http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/5261548?CMP=OTC-K9B140813162&ATT=73 Slowing it down in Houston For sure, the injuries to Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady have devastated the Rockets' season. But even when Yao and T-Mac were healthy, Jeff Van Gundy's game plan was skewed to promulgate the view that he was a better coach that he actually is. Part of JVG's modus operandi is to deliberately play station-to-station basketball. This allows Van Gundy to call every play while hopping up and down along the sideline and gesticulating for all to see. (Several of his peers complain that, when the Rockets are engaged in sideline trap situations, Van Gundy steps over the sidelines, wildly waves his arms, and thereby impersonates a sixth defender.) It's also interesting to note that most of the NBA's elite coaches (Gregg Popovich, Jerry Sloan, et al) spend most of their game time seated on their respective benches. Now, playing grind-it-out basketball is certainly an acceptable practice. It prevents blowouts and serves to keep inferior teams within striking distance of superior teams that might otherwise run away with a game. By reducing the number of Houston's field-goal attempts, the Rockets' opponents are generally obliged to follow suit. And the low scores that result can be used as "proof" that the Rockets are playing magnificent defense. Van Gundy is not alone in this. Mike Fratello, for example, used the same strategy in Cleveland. Slow-down basketball and good defense are not mutually exclusive, but the one doesn't necessarily lead to the other.
The second I read that I knew who the author was: Charley Rosen. I don't know if Rosen owns stock in Diet Pepsi or what, but he hates Van Gundy with a passion.
i havent read that before thanks. i know sometimes when your a coach you need to yell some to get a point across. but im not sure i would enjoy someone yelling at me a good portion of a game. im thinking i would start trying to ignore it some to concentrate on the game more. i think he needs to do a little more coaching at practice and less during the game. except during timeouts and halftime where you should make adjustments when the tide is turning.
he makes good points though. I didn't appreciate JVG's schemes. They aren't fullproof. Look at what Kobe did to us. Good passing with a good spot up shooter and he took us to the cleaners. Look at Raef LaFrentz and his effin career high against us. We're usually too busy sending 2-3 guys at one guy we leave one guy open. If he hits his shots then we're done for.
LOL!!! I love the diet pepsi/coke reference (Gundy always drinks a diet coke durring games). Classic.
Maybe Rosen is a rockets fan and he wants the best for rockets which is in his opinion... a different coach.
Rosen seems to have some personal agenda against Van Gundy and to a lesser degree - the Rockets. I agree this is not fullproof.
I doubt Rosen gives a damn about the Rockets, he has an agenda against JVG, if Jeff was coaching elsewhere he would have written the same article.
LMAO! It took me a second there, but then I realized that JVG is a diet coke addict. Classic material, no doubt!
