Good thread. JVG understands it all very well. His goal is what lies after the regular season, at the end of the playoffs. These games are fodder. He will experiment, challenge, grow, test, reassess and sculpt this team, for the ultimate goal. Interviews? Don't think about what he said in the context of 'accuracy', think about in the context of his goal, to motivate and improve the team. If his says Head was average, it is quite a compliment. It means that JVG thinks Head has a lot of upside and cannot afford to feel comfortable with his output. I don't like to lose, but I liked some of the teamwork I saw last night. There is definite improvement.
Agree, and nice post, real_egal. We need to find some optimism and purpose in what's going on right now. It can be hard. Losing Sura was a blow, because he was the one swingman we've got who could play significant minutes backing up Tracy, and not kill us. We need to do something about that. Bowen is a 5-10 minute situational bench player, and expecting more than that from him is unfair to the guy. That's a huge hole we have to plug, because this could be (god, I hope not!) a season long problem with McGrady. Right now, I'm more worried about that than any other position. Let's hope JVG and CD find an answer.
I've said this before... No great center who has ever played in the NBA played a high post game. All of them...ALL of them, had a solid post game with their backs to the basket. All of them were efficient rebounders. Yao can be a very good player in the high post with his skills, but he will never be one of the greats unless he can learn to play in the post. It is the way of the NBA. It may mean some painful developments, but we're talking about a guy with no American basketball experience prior to being drafted, height that by its very nature has rendered everyone before him at best average and at worst a joke and a personality that doesn't always mesh with the rough-and-tumble in your face game played in the NBA. The fact that he is nearly averaging 20/10 this season is remarkable and something to be lauded, not criticized.
I think JVG certianly is smart and had laid out a path for the Rox that he believes will bring them success. The problem is what happens when potholes appear in that path or things don't turn out as well as he expected. That's the problem I think we're seeing now and what I believe is the problem with JVG. If you look at the two most prominent coaches of Houston sports teams right now you have JVG on one hand and Phil Garner on the other who represent two distinct coaching philosophies. JVG is a system guys and he looks to implement a system and either mold players to that system of bring in players who fit that system. Garner is a feel guy who works with the players he gots and instead coaches to how they feel the game and team are going. So if you look at the Rox with a little bit more than two seasons under JVG they have been remade into a team that his stamp on it while in the season and a half under Garner the Stros are relatively close to the team that Jimmy Williams had and the changes made to the team, losing Beltran and Kent, have little to do with bringing in Garner's type of players. There have been very successful coaches who are systems coaches and many of the great dynastic coaches are systems coaches but IMO with the complexity, scouting and unpredictable nature of sports at pro-levels sometimes Garner's seat of the pants approach is needed. For instance if you look when the Rox started succeeding last year is when JVG loosened the reigns on offense and let the Rox play a faster game. Consequently though the D went down and other teams scored more than what's usually seen from a JVG coached team but the Rox also scored more and thrived. To me that was JVG playing by feel rather than sticking to his system and it worked. Right now though we're seeing JVG's system bog down because a star player is hurt and the shooters that he brought in are slumping. JVG's response has been primarily to criticize his players for playing with lack of heart and not stepping it up. Yes, the players definately need to step it up but at the sametime the coach needs to figure out how to deal with injuries and getting the most out of the players he has. The problem that I have with JVG is that these are his players, with the exception of Yao, and while they may fit his system he should've figured that players in their 30's aren't going to be able to perform as consistently at a high level as they once did. So I think at this point JVG should be figuring out an adjustment to the team. Make a Garner like move.
I just would like answers to a few questions from those that understand the mind of JVG. 1. Why does Yao [B]have[/B] to, almost exclusively, always set a pick at the 3 point line? Why not the others like Swift etc? 2. Why does Yao [B]have[/B] to, defend at the 3 point line?
I would like to have a thread later "giving credits to Bowen". I saw his improvement besides defense. Didn't you guys see he threw some 3s this season? It might be useless now. But when Tmac is back and we play playoff, this kind of performance from role players will benefit us a lot.
