Maurice Cheeks
Maurice Cheeks
Maurice Edward "Mo" Cheeksis an American retired professional basketball player and currently an assistant coach for the Oklahoma City Thunder of the National Basketball Association. He was the head coach of the Detroit Pistons from June 10, 2013, to February 9, 2014 and has also served as head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers and Philadelphia 76ers...
ProfessionBasketball Player
Date of Birth8 September 1956
CityChicago, IL
improved last played players year
We've got some young players that played well last year and I want to see if they've improved this year,
basketball entitled feels game good needed offensive players rebound shot somebody win wire worry
We need one. We're entitled to one, I think. We've been going down to the wire a lot of games. Sometimes it feels good for the players and myself to play a game where you don't have to worry about somebody getting an offensive rebound or making a last-second shot to win a basketball game. For us, we needed that.
bit floor nba players ready sees themselves watches
I don?t think you try and get him ready for an NBA season. You take it day by day and as that comes along, I think he?ll get a little bit better and a little bit stronger. As he watches and sees other players out on the floor, the things they have to do out on the floor to get themselves ready, I think he?ll be better at it.
best figure help instead player saying star
I can't figure it out. I'm just going to help him be the player that he was in Sacramento. I'm going to try my best to do that instead of saying why this didn't happen, that didn't happen. He's a star player for me.
ball chance credit offensive people player
We want to funnel the ball to him on defense. And you know what? He's a much better offensive player than people give him credit for. We're going to give him a chance to show it.
add best coach couple exception floor guys players playing rather seen strengths
We have players we haven?t actually seen out on the floor, with the exception of a couple guys playing now, ... But I want to see the players out on the floor. We can always say we want to add this, add that, but to actually see the players out on the floor once they get there, in person so I can see their strengths and weaknesses, I think that?s the best thing to do rather than say, ?Let?s go get this, get that.? Every coach can say that at some point.
credit guys player pointed shape
Kyle?s in better shape than a lot of these guys here and that?s what I pointed out to them. A guy who doesn?t have to be here and is here, and in better shape than some of the other players, is a credit to him. I think some of those guys have to look at him and see a player who?s here who doesn?t have to be here and in the shape that he?s in now.
ability ball camp defense kyle player releases shoot talking
Kyle put on a show. He catches the ball and releases it so quick. It's really impressive. I've been talking defense all camp but a player of his ability to shoot the ball has to be on the floor.
coach larry likes players
Larry is a defensive-minded coach. With the players he has, he'll try to get them to do what he wants. If they don't, he'll find a way to get the players he likes to play in his system.
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He's kind of an old-school power forward, down on the block, mainly, can step out and shoot the jump shot. He's an aggressive-type player with some ball skills.
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He's a very versatile player that can play the one, two or three positions. You're trying to put the ball in his hands and allow Allen to come up and make a play.
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Players have a lot of knowledge. It would be silly of me to say if they suggest something that I wouldn't look at it.
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He can move and come off screens. He's a different type player because he has the ability to step back from three-point range and make shots and he has the ability to drive to the basket. He's a bigger Allen (Iverson) with his ability to shoot. He shoots deeper than Allen. His ability to get to the basket is in the same form of Allen because he looks to attack, attack, attack.
ability ball defense impressive kyle player releases shoot talking time
He catches the ball and releases it so quick. I think that?s what?s so impressive about him. I think if you?re not around Kyle that much, and I?ve been talking defense this whole camp, but any time you see a player with his ability to shoot the ball he?s got to be on the floor.