OC Register The learning curve will be steep. Clippers 18-year-old rookie forward Yaroslav Korolev has discovered that just weeks into his NBA career. But coaches and teammates agree on one thing - Korolev has a great feel for the game and could be a highly regarded player in the league. "I've found out that I have to work an awful lot on my defense," Korolev said. "Offensively, I'm feeling OK. But I need a couple more (exhibition) games to feel more comfortable before the season starts. I keep telling myself that I can play defense." Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy says he is not concerned with the speed of Korolev's progress. In three exhibition games, Dunleavy has played Korolev primarily with backup players and free agents trying to latch on to the roster. But in the final five exhibition games, Dunleavy likely will play Korolev with a group comprising mainly projected starters. "In practice that's the group that he plays with and the one he plays best with," Dunleavy said. "He's fine. The better players that he plays with, the better off that he is." Dunleavy said he has seen improvement from Korolev. "He's made some good moves, taken the ball to the basket and made some good passes," Dunleavy said. "He's 18 years old, so there's an awful lot of time for him to develop. He's got skills, and playing with our guys in practice, they recognize it." Source
I like what I've seen from him so far, he can definately be a very good player, and even give more production than people expect from him this season.
