What do you like better? Van Gundy had that almost default offensive scheme, give your star (tmac/yao) the ball and let's see what he can do with it. As a result, our starting lineup and rotation wasn't stacked with plenty good players, but one or two very good ones. Also why we had no young studs develop, and didn't go that extra step in the season and playoffs, we had no depth, and could only go so far. And of course, injuries. We never had a capable backup, unlike now where every backup (except pf) could be/has been a decent starter. While offense was not a focus, his defensive schemes were brilliant, and gave us that defensive identity we've now lost. Rick on the other hand, is an offensive specialist. No one option, no double teams. You double Yao, we can kick it out to EITHER the NBAs leading three point shooter, or our SG who holds one of the best FG% in the league, and of course Battier in the corner. OR, Scola slashing baseline or down the middle. OPTIONS. While we lack that go to guy, I almost think we don't NEED one. Now if we can get Carmelo (there is that word again) I'm ALL for it, but we do not need. Which leads me to saying that I prefer the one for all, all for one Adelman system. I also think the players we have now would not play good under the JVG system, because they wouldn't PLAY! We probably would not have some if our young players right now. With all that said, who did you like better, JVG or Adelman?
J V G !! If he would have had a team with as much offensive players as this one, he would have had more success.
I'm more interested in the question whether it is even possible to combine the offensive Adelman schemes with the defensive JVG schemes, or if it is not humanly possible for players to play with that much focus on both offense and defense.
I'm going with Rick on this one. While I loved JVG and admired the defensive tenacity of his teams, he ran a brutally ugly offensive shceme. Furthermore, Jeff put a premium in his system for veterans. Guys like Brooks, Budinger, and Landry would have had a hard time getting minutes. Lowry bleeds defense, and Jeff would have found a way to play him (if he hadn't thrown a fit and blocked the Rafer-Lowry trade). Still we stacked the teams with so many crappy over-the-hill players for the Van Gundy Regime. True, those were also made on the CD watch, but they were mostly tailor-made for the Van Gundy scheme. Rick seems more adaptable in his approach. He seems to get the most out of his players offensively, and had an underrated defensive squad. Last year was pretty bad defensively, but c'mon we were playing without Yao. I expect them to be a top 10 defensive squad this season while also being a top 10 offensive team. He's also doing this with a nice mix of young players and experienced veterans. I love that was have Battier, Chuck, Scola, and Yao to bring heady veteran play while developing young talent like Lowry, Brooks, Budinger, Hill, and Patterson. Rick's coaching style fits in so much better with Morey. DM excels at finding these rough gems in the draft and making the deal for a lesser known player who blossoms into the superior talent. I'm not so sure JVG would have developed Morey's finds into his system. Rick will modify the system to accomodate these players.
JVG's defensive scheme would not afford Adelman's offense. It required perimeter players ready for running back to play transition defense, thus minimizing easy baskets for the opponent. When you do that, you have to park your shooters out at the arc thereby killing movement without the ball.
Put it this way, when Yao and Tmac missed a lot of games JVG led his team to a 34-48 record, with Yao and TMac out last year, Rick Adelman led them to a 42-40 record. Rick Adelman all the way, he coaches balance. JVG is too defensively oriented, and offensively challenged for my tastes. DD
True, Rick was without them all year, where JVG had them both for significant portions of the season. DD
Why do y'all think Carmelo is interested in Houston? The chance to be the featured guy in an Adelman offense, what star wouldn't want that?
Problem is, Rick offense is based on Princeton offense not give the ball and ISO. Something Melo has been doing the last few years.
