<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>MCALLEN — Steve Novak didn't know what to expect when he arrived for his first workout with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. But the first thing he noticed was the basketball floor at the practice facility. It was the same floor used last summer at the FIBA Tournament of the Americas in Las Vegas. "It kind of gives you a sense of wanting to do everything in a first-class way," said Novak, a 6-10 forward who was assigned to the Vipers at the end of Rockets training camp until he returned to Houston last week. "I didn't really know what I was walking into. I just thought it was another minor league and guys from the NBA came down here to play a little. "To be honest, I'm pretty impressed with the league. There are a lot of very legit NBA players who at some point are going to make it to the NBA or go back to the NBA. A lot of guys who I remember from college are there. You'd wonder, 'Where did that guy go?' Coaches and players. That's why this league is as strong as it is." When the Rockets sent Novak, 24, to the Vipers, they communicated with the coaching and training staff, laying out a weight program and some thoughts about how to use him. "Nothing specific. It's not heavy-handed," Vipers coach Bob Hoffman said. "Obviously, the Rockets wanted us to play Steve and to run some of our offense for him. It's been great to have him. He really cares about his craft, works hard at it, and I know there's a place in the NBA for him." Guard Aaron Brooks, 6-0, the Rockets' first-round pick this year, was briefly with the Vipers before returning to Houston. "You always want to stay with the pro team," Brooks, 22, said. "But the positive is you get to play. There's only so much you can do and learn by watching. You can only get so much better on the outside. "I'm still patient. The Rockets drafted me, so obviously they liked me. I went to the D-League because they thought it was something that would help me, so I was all for it."</div> Source: Houston Chronicle
