Maurice Cheeks Player Quotations

He is one player that I'm not concerned about (with) his minutes. There was a time when I thought about taking him out of the game, and he started getting in a nice flow.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

If you don't allow him to utilize his talents, you're not letting him be the player he can be.

If you're missing a player like Allen, you have to overcompensate. You're not going to replace a guy who scores 33-34 points a game, but you can replace him in other areas when you get production from everyone.

If you're missing a player like Allen you have to overcompensate. You're not going to replace a guy who scores 33-34 points a game, but you can replace him in other areas when you get production from everyone.

Any time you don't have a player like Allen play for four consecutive games, you're going to miss him. You're going to miss his scoring, his drive, a lot of things.

His approach to people, to the game, is totally different. He's figured out how to be successful, what he needs to do to grow and get better as a player and person.

Certainly you have to make adjustments on the offensive end. When you have a player like that in the fourth quarter, you have a tendency to look for him and realize he has that ability to take over a game. On the defensive end, he creates some turnovers for us and easy baskets. And we haven't gotten as many with him out of the lineup.

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.