[Woj] Van Gundy is at the top of the Rockets’ list of candidates

Reeko I don't think there's to many coaches currently available that I would want to go battle with against the Spurs or Warriors outside of JVG or Thibs. JVG has got an incredible basketball mind and this team has some important pieces already in place to be dramatically better under him. JVG with Morey could potentially do something special with the addition of one or two more play makers.

 

The team that played the best ball of that entire JVG-Adelman era was the Sura-Wesley-Tmac-Howard-Yao team that gelled around mid-season during T-mac's first year (Jon Barry: "witness the machine!"). People complain about the blown series against Dallas... where they were severely hampered without Howard... but that Dallas team featured a prime Dirk, prime Finley, prime JET, pre-knuckle head Josh Howard... and they went on to lose in the Dwade finals the following year, and have one of the best records ever the year after (before being curb-stomped by Nelly and the Warriors).

The Rockets merely needed just a little bit more depth and experience... unfortunately injury, and eventually age, robbed them of that chance.

 

Interesting that Cyberx commented on this potential months ago, and the fact that JVG continues to publicly praise JBB. There def. seems to be smoke to a fire.

I do know that Morey & JVG have built a relationship through the years, and JVG has built a huge amount of respect for Morey that was destined to lead to this re-marriage potential.

JVG has said publicly on the Lowe Post podcast that coaching now he'd be different offensively, but he still believes in the process of how he'd conduct a professional atmosphere through a disciplined training camp & defensive principles instilled.

I like what I hear from that. I know that JVG can coach defense, but I know how he was offensively with the Rockets & Knicks prior. There was a reason why the Rockets fired him, and his teams weren't necessarily fun to watch even with two of the most talented offensive players in league history.

We can talk all we want about his offense but the fact is the Rockets, while fast paced, coach of the most elementary offensive systems... it just so happens to be fast paced, and involves a ton of threes. I don't think JVG can hurt us on that end any more than we already are. We wont be running Aldeman Princeton corner sets or anything, but we should still improve dramatically in turnovers & quality possessions even though the game might slow down a bit.

On defense though, I'd love to have JVG. He's proven to be the most competent on the market other than Thibs and when JVG commands discipline from his teams, he typically gets it.... that's more than you can ever say about any coach from the McHale regime.

I'd be more than fine with this hire.

 

Gotta admit this surprises me. I'll bet he has a different command/charge this time IF signed to be out in front with the media.

I wonder how well JVG can recruit the staff requisite to ensure best results???

 

That's a fair take.

 

I'm not in love with bringing JVG back, but I don't see any clearly better alternatives if Thibs goes to Minny (which it seems like he will). Not too high on Scott Brooks.

 

I'd agree with you if this team had a window to win a championship in the next 2 years but THAT WINDOW IS CLOSED. This team will lose more than 50% of its players at least next season and believe it or not we are rebuilding.


Don't give me this Durant crap. We need to rebuild while Harden is still young even though I don't think he's here in 3 years.

 

A big YES! to having JVG back. I didn't want him to leave the first time.

 

that's because under jvg the rockets didn't contest for offensive rebounds while they did under adelman & mchale.

 

Morey loves going backwards

 

YESSS I LOVE JVG!!!!

 

Nothing pisses me off more when half of the team is swiping at the ball after the rebound is secured while four other opposing players starting sprinting the floor. The likelihood of you catching a rebounder off guard and stealing an offensive rebound is greater than a team getting easy buckets when half your team doesn't want to get back on D.

JVG was a bit extreme back in the day, but in the modern NBA we could absolutely use more of this disciplined logic rather than the herky jerky gambling style of our defense now.

 

I understand some people might like Jeff Van Gundy and Tom Thibodeau because they are big names, but one dimensional defensive coaches rarely work with special talent.

If anything, the Rockets held onto Jeff Van Gundy for too long, I just do not think he meshes well with superstars and lacks the intangibles as a coach.

And although he might be a basketball enthusiast, who might have a lot knowledge about the x's and o's of the game, the spirit and rhythm of the team will probably be sacrificed for an overly textbook system. He probably will never understand why coaches like Phil Jackson were great, and understandably so, the simpletons explanation that he had Jordan and Kobe will often be the answer to that question by some people.

 

I have mixed emotions on JVG coming back. I would love to get his discipline back on the team and his defense. But his offenses were a thing only a mother could love.

I think he would be a huge upgrade over both JB and McHale. This Rockets team even minus Dwight has a lot more talent than the ones JVG coached. Having said that, JVG is huge on trust which is why he brought in so many over the hill retreads from old Knicks teams last time he was here.

I'm guessing he will get a lot of hate posts from people complaining he doesn't play this guy or that guy since he will not play someone he doesn't trust not to turn the ball over or not play defense. James Harden would be the exception to that rule.

 

I kept reading, thinking I would see critics putting forth some clear alternatives. Didn't happen lol.

 

Thibs could make the Wolves a playoff team

 

Who would have thought of Steve Kerr as a great coach prior to him coaching the Warriors? He certainly had a huge effect on that team.

 

1. New fans don't remember the JVG era
2. He's a fantastic TV commentator , therefore fans believe he will translate into a fantastic coach
3. He's better than McHale or JBB

 

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Jeff Van Gundy on JB Bickerstaff: &quot;I absolutely think he's done an incredible job.&quot; <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Rockets?src=hash">#Rockets</a> <a href="https://t.co/uLdMMwHvfD">pic.twitter.com/uLdMMwHvfD</a></p>&mdash; Mark Berman (@MarkBermanFox26) <a href="https://twitter.com/MarkBermanFox26/status/721414406379143169">April 16, 2016</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Jeff Van Gundy on <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Rockets?src=hash">#Rockets</a>/<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Warriors?src=hash">#Warriors</a>: &quot;Dwight Howard has to be great. You got Harden. He's a home-run hitter.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/EcZtWUtBWe">pic.twitter.com/EcZtWUtBWe</a></p>&mdash; Mark Berman (@MarkBermanFox26) <a href="https://twitter.com/MarkBermanFox26/status/721415442896592896">April 16, 2016</a></blockquote>
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JVG Era:



JVG with the Rockets again = George Karl with the Kings