Yes, he is trying to get them to play above their heads and sell out effort wise... I think he realizes that without TMac there is no special player that is a difference maker. TMac can make up for a lot of mistakes. That is the kind of player Hakeem was. We are playing to the level of our talent and JVG knows it. He is looking for anything to get a win. That is why Head is starting. IMHO we are being exposed for a team without its superstar. We are a very weak rebounding team and not quick enough and that hurts us against better teams. We have been shooting very poor, that turned around against Dallas.. a game we could have won.
I am always a big believer of systems. If the system is right, the pieces can work together or even correct each other, probably not to exhaust the full potential of ALL the pieces, but it lasts very very long. If you consider too much individualism, you need to tweak all the time, to make sure that those pieces to fit together in all situations. You might, get the most out of the single pieces once in a while, but you will have a very unstable system, which translates to less wins, but maybe some highlights or spectacular games. Not to mix the forums, but US is doing great in the past 100 years, not because Americans are much smarter than Chinese people, but because the system is much better. If the system is not working properly or the foundation is not there, Chinese society has to hope that great leader emerges to lead them to success. But without continuity you won't have any sustanable success. Originally I wanted to take a shot at Bush to praise the system, but I will stop here In conclusion, Princeton or Triangle, it's the system what lasts and promises success.
Fortune favors the bald. Great post! I really believe losing a couple of games is almost worth it if we can give Yao even more experience. He cannot always rely on T-Mac to save his bacon.
Good post. I hope JVG is doing this. I want to see Yao do some high post stuff though..like what he used to do with Stevie! He's done it with Tmac..but he used to take outside shots. I like how he's developing his low post game though. So hopefully we're all right.
This is actually the best post I've read these days! What do you guys see? There are improvements out there with T-mac out! We are tired with loss, but we have to go thru that to reach the next level, o/w we will be back before the second round!
You know we just turned down a candidate. The reason, the guy is bold, and everyone said he couldn't be smart, or he wouldn't have lost all his hair to get his phD. On a serious note, are you guys always so optimistic? I won't say JVG is dump, but don't try to make him look like a genious, either. The Rockets has no choice but to over use Yao, and to start a rookie. What other options are there?
Generally, I am quite optimistic, and I've met some very smart bold people in their 20's JVG did have a choice, just to use Deke more. I don't believe he was the best backup last year, and couldn't play 15 minutes this year. He didn't play well so far, because he didn't get chance to be really in the game. So, JVG chose not to use that option, for some reason.
It looks more and more obvious Stro was jettisoned by Memphis as a failed project. JVG can prove that was a dumb mistake. Granted the season is still early, but JVG hasn't been able to show he has the midas touch to turn Stro into a real threat on both ends of the floor.
Actually, those are really easy to answer. 1. Yao is the best option for a pick. He is giant and difficult to get around. He is also the second best scoring option on the floor with T-Mac. So, his man can't simply rotate off of him. He and T-Mac make for a devastating pick-and-roll option that is very tough to guard. He and ANYONE with a little quickness makes for a great option there. In short, he is the best screener on the team. 2. Because we do not have perimeter defenders quick enough to jump around every screen. Every big man MUST guard on the perimeter in a pick-and-roll if it is his man who is setting the screen. That is just obvious. Teams are going to force Yao to come out and guard the pick-and-roll knowing his isn't the fastest guy in the world laterally. Yao MUST come out and defend those or the guards will get killed.
But this is an example of where JVG's system breaks down. He's got set shooters who are too slow to play good perimeter D and consequently we get killed when the other team pick and rolls or swings the ball around the perimeter we can't rotate fast enough to defend.
The OP put out a nice thread. This really makes some sense and explains some of the confusion we get out of JVG. Okay, let's be patient and see... Think big, see the big picture, long-term goals. JVG is either extremely smart, or he is a big sucker. haha!
