We need an offensive minded assistant coach for JVG

I don't feel that the problem is JVG's real or perceived lack of offensive smarts. In and of themself, the zones aren't the problem. The REAL problem is the disappearance of the midrange jumpshot from the NBA & Collegiate player's skillset. Players can run, jump, dunk and drive to the hoop. They can't consistently hit the mid to long range jumpshot and that's why the zone defenses are causing so many problems.

The Rockets are what I consider typical in this respect. Opposing teams know that their PG, SG & SF lack the ability to hurt them when they collapse their zone into the post. The first two are slashers who try to beat you off the dribble while the SF has no real midrange game. If Francis and Co could dribble aound the zone's perimeter and pull up and hit these midrange shots with any consistency, you'd begin to see Yao actually begin getting some breathing room in the post.

IMHO, they need a guy like Mo Cheeks or a Bobby Jones who could come off a screen and pop a quick midrange jumpshot. That would certainly alter the dynamic offensively. Also, they desperately need someone who can consistently nail the 3 pointer. That's what makes the Mavs so dangerous. They have 2 starters who can light it up from 3 point land - Nash & Nowitzki. I am simply not convinced that Piatkowski or Boki is that someone for the Rockets.

 

ANYWAY, wouldn't it be cool if Jeff Van Gundy showed up at Rudy T's house, and Rudy T, wearing his golf pants and on his 8th cigarette, slit his eyes and tried to slam the door. Then Jeff Van Gundy would put his foot in the door and say, "Please, I want to talk." Rudy would curtly spit out, "What do you want."

Jeff Van Gundy, "I need help with the team's offense. I'm asking you to join me. You know this team."

Rudy T: "Come inside."

The two men, divided by methodology but united a passion for the game, sit outside on the patio and drink some beers, and after five hours of talking, Rudy T. puts his stubbled face in his hands, sighs, and aggrees to sign on as an assistant coach with the specific job of fine tuning the Rockets offense.

Van Gundy is in charge of defense. Rudy T becomes a better coach serving beside Van Gundy and vice-versa. They argue with each other all season, but in a good way, and the two become a yin-yang of leadership.

Suddenly, the Rockets turn around. They start shutting down teams and running up the score board. Steve starts getting triple-doubles. Yao starts putting up 30 and 15 every night. Cato becomes a decent scorer. Moochie becomes a spark off the bench. The Rockets clamp down on one end, and pass and make the net swish and the rim rattle constantly.

The Rockets make the playoffs.

In the first round, against the Jazz, Van Gundy gets into an argument and gets ejected. Rudy T's hands are shaking. The team is his again. Rockets win the series.

In the second round against the T-Wolves, Rudy T starts drinkinga again. He stumbles onto the court in the middle of game two and starts blubbering like a drunken idiot, "TEAM! MMMYYY TEAM!! Rrrruuunnnnthegoooddamnplay! Theyputmybladderrrrrrrrinajarrrrrrrrrrr!"

Jeff Van Gundy sits down with Rudy T after the game and says to an ashamed Rudy T. "You're embarassing your son, Rudy."

Rudy: "I don't have a son."

Van Gundy: "ANd you're no Dennis Hopper."

Management decides to fire Van Gundy before the Western Conference finals. Surprisingly, Houston sets up a town meeting.

Eddie Griffen comes out of nowhere and makes an appearance. His head is shaved; he's added on 20 pounds of muscle, and crushes a basketball in his hands. Carol Dawson grabs his leg and begs him to play for the Rockets again.

But Eddie Griffen stands up and says, "If Jeff doesn't coach, I don't play." And the entire townhall applauds.

Van Gundy returns.

They fly to Staples Center for game one. Van Gundy sits on Yao's shoulders and pulls out measuring tape and tells Yao to stand next to the hoop.

Francis says, "Is this where you tell us that the hoop is the same height as it is in the Toyota Center.

Van Gundy, "No. I just wanted to know what it feels like to be this tall. Yao give me the ball."

And, for the first time in his life, Van Gundy dunks.

The series against the Lakers goes to Game Seven. The game is head to head, tied, and Moochie--MOOCHIE!--has the ball and shoots with .01 seconds left and misses the shot--but is fouled!

