I've been watching Van Gundy coach the last few years and in all fairness I think that he's a pretty good coach...that being said I think his substituting of players and his 8-9 man rotation sucks! I mean really, why recruit and sign a guy like Swift and then not start him? Why have Ryan Bowen on the active list and not Baxter? And someone please explain to me how Moochie Norris is still on the team? Van Gundy doesn't call timeouts enough nor does he get his guys on the bench enough PT unless he's forced to by foul trouble! And as for Yao, I can sum his problem up in 2 words...PATRICK EWING! Does anyone out there in Clutch Land feel my pain?
I think the team's horrible start has everything to do with horrible shooting. Starting Swift, kicking Moochie off the team and having Bowen inactive instead of Baxter are all meaningless to the teams W-L. Derek Anderson - 32.7% Jon Barry - 40.0% Rafer Alston - 30.0% Luther Head - 35.5% David Wesley - 28.1%
We feel your pain but things aren't as bad as you think. Why not start Swift? Because he isn't better than Howard (yet). The day will hopefully come when Swift stops playing like Goofy. Bowen is active because we need a body at backup SF sometimes. He also brings energy and defense to the court and tends to stir things up in a positive way. Baxter doesn't really belong on an NBA roster, as his prior 4 years prove. Last year, he played in just 4 games and scored 6 total points. On the Hornets. Moochie is on the team because his contract is guaranteed. Tell me which one we should have kept on the roster instead of Moochie: Vin Baker or Weatherspoon. Believe me, you don't won't Moochie off this team any more than I do! Trust me. Yao's problem isn't Patrick Ewing. I don't like Ewing either but Yao's main problem is Yao. His inconsistent effort from game to game drives most of us crazy. It's not on Ewing. OOOOOOOOOOOOUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Overall, I like JVG, but I don't think he is the best fit for Ming, never have. Neither is Ewing and, as far as I am concerned, he is simply another member of JVG's Old Knick's Retirement System (at the Rocket's expense). His style of play doesn't fit Ming at all. Ming has his problems, but I think he would benefit from another asst coach. Just a hunch, but Ming would probably excel under Phil Jackson and his system.
I would love to see Yao NOT running around the 3 point line, on defense OR offense. He is getting winded too much from all this running. The same happens when a guard runs up the floor and let's fly a long jumper, clanks it, and then it goes the other way. Yao needs his strength at the end of the game to fight for good position. When you're tired and winded, you don't have the strength that you had before you ran around the merry-go-round. If Yao is to set a pick, then he should pop or roll, and have a good chance of getting the freaking ball.
The I hate Van Gundy Club is dead, i personally filed all our paperwork for bankruptcy, and sold all the rights to Donald Trump, he says he's trying to make it into a made for TV movie, he's a lot nicer in person, the point being, stop hating, its over, we will win, we just gotta get thru some groing pains.
nah, it aint van gundy. we went through this last yr... apparently jvg isnt as bad as a coach as we thought.
mcgrady was tired after missing three games and playing 42 minutes the night before. That, coupled with Yao getting into foul trouble means the guards have to create their own shot more, resulting in bad shooting. Once tmac gets in swing and swift steps it up so yao doesn't get in foul trouble all the time our shooters will start draining some buckets and we'll be tough to beat. We are not going 6-11 before we turn it around this year.
It is a good team with good role players, two good superstars, and a good coach. It is however, not a great team with great role players, two great superstars, nor a great coach.
I have to agree with TECH. Running Yao out to the 3 point line to set pics every two seconds is just dumb. They have to figure out a new offense. His energy is being wasted. Were not the only ones to notice this.
Only problem I have with Van Gundy is that it seems the Rockets seem to play better and more focused in the more difficult games and then play horribly with lesser teams. We had the same problem last year, and although it is early, I still see signs of it happening again this year. Other than that, I like the job Van Gundy has done, the players just need to step it up.
It's just one thing. It's our superstar player (Tracy Mcgrady) not being healthy enough to play 3 out of the 6 games.
jazz don't have kirilenko or boozer against the knicks. the way the game is going jazz cannot lose this. it's scrubs and rookies schooling all stars.
Actually it was a problem last year that JVG would call too many of his timeouts and not have any left at the end he also had this problem in Francis' last year.
Everybody says it is alright, the same thing happened last year. Well that is not true exactly. We got off to a bad start until Sura, Wesley and James came in, then we took off. So it was a player upgrade not exactly JVG's coaching ability that changed. JVG is a geat 'D' coach and a poor 'O' coach. He would be great as an ass't to a great 'O' coach. This is JVG's hand-picked team now, and the lack of offense is pretty obvious, but we still have a good defense.
Kind of funny everyone's intial reaction (including mine) was that we got a complete steal for Derek Anderson at the league minimum. Well as the old saying goes: you get what you pay for and thus far Anderson's contributions have been just that, minumum.
Shooting comes with being comfortable in your role.....only Yao and Tracy are comfortable....give em some time... DD
