Interesting, was that blockbuster T-Mac trade really just a lateral move for the Rockets afterall?!? In terms of progress towards winning a title, you'd have to say yes at this point...
He has to be talking about Eddie Griffin, Steve Francis and Bonzi Wells all just failing to show up for practices and such under Van Gundy's tenure. I have to admit, having three different players who fail to show up for you? Ouch.
Yeah and they have all done so well since then.... You honestly think it was that unusual? Vernon Maxwell quit on Rudy. Thomas Hamilton called him a punkass b**** in front of the team and stopped showing up, blah blah blah, etc, etc. ANd their careers then went the same way. Players who quit on teams (save maybe Latrell Sprewell, ironically enough) genreally have one way to go.
Best Post IMO. JM2cents, As much as I liked VG, this team needs a new philosophy, a new mind set. The all defensive team is a thing of the past now. VG made some dumb moves with his tenure here, including draft selections in multiple drafts. This was the bed he made. I don't want to start judging VG now for all the dumb **** he did, like including a draft pick in the Glen Rice trade, M.James trade(s) and etc., but he had his chance to do something, as McGrady has had, and we're still where we left off with Francis. This team needs a serious overhaul and a coach who's not afraid to let players, even rookies make mistakes during the regular season so your not stuck with a 6 or 7 man rotation in the post season. We need athletecism and players who can at least get their own shot off. I don't recall a more meaningless offense on a Rockets team than now. It was almost painful to watch sometimes. I remember Yao taking around 6 fadeaways in game 7 fading to his right, missing all of them. I couldn't believe what I was seeing, and VG didn't even get on him for such dumb shots. And BTW, if we traded TMac for Redd, I wouldn't lose any sleep. McGrady had several oppotunities to win games in the series and he simply bailed on driving to the basket or creating something meaningful for another player. His shooting is awlful and his back isn't far behind. You couldn't have asked for a better scenario than at home for game seven. VG knew his job was on the line along with that series if he blew it.
It amazes me how much of a moron Richard Justice is, that article, like the rest of his stuff, is unreadable and assanine, he really doesn't know a damn thing about basketball or anything else. He just writes a bunch of BS to make him think he is important. JVG has the Houston media fooled with his witty little comments, even though he is an average coach. They should put some of the posters from the BBS in the Chronic, it would be better than Justice's worthless drivel.
The Rockets did not need Battier.We already had a Small forward.We needed a shooting guard in the offseason. Instead we got another small forward (and tried to make him into a power forward) in exchange for a power forward/center and a young athletic swingman. I dont know if that move was made for JVG or if that same move would have been made even if JVG was not our coach.For all that Battier brings Im left wondering is that all he is capable of.......maybe Adelman can get more out of him than JVg can.
Well what we got supposedly was a bunch of shooters to be able to nail the three. Well we got that. Live and die by the three.
I'll take Adelmen with J. Lucas and M. Elie (if he does not get a head coaching gig elsewhere)... That would work for me.
You can take that to the bank, absolutely the case. Ray Charles could see the lack of talent on this team. What amazes me is how many can't. Same problem from two seasons ago, ten seasons ago. In the interim? Loads of stupid drafts, stupid trades, and stupid contracts. Stupid doesn't create progress. Morey saying this is a 60 win team is delusional. This team has a big problem and it must be at the top. The Rockets need more than a new coach, they need new management, perhaps, a new owner. There is a reason some teams go nowhere. Just because someone is good in one business doesn't make them good in another.
I've been thinking about this for awhile. Thought about starting a separate thread but it looks like the board is gomming up with coaching threads. I'd like to know if anybody else has considered that maybe the delay in the decision making process is specifically because of the playoffs and the clash of styles on display in the playoffs? Van Gundy is a notorious control the pace and execute in the halfcourt type coach, not given to wild fluries and swings of the ball up and down the court with players taking risks and jacking up quick shots. We know he favors brains over athleticism and execution over flair, and precise player movement over free flow. When you look at the past NBA champions, Van Gundy's style fits right in. From the Heat to the Spurs to the Pistons to the Lakers before rthem, all of them were controlled pace half court executing teams with fast breaks limited to steals and long rebounds where there was a man advantage, maybe 4 or less fast break possessions per game. Every year for the last umpteem years, we have heard about how the the league is moving to a more uptempo style with more speed and fast breaking style. And every year the championship is won by the team that plays very good defense adn executes in the half court offense, while all the run and gunners flame out in the playoffs. So, the rumor is Les is tired of the stodgy half court booooooring style and wants to emulate Phoenix, Toronto, and Golden State. And we pretty much know Van Gundy's philosophy. Could there be a battle of philosophy going on here that both sides are staring at the playoffs and the Finals for validation of their ideas?????? I have to believe that Van Gundy is pushing for more input on player personnel, trades, and use of draft picks, of which some of his input has been taken away from him the past year or so. And I have to believe that the FO has lost a little bit of confidence in his ability to develop the talent they give him and they are concerned about him wanting more and more control to pick his players and play his "old style" game. My thought is there may be some connection between what goes down in these Finals and what goes down for the Rox. I think our FO, owner, and coaching staff are in a very precarious position. Les isn't a basketball guy. CD is retiring and Les has brought in this MIT brainiac, who never played the game, and is a number crunching statistician. They are trying to figure out how or even whether they want to align themselves with a strong willed, very smart, strong minded head coach who demands things be done his way or whether they want to move in another direction and get a coach who will play along with what they want to do. There is no longer the hand in glove fit that CD and Rudy T were during the championship years. It's all new parts and there has already been trouble with the coach and the GM fitting together properly when CD was still here, witness VSpan. Last offseason they talked to Van Gundy about being more positive and not running down the talent to the media. He had to give in on that one. He's had to give in to some degree on personnel decsisions, even though the Battier trade had his fingerprints all over it. I happen to believe that was one move that him and CD agreed on and that CD would have made regardless of if Van Gundy was the coach. I think CD coveted Battier as much as Van Gundy. So, they came to a mutual agreement. But Spanoulis was clearly a CD move in an attempt to move this team a little more in the uptempo direction without destroying the halfcourt game and Van Gundy was clearly against it. So, both sides may be viewing the Finals with an eye towards what they want/feel is the future of the league and consequently what is the future of the Rox. Van Gundy viewing the Finals that if the Spurs or Jazz either one wind up playing the Pistons, then he is validated in his views of the game coming down to halfcourt execution and defense. While Les could be pointing to a Phoenix breakthrough as evidence that Van Gundy's stodgy style is out of date??? Could we be waiting for the Finals to determine the future of this club????
I don't think so. Both sides have an idea of what they want, and that is the case irrespective of what will happen in the finals.
