Is judgment coachable?

**Will** · 02-01-2002, 08:02 AM

I think this is the implicit question behind some of the recent threads about Francis and Mobley. Rudy, at least in his post-Hakeem incarnation, prefers attitude to judgment. Look at his personnel decisions: Mobley, Francis, Moochie, KT. We tear our hair out over their bad decisions. Rudy smiles with joy at their go-for-it attitude.

Remember what Rudy has said about being unable to coach motivation. Now here's the question for the next five years: Can he coach judgment? Can he take five young guys who have the right motivation and get them to make the decisions -- in terms of clock usage, passing, and shot selection -- that will get them deep into the playoffs? We're in Mobley's fourth year and Francis' third. Are they still learning, or have they hit the limits of their attitude/aptitude (not just brains, but patience and selflessness) for making good decisions?

giddyup · 02-01-2002, 08:05 AM

It had better be! Certainly I think it is, but the questions remain: A) Is Rudy enough of a teacher to get it across and B) Is Rudy enough of a disciplinarian to enforce demands.

leebigez · 02-01-2002, 08:16 AM

I think Rudy may have hit his wall. I think he should move upstairs and bring in calvin murphy. I think with his energy and observations from being an analyst, he could have this team playing better basketball. Thats just my opinion and i didn't say it would happen, but i think he could bring to the Rockets what Doc Rivers brought to the Magic. A motion typed sharing offense and a up and down the court type of team which this team is built for.

ROXTXIA · 02-01-2002, 10:16 AM

Are we sure that Rudy isn't tanking? Because, if he's not, he's a bad coach, almost as dumb as our "dribble-dribble-dribble-turnover playground-hoops" guards. I love Steve, Cat, and Mooch (specifically, I'd love for them to smarten up) but enough is enough.

I'm beginning to believe that RT puts too much stock in the game-winning shot scenario. Remember drafting Bryce F***ing Drew because he hit a game-winner in the NCAA Tournament?

Methinks we're getting more "oh-sh**" lately than "kapaya", eh, Rudy?

**Jeff** · 02-01-2002, 10:25 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by leebigez
I think Rudy may have hit his wall. I think he should move upstairs and bring in calvin murphy. I think with his energy and observations from being an analyst, he could have this team playing better basketball. Thats just my opinion and i didn't say it would happen, but i think he could bring to the Rockets what Doc Rivers brought to the Magic. A motion typed sharing offense and a up and down the court type of team which this team is built for.

With all due respect to one of my all time favorites, are you serious about Calvin Murphy??? Don't you think there's a reason no one is banging down his door to coach?

If you don't like Rudy, that's fine, but at least be realistic when it comes to a replacement.

JayZ750 · 02-01-2002, 10:44 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by ROXTXIA
Are we sure that Rudy isn't tanking? Because, if he's not, he's a bad coach, almost as dumb as our "dribble-dribble-dribble-turnover playground-hoops" guards. I love Steve, Cat, and Mooch (specifically, I'd love for them to smarten up) but enough is enough.

I couldnt disagree more. Most people on this board dont appreciate how hard it is to coach an NBA team that is both young, and constantly injured. Slowly, but more and more often, I see more designed plays (instead of just the same high PNR) and less dribbling. Sure, it still happens, but that is how some of our players play.

I challenge anybody to seriously sit down and follow a team on League Pass consistently. Take the Celtics. They have even more of a one-on0one attack then the Rockets. Heck, the Mavs didnt do any amazing playcalling last night. They just have more developed talent, a little bit more experienced team, are deeper and have been healthier overall. The Mavs plays last night consisted of a high PNR (that lead into some kind of shot or drive and kick in the lane) or a post-up (with either Nowitski or Howard). That's it...that's all they ran all night. Then you throw in a fast break or two, and all of a sudden Don Nelson is coach of the year. It is EXACTLY what Rudy is doing, but a variety of problems this year have kept it from being successful, least of which, in my opinion, is bad coaching.

Does the team have some things to work on? Hell yes.

But at the top of that list, imo, is DEFENSE, not offense, but you barely ever see a thread specifically about that...they are all about offense/turnovers/dribble dribble, etc.

Of course, they also need to work on their fast break game and find another post-up threat (if you can consider KT one), both of which would take less pressure of Steve/Mobley as being the only offensive threats.

And, they just need more experience. That is plainly obvious from all their losses under 6 points. Take away that ass-whooping by the Lakers, and they have been in every game for the past month and a half or so. It is remarkable. The reason they lose, though, is because they rarely have games where they doing everything right the whole time. One day it will just be piss poor shooting, another game they will have too many turnovers or let the other team get too many offensive rebounds.

Give the team time and experience and they will learn how to win and get better. Then, everyone will think the players are having much better judgement.

A-Train · 02-01-2002, 11:40 AM

Calvin Murphy has been offerred coaching positions in the NBA, but he's turned them down, because his heart and soul is with this organization. Besides, why would Calvin WANT to give up one of the sweetest gigs ever? The only way the Rockets could get him on the bench is with a LOT of money...

DaDakota · 02-01-2002, 11:46 AM

Will to get back to your topic at hand, yes judgement is coachable, and is generally learned by experience.

One day this team will play a very team oriented game and will beat someone they are not supposed to, and Rudy will say.."See, I told you guys if you played as a team, you could beat anyone" then it will really start to sink in.

Hakeem & Jordan both had this problem of not trusting their teamates, and tried to do too much on their own. Sure, you have great individual stats, but overall the team suffers and you don't reach the ultimate goal.

The best thing Rudy did when he took over as coach of the Rocket was get Hakeem to trust his teamates, and he is working on that with this current cast of Rockets on a daily basis.

For some players it takes a long time to learn this, some never do, but once they do learn...(like the Mavericks) the team will take off.

It will be frustrating to watch while they take their lumps, but that just makes the fruition that much more fun to watch.

DaDakota

leebigez · 02-01-2002, 06:21 PM

Jeff- Its not like I don't like him, but I'm tired of the coaching retreads. How many people was beating down Byron Scotts door? Doc Rivers? Look how long it took for Juhon Lucas to get back as a head coach. A lot of teams would rather have a coach with experience as opposed to a new one without. Calvin would want to coach the only team he's ever rooted for and no one else probably. Look at Kareem. He has to go coach a minor league team and once coached a indian reservation team. This is one of the greatest players ever who had wanted to get back in coaching.

I'm not saying that he would take it, but it would be nice if he was offered it by say Rudy if he felt it was time to move up the chain. I'm getting tired of seeing the Dell Harris's of the nba. They keep recycling these coaches and they keep getting fired. I like the new blood and point of view of Doc ,Isiah, and Silas types. Just think until Dave Cowens proved he was a horrible coach did Charlotte decide to give Silas a chance to coach.