league. that was two years ago.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

this is really like comparing apples and oranges. Nobody ever said JJ didn't have the skills to be a very good player. He was just terribly inconsistent, and he didn't appear to have the aggressiveness or mental fortitude to be a star. If you remember many of us sat every game that it was frustrating to watch him because his shot looked so good but just would not go into the basket.

Barbosa on the other hand has shown almost no signs that he is a point guard. I think it sounds like the Phoenix Suns have accepted the fact that he's probably never going to really be an offensive point guard. Instead they are correctly trying to get him to improve his defense, so he can come into the game and defend the opposing point guard very well. If he can shoot, get to the basket, bring the ball up court, and play strong defense on opposing point guards there's definitely a place for him in the NBA.

Joe Mama

i completely agree.

 

[arthurracoon]

this is really like comparing apples and oranges. Nobody ever said JJ didn't have the skills to be a very good player. He was just terribly inconsistent, and he didn't appear to have the aggressiveness or mental fortitude to be a star. If you remember many of us sat every game that it was frustrating to watch him because his shot looked so good but just would not go into the basket.

Barbosa on the other hand has shown almost no signs that he is a point guard. I think it sounds like the Phoenix Suns have accepted the fact that he's probably never going to really be an offensive point guard. Instead they are correctly trying to get him to improve his defense, so he can come into the game and defend the opposing point guard very well. If he can shoot, get to the basket, bring the ball up court, and play strong defense on opposing point guards there's definitely a place for him in the NBA.

Joe Mama