develop head? develop hayes? but even- develop lucas?? you have got to be kidding me. jvg ruined head last year. but lucas? signing a longshot player is not development by any means? and even if he did, whats the point of developing a player not even on his own rotation? i think the OP was pinpoint in objectivity. great analysis- great post. and i couldn't agree more... bye bye jvg.... hello strong willfull PF and playmaking PG
Zboy, well done. It's a horrible weekend for me. Reading your post makes me feel a little bit better. In long run, it's still worthwhile to loose this series if JVG could be forced out because of this loss. Let's keep our fingers crossed!
And what is the player development everyone is looking for from JVG? VSpan getting more PT? And Novak? Oh that would have changed everything!
Zboy I agree with most of what you've said and I really appreciate the effort. But the one thing I think everyone is ignoring is the possibility that JVG has been "tuned out" by the very players that love him. - I really believe that this team and particularly T-Mac and Yao have heard it all before so much that they've developed a "tin ear". JVG went out of his way (especially for him) to massage T-Mac's psyche (and credits Don Nelson) and push Yao into doing what he needs from a center. Don't get me wrong - I could defend every criticism I can make of JVG -but I think he's already firmly entrenched in the brains of almost everyone on the roster. I think he knows that. I also think he knows that he's done as much as he can here. It's sad on many levels, but the time has come where individual performances have mirrored his own. I fully believe that JVG is going to walk, and I'm about 90% sure Les doesn't want him back. It's unfair, but sometimes coaches need to move on. It's just the way it is.
isnt this guy who won us 50+ games this season? No one was complaining when we were winning... its not gundys fault we lost.. its the players (head,howard,yao,rafer) ... during the regular season everyone was doing there part and making shots... we got the same shots in the playoffs but our players didnt make it.. thats not the coach's fault... i dont think any coach could of got us in the 2nd round with the way our players were playing... the same goes for mavs.. u think they won 67 games for nothing.. it was dirk who played horribly in the playoffs.. it wasnt the coach's fault... the coach can do so much for a team but the players need to step it up when it counts
Fear not! I have the Cliff note's version for those who attend the NBA Read to Achieve program and have not quiet gotten there yet. Van Gundy's 4 seasons as a Rocket. -First Round Playoff Exit -First Round Playoff Exit -Lottery Bound -First Round Playoff Exit
We had an inflated record against weak eastern teams. We went pretty much undefeated against inferior teams, especially ones in the East. That helped our record a lot. We had losing record against the good teams in the West. Troubling signs were always there...
Hayes was unleashed a year late. A season ago, when we had all those injuries, and were not going anywhere, it made no sense that Juan was logging all those minutes while Hayes got sporadic minutes. Quiet a few of us on this board had mentioned that Hayes was a better fit with Yao. It took Gundy a whole year to figure that out. Head got playing time out of circumstance, not because Gundy took the initiative to develop him. With the injuries in the backcourt, Gundy was left with no choice but to play him. Even he admitted to that. What about Lucas? What's the use of developing an undersized player that is a liability pretty much everywhere on the court? Of course JVG had a major part in it. What that roster has achieved speaks for itself. Tmac trade was a no-brainer. Couple of teams were looking to acquire Mac. We were lucky enough to get him. Gundy does get the credit or discredit for acquiring Battier depending on how much you value a lottery pick. I am sorry but if you had followed the games while James was on the Rockets and seen his performance in the playoffs, James vs. Alston is a no-brainer. James fit with the way this team was built. Rafer does not. As for your look how many shots James took, I would buy it if Rafer wasn't so trigger happy himself. Difference of course was that James MADE his shots. Rafer doesn't. Hayes was a good addition albeit a slow one. Again he didn't have to rot on bench for a whole year for Gundy to catch on. Hayes is a good story but let's get real here. He is a still not a Starting PF material for a team aspiring to win a championship in a tough Western conference. His role is best suited as backup/bench/energy guy. We are asking too much of him as it stands. Also, as cspan has already pointed out.... Nachbar, who was let go, outperformed everyone on Gundy's bench...COMBINED.
Was it really JVG's fault that we were in the lottery last season? You, Amel and Dada should start a fire Gundy site.
lets see...clearly outmatched by the Lakers...didnt he get us in the playoffs for the first time like in 5 years? second season - we got royally screwed by the horrible officiating but still did ok with the OLDEST team in the NBA this season - team's shooting % dropped from season average of 45% to around 40% in the series, right? Yao becomes a turnover machine on the road, which doesn't help. Boozer dominates the inside and D Will owns Rafer. End of story I dont care if he leaves, if we get a coach with defensive priorities as well. Just saying that all the hate is useless and somewhat wrong
I do not believe I have said anywhere I hate Gundy. I really don't hate the person. I even pointed out that I like how he prepares a team defensively (although he did not come thru in this regard this playoffs). I just pointed out a lot of really obvious shortcomings in his coaching style and the fact that he interferes so much in personnel decision. That would be ok if he produced some result. However, 4 years down the road, and we are where we started: First Round playoff exit. It just seems that he is a really bad fit on this team. Perhaps he can succeed somewhere else. If you are happy with Rockets just making the playoffs then he is not a bad choice. The thing is, I have my eyes set on that golden trophy that Duncan seems to be hogging every other year.
yes, I'm happy about the quick playoff exits! We DO NOT have the depth to compete for a ring yet. If anything, we were fooled with all the FA signing's CD did. Im more happy about him leaving than JVG to be honest. Also, you are right on about him interfering with personnel moves. He plays who he feels most comfortable with and that is not the right policy.
I don't enjoy saying these kinds of things but I told you so. Many months ago, halfway into the season, the Rockets had a great record while the Golden State Warriors had a sub-par record. I created a thread about my observations watching Don Nelson vs. JVG and it was responded to with scoffing and a 1-star rating. Months later? Well we know how everyone feels now. At least I can cheer for my local team!
ZBoy, for the record, my argument still rings true. Neither TMac or Yao payed like MVP's this series. During crunch time, the two whithered away. Hate JVG, Juwan and Rafer all you want. But we lost this series by 4 points and TMac flat out disappeared at the end of the game. Had TMac been playing like an MVP, we would have won the series. PERIOD.