All he has to do is make one shot, but he misses the first one. The ball doesn't even touch the rim. Finally, Moochie swallows his pride and commences to do a granny shot--and it's good!

Rockets beat the Lakers for the Western Conference title.

 

I'll have whatever tannersearle78 is having please.

 

That's hilarious!

 

I swear Feigen is reading this board and is using his articles in the Chron to respond (this probably has its own thread somewhere, but it really applies to this conversation):

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/sports/bk/bkn/2271783

Great article, I thought. My feelings on the subject are this. With our two franchise guys, we have 2 strengths: Francis driving to the basket and Yao in the low-post. The goal of both is to draw double-teams. The problem is that neither player is sufficiently strong in their respective methods to draw double-teams.

Of the two, Francis is the better and he has some measure of success in attacking the basket, drawing the double-team occassionally and drawing fouls. The problem is he doesn't have the passing to fully exploit a double-team. He's alright at it, but not great. I think the zone hurts in this regard because they can guard penetration well. Turnovers are too common.

The main weakness is that Yao is not yet good enough in the low post. He gets a steady diet of points on the board, but isn't nearly as dominating as we need him to be to really attract defensive attention. His turnovers are also far too common. He's getting beat up too much down low.

This season, I think we're stuck in a situation where we must transition the focus of the offense from a mature but zone-limited game of guard penetration to a potentially muchg more powerful game of Yao in the low post -- a game that is, unfortunately, still rather immature. So, our offense is waiting on Yao to really figure it out. But he's young yet, in only his second season, and adapting to an American power game. When his game matures, I'd expect a dramatic reversal of our offensive fortunes. If he can force defending teams to apply a zealous double-team every time, our shooters percentages will improve, Francis' and Mobley's penetrations will improve, turnovers will go down -- everyone will look much better. In the meantime, we'll be subsisting on a passable (we are 10-7 after all) but limited strategy of relying on penetration to create holes in the defense.

 

If we're not jump shooters then we need more motion and P&Rs, but I fear that we're heading back down the ISO trail.

 

Actually I have been dying to tell everyone what I heard from a jazz "insider."

Seems the truth is...Sloan is actually more of a defensive specialist himself. From what this guy says...there is an assistant coach here who coaches and basically implements the offensive plan. Sloan is the head coach...but from what I hear...he doesnt deserve most of the credit we have all been giving him over the years for that perfectly executed offense. I bet when he retires...the Jazz will promote this offensive minded assistant to head coach...and they wont miss a beat on "O."

That got me thinking the same thing that ricerocket suggested. In fact I was going to suggest the same thing, he just beat me to it.

Now my question is...is there any restrictions on how much salary you can pay coaches and or assistants? A cap or anything like that to contend with?

I mean Dallas has a slew of coaches including ex head coach Del Harris...we got Pat Ewing? How bout Les shells out some dough for a good offensive coordinator? Let Gundy handle motivation and defense and run practices....but have someone else design the play and coach the offense. Arent there some great coaches out there who could use a job? Or would their egos get in the way?

 

How realistic do think this scenario can be? I mean the guy was just hired and now you want to shake up his staff? Everyone knew what type of coach JVG was when he was hired. He comes out of the Eastern Conference. Pat Riley was his mentor (memo: check out the Heat's offense the past few years). Nobody here should be the least bit surprised that the Rockets now look like an Eastern Conference team.

In fact, that was the question I posed to the group when everyone was all aglow over JVG's hiring: Given his background & philosophy, would JVG's style of basketball work in the Western Conference? So far the answer appears to be yes against the lower rung teams and a big no against the top tier teams.

To keep them in the game, JVG has them playing tenacious pressure defenses designed to slow the game down. They have to keep the scoring down because offensively they are below average with simply too many flaws that cannot be plugged this year. This strategy may work well enough to allow them to slip into the playoffs but let's not deceive ourselves in thinking that they are anywhere close to being really ready to compete with the big boys. Remember, the watchword for this season has to be "progress" and not "playoff results" - at least not yet.

 

Would you rather Jeff said ... Rudy is and was and always will be a terrible offensive coach?
Would you heap praise on him then?
Talking about pathetic

 

So if he had said "Rudy is a great coach" does that mean he is admitting he sucks at coaching?