Love that he ran seven miles at practice with no ill effects. This is a guy who could really help because his skill set fits what they need to a T.
We have guards who play with the ball in their hands, so you need to put people around them who are good at playing without the ball, instinctively. [Windler] plays extremely well without the basketball. - Bickerstaff
I would put Markkinan in that category as well, along with Mobley, Allen, and Okoro as guys who don't need the ball in their hands. We have a decent mix of players who need the ball to be effective (Sexton, Garland, Rubio, Love) and those who don't.
Last year after recovering from the wrist injury Windler was just starting to get rolling when his knee acted up again.
Upon his return in late January, Windler felt uncomfortable and out of rhythm. He tried to fight through lingering discomfort in his left patella tendon, near where doctors had inserted a stabilizing rod down the leg. It took a couple weeks to shake off the rust -- and hit some outside shots. Shortly after drilling nine consecutive 3-pointers in an astounding two-game stretch, the pain in his knee intensified...Eventually, it became unbearable.
For a few weeks he was beginning to look like the player we thought we drafted. Hopefully we'll get to see a full season of that guy this year. So far, so good.
The column also mentioned that his release is quicker, which I felt was necessary since NBA defenders are longer and can close faster than the guys he faced at Belmont.