When I first heard of this trade, I immediately thought of that rock song from the 90's, "Money for nothing, chicks for free." Steve Novak is money from the outside. To be adding this guy to our roster as our 13th player and giving up nothing to get him is a stroke of pure genius. 6'10", shoots 42% from the 3, can play SF or SG. Yes SG. And the comparisons to Pike, who was the Clippers long range bomber of another era will be made over and over.

Drafted by Houston in the second round out of Marquette, Novak really hasn't had a chance to play much because he was buried on the Rockets roster. When he was given a chance to play, he can really knock it down. In the playoffs last year he only averaged 7 minutes per game. But he shot 75% from the floor and 67% from the 3. Unbelievable!

You think that his shooting prowess so early in his NBA career is a flook? He was a unanimous First Team All-BIG EAST selection ... One of three players to start in every game that season ... Led the team in minutes averaging 33.8 minutes per game ... Has a school record 354 career three pointers, passing Travis Diener for the top spot ... Recorded 1,567 career points passing Don Kojis (10th, 1,504) for the 10th spot all time ... Is the sixth player in the program history to have more then 1,500 points and 500 rebounds for his career ... Novak led the team at 97.4 percent free throw shooting ... He is one of six active NCAA Division I players during the 2005-06 season with over 300 career three pointers joining J.J. Reddick (Duke), Keekee Clark (St. Peters); Taquan Dean (Louisville); Justin Gray (Wake Forest) and Gerry McNamara (Syracuse) ... passed Ray Allen's single season 3-point record (63) with 70 dating back to the 1995-96 season ... Led the BIG EAST in 3-pointers made per game (3.90) and 3-point field goal percentage (46.7) ... ranked third in the nation in three pointers per game (3.9), sixth in the nation in three point percentage (46.7 percent) ... One of two players to score double figures in first six games ... Named Great Alaska Shootout Tournament MVP after recording 51 total points, including nine three pointers, and 18 rebounds ... was 6 of 10 from three-point range, tying the Shootout championship-game record for treys made against South Carolina (Nov. 26) ... Became Marquette's all-time free throws leader after making both of his attempts against Valparaiso (Dec. 7) ... Led Marquette with 14 points against Wisconsin (Dec. 10) for his eighth double digit scoring effort this season ... tallied his second 20-plus point performance this season, 14th for his career, with 22 against San Francisco (Dec. 17) ... matched his season high number of treys with six against San Francisco ... Set career highs in points (41) and rebounds (16) against no. 2 Connecticut (Jan. 3.) for his first career double double ... The 41 points was a record for most points by a player in his first BIG EAST game, breaking the record of 30 by Troy Murphy (Notre Dame, Dec. 8, 1998) and Allen Iverson (Georgetown, Dec. 7, 1994)

This is without a doubt the deepest bench the Clippers have ever assembled, and we aren't even finished yet. After this trade, you have to wonder, what's next. A exchange of second round picks for.............

JamFan