5:30 p.m. ET, 5/18/07 Van Gundy Deserved Better Posted by Marty Burns http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/si...ayoffs/2007/05/van-gundy-deserved-better.html Winning 55 percent of his games in four seasons as Rockets coach wasn't enough for Jeff Van Gundy to keep his job. AP Forget for a moment whether Jeff Van Gundy is the right man for the Rockets' job. His firing Friday is proof that the NBA is one crazy league. All Van Gundy did this season was lead the Rockets to a 52-30 record despite center Yao Ming missing two months with a broken leg. It marked the second time in three years he racked up a 50-win campaign, missing out only in 2005-06 when Yao and Tracy McGrady went down with injury for long stretches. In his four years in Houston, Van Gundy was 182-146. True, Houston flamed out in the first round of the playoffs in three of Van Gundy's four seasons. But this year was the only one in which Houston was favored. And losing to the Jazz in seven games, even with Game 7 at home, isn't exactly an embarrassment. The bottom line is a coach's job is to win games, and Van Gundy did that in Houston. He even finished fourth in Coach of the Year voting this season. OK, so maybe Van Gundy's Rockets were about as much fun to watch as a PBS documentary on horseflies. They were a plow horse in the half-court, and perhaps a tad too defensive-oriented. But with a 7-5 center in Yao, doesn't it make sense to build a team in that fashion? Rockets owner Les Alexander apparently doesn't think so. Like many fans, he reportedly wants Houston to play more up-tempo. Never mind that Yao isn't exactly suited to play a Phoenix-style attack, Alexander wants to see more fireworks. Fair enough. He is the owner. It's his prerogative. He might even turn out to be correct. Rick Adelman appears to be Alexander's choice as the next coach. The former Kings and Blazers coach had high-scoring teams in Sacramento that ran their offense through a center with deft passing skills, such as Yao. Alexander reportedly met recently with Adelman, who has been living in Portland since getting axed by the Kings after last season, to discuss the position. Larry Brown, a finalist for the Houston opening four years ago, also could be a candidate if Adelman doesn't get the job. But whether or not this turns out to be the right call, Alexander doesn't look too good for the way it was handled. Why would he meet with Adelman before he'd given Van Gundy the heave-ho? The Rockets are saying Van Gundy was offered another position in the organization, and that they were waiting to hear from him. Adelman clearly must have believed this to be the case, or he wouldn't have agreed to talk about the job. But either way, it sure looks like Houston was looking for a coach behind Van Gundy's back. Van Gundy, meanwhile, apparently wanted to return. There were reports right after his team's playoff ouster that the veteran coach -- who had a year (nonguaranteed) left on his contract -- might decide not to come back. But Van Gundy said he simply needed more time to make a decision. When he decided that he wanted to stay, the Rockets told him, "Sorry." The other strange aspect to the Van Gundy saga is the role of new GM Daryl Morey, the stat guru brought in by Alexander last season to take over personnel matters. Morey, who replaces the retired Carroll Dawson, reportedly was willing to keep Van Gundy. But now it appears Alexander has stepped in and big-footed the first decision his young GM would get to make. Add it all up and it looks like the Rockets really bungled this operation. Instead of making a clean break, they put Van Gundy in an awkward position. Even if you don't prefer his coaching style, he deserved better. But, hey, that's life in the crazy NBA -- and nobody knows that better than Van Gundy, who will be back on the sideline someday in the not-too-distant future.
Good call, very classless move Rockets....sort of like the Hakeem and Rudy T thing. Why does everyone leave the Rox on a bad note?
this entire episode is leaving a bad taste in my mouth.... especially the point burns makes re: morey's first significant solo decision, only to have les overrule him. the precedent stinks.
Truthfully, I am not bothered by it in the least. We don't know how it was handled, we don't know the particulars. We do know that coaches get fired all the time and that JVG was paid handsomely during his time here, in excess of $20 million. And, JVG will have many other opportunities in the league if he wants them, or on TV as well. So, no I don't feel sorry for Jeff, he will be fine. As for how it was handled.....Meh.....just move on. DD
I think even the biggest JVG hater would say the situation was not handled very well. It sounds like JVG didn't put up much of a fight to keep his job, but the Rockets saying they were covering their bases stinks. To interview someone while the job is filled and deciding a candidate is better is just wrong.
There is no such thing as good breakup. One side always gets screwed. Van Gundy left NY hanging. No he gets the short end of the stick. If he really wanted to continue, Van Gundy should have said that right after the loss. Admit they simply lost to a better team and need better players and that he wants one more chance. Broadcasting games in National TV does not help either. My thinking would be: "Hey the guy will not have trouble getting a gig, so I will not feel bad firing him".
From my standpoint, Les really comes out like a weak dog here. The way he executed his decision was horrible, pathetic and self-serving but we are stuck with him as owner. At the same time, don't feel sorry for JVG. He is fine. My problem with Les is insulting everyone's intelligence by dancing around who made the call. Les' primary concern through this whole process was how he was going to be perceived. I've had extremely negative experiences working for people who use a shovel for a pile of blame and a rake for credit.
For those of you saying JVG got the short end of the stick, what do you think would have happened if JVG came right out and said "I want to come back, we have unfinished business here". I believe he probably would have been back, but his wavering gave the Rockets time to make an organizational decision...... I think JVG's uncertainty hurt the chances of him coming back. JVG gambled, and IMHO, misplayed his hand. DD
JVG was offered an extension during the season and turned it down so f*ck him. Its not like he is Rudy T or anything.
I thank JVG for what he did and wish him well, but let's remember that Jeff was unclear about his intentions and even somewhat ambivalent, leaving it to the brass to choose etc. etc., all of which is part of his character and style. It is also his style to give it a different spin when something backfires. This isn't all Les and Morey's doing...and while I applaud some of the aspects of who JVG is and what he accomplished here such as teaching defense and donating the tickets for the Rowdies, the Houston fans and the Rocket players themselves deserved better coaching against Utah, yes, a formidable team, but one we could have beaten in Game 7...
Wow, surprise surprise, BAH BAH KOTA can't see the forest through the trees. The issue is not the firing it is the the sleaze So sheepy boy give it up please Rudy got the same covert kick in the ass cause Les is too much of b**** to have class; but this is clutch city and acting that way is sh-tty DaDakota you are a dummy in everything you post you're the guy who non-idiots want to shut up most You flip you flop, you pretend like you're smart When really you just twist in the wind like a fart You're like a kid with ADD and your posts are like stale pee, so stop or else I will report THEE BAAHH BAHH BLACK SHEEP BAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
I don't know about you guys, but I don't measure success on regular season alone. 4 years, no playoff series wins. Maybe tough luck, but that's the way it should be. I do like Van Gundy and think he is a great coach that sticks to his methods (that work), but he didn't get the results that matter.
Wow this was worth a laugh! Can't wait to see DD's response! This is just one more reason I love the BBS. You guys crack me up!
From what both sides are saying, this is what I gather: 1. The management had no interest in keeping JVG as coach after game 7. 2. The management didn't want to "fire" JVG but wanted him to "step down" voluntarily (a chance for JVG to save face?) 3. JVG refused to say it's his decision. 4. The management didn't want to miss out the possible candidate they wanted while negotiating with JVG for a "good" break up. 5. JVG still refused. They had no choice but fire him. The only "mishandle" I see is that the management did not decide quickly enough to fire JVG once JVG was clear about his intention.
