George Karl on JaVale McGee: “lazy and crazy isn’t going to make it work”

The Denver Post has a story about how the Nuggets are being patient with the wildly erratic JaVale McGee — they gave him four years, $44 million last summer and now say it’s just fine that Kosta Koufos beat him out for the starting job because it’s about the long term.

The Nuggets brass has made a bet he is going to mature into a star — he certainly has the skills. He is the most athletic big man in the league, but he is as likely to make a boneheaded play as he is a brilliant one. He’s now a regular on NBATV’s “Shaqtin’ a Fool.”

Which led to a great line from George Karl.

“He’s got to understand that lazy and crazy isn’t going to make it work,” Karl said. “We want solid and we want fundamental, and we want spectacular but only when it happens, not forcing the action where sometimes it happens and sometimes it doesn’t.”

Classic Karl.

Just a thought: McGee is in his fifth NBA season at age 25 and his numbers this season are pretty much the same as last season.

Maybe this is it. Maybe this is just who JaVale McGee is. Erratic game and all.

The Nuggets have bet big that is not the case.