Van Exel

[Francis Hsu <francis@ai.mit.edu>]

So Van Exel wants to become more like a true point guard?  I think the
C's would be more than happy to oblige, but what could we offer to get
him?  I think it's hilarious that he wants to pass more and shoot
less, while his teammates want him to shoot more.

Excerpts from the Rocky Mountain News

Like his presence, Van Exel's play is missing of late

By Kyle Ringo, News Staff Writer
[...]
Van Exel, who asked to be traded two months ago, has not been
encouraged by the team's progress on that front. His frustration seems
to be affecting his game. 

In the past 14 games, Van Exel has produced the only five games this
season in which he failed to score in double figures. One of those
times, though, occurred when Van Exel left a game because of injury. 

[...]

Van Exel has averaged only 11.5 points during the past four games,
which is well below his season average of 21.7. 

After a recent home loss to Dallas, he announced his intention to play
more like a true point guard. He said his hope is to make the players
around him better by taking a pass-first approach. 

His teammates clearly disagree with the idea. Yet, he persists. 

Van Exel scored five points in 25 minutes against Sacramento on
Friday. He attempted only four shots, or 16 fewer than his average. 

"We don't need him to be a point guard," veteran Avery Johnson
said. "We need Avery Johnson to be a point guard. We need Nick Van
Exel, for us to win games, to play like an MVP." 

[...]