https://www.houstonchronicle.com/te...an-Gundy-views-James-Harden-Mike-15995272.php There had been a time that Jeff Van Gundy considered being part of the story he will tell on Wednesday. The way things are going, he might be more comfortable in his familiar position as observer. The former Rockets coach was a candidate to be the current Houston coach before the Rockets went with Stephen Silas, a decision Van Gundy praised on Tuesday. But Van Gundy will be in Toyota Center on Wednesday, the first mid-week game he has been on site to broadcast for ESPN this season, for James Harden’s return to play the Rockets with the Brooklyn Nets. Van Gundy made it clear, he will put attention not on how Harden left, but on his years with the Rockets and the four seasons he and Mike D’Antoni — now a Nets assistant — had together. “In all aspects of relationships, we focus in on the last part versus the entirety of the relationship,” Van Gundy, who will call the game with Mark Jones, said. “There’s nothing anybody can categorize Harden’s time in Houston as anything but incredibly successful. The whole idea of, ‘Yeah, but they didn’t make the Finals or win the championship,’ all I know is they were knocking on the door. Pat Riley used to say this often when he used to talk about the Mavericks when he was coaching the Showtime Lakers, sometimes you’re just put together at the wrong time. The Rockets were clearly the second-best team of that time period. They were just in the same conference of an all-time, all-time great team.” The Rockets’ losses to the Golden State Warriors were followed by last season’s to another eventual champion, the Los Angeles Lakers. “I think the under talked about part of this is Mike coming back, as well. To me, I always think of the Rockets and that era as not just Harden, but Harden and Mike and what they were able to accomplish together. I hope as much as everybody celebrates Harden’s greatness, which is so very apparent on a night to night basis, I hope people take time out to think about how much Mike had to do with their success because he really had a remarkable run in Houston.” D’Antoni stepped down after the loss to the Lakers. Harden and Russell Westbrook requested trades. The Rockets, after initial success following the Harden trade, have been hit with injuries and slumped in a 12-game losing streak. The Nets have won nine of their past 10 games, and Harden was named the Eastern Conference player of the month for February. “Harden’s playing great,” Van Gundy said. “Even down (Kevin) Durant, they have such a good team because they’re so explosive offensively. “I think the Rockets are going to play really well. As much as Brooklyn brings in this juggernaut of an offense, there’s a chance for Rockets players to reset and re-energize and get excited. I think it’s going to be a fun game. I think they’ll play hard. It’s just can they score enough to keep up with Brooklyn.” Van Gundy said the upheaval of the two trades and “an awful injury” to Christian Wood combined with the compressed schedule that allows little practice time led to the struggles. “The fixing things is the hard part. You’re trying to do it in a 45-minute shootaround. I think it’s the accumulation of it all. It’s so painful to lose this many games in a row.” The Rockets coach from 2003-04 to 2006-07, going 182-146, Van Gundy has been the lead analyst for ESPN and ABC games since. He has been a USA Basketball Men’s National team coach in recent seasons but said he does not think about the Rockets job he was a candidate to land. “It’s a great job,” Van Gundy said. “It’s a particularly great job for Stephen. What they have to do right now is understand where they’re at. Right now is when you show who you are as an ownership group and management. You keep the high standards, but you support, support, support both your coaches and players because they have to live it every day. “Anybody can be there when it’s going well. How do you combine setting standards with understanding sometimes you get great effort but not the results? They’re going through a hard time right now but it’s somewhat predictable when you have a major injury like they had with Wood and those two major trades. And when you look at the Rockets, you never know who is playing.” Much of the spotlight on Wednesday, however, will be on the former Rockets player that will be back with a former Rockets coach making the short drive from his Houston home to describe it.
strange this game I had anticipated as double digit dogs. Rockets are +9 tonight. Vegas you are so clever
To be fair... Utah is in first place right now in the West playing team ball. Spurs and Warriors have multiple championships playing team ball with a ton of off-ball movement. Unless you’re a super team with stars, team ball is the best chance you have to win a title.
The Rockets haven't been healthy among it's top like 7-8 players all year...maybe outside of a game or two lol... I really don't understand this excuse.
It’s not odd because there is none of it. There was more of it last year. Even stats show there is less
Oh I agree, so I'm confused by all the "This is what people wanted!" calls and mocking how ball movement is all you need. They aren't moving the ball, that's the issue. This is what no one wanted.
Ball movement and lack of talent. If you’re talent level is cow manure then it’s not going the matter. This offseason they need to get Wood real help
Please Rockets don't let the Harden only fans poison the forum tonight..... Win by 13!!! "Break these boys off I'ma twenty inch crawler Bust a left, a right, I'm outta sight, I'm throwed"
It's disingenuous to mention opponents' DNPs during the streak but not Houston's. But hey.. gotta make your point sound good, right? Comparing Wood to LeBron is a silly attempt to discredit his play. But guess what.. he was playing like an All-Star and would've been Harden's 2nd or 3rd best teammate here.. you know, unlike all those bad teammates you never fail to mention Harden having. The Rockets weren't just beating those bad/injured teams, they were blowing fools out.
Did the other teams completely fall off a cliff and go on some 12 game losing streak losing by 20 every night when they were missing multiple starters due to injury or Covid protocols earlier in the season? No? Then that’s why I don’t mention them.
Those other teams who didn't "completely fall off a cliff" got blasted by the Rockets during the streak. There isn't another team in the league who's missed their best player for an extended stretch. It's disingenuous to use facts in one direction while denying the opposite.
Did they get blasted for 12 games straight? They can’t even manage to be competitive right now no matter who they face. Even a team like Cleveland handles them with ease. Losing by 50 to Memphis? All because of no Christian Wood?
I’m trying to place my first bet ever. I want to bet heavy on the rockets tonight. The rockets can improve to 1-12 in their last 13 games againist number 13 harden. Houston equals 112 in gematria, and deshaun Watson Texans qb was selected with 12th pick of the first round by the Texans. Or round 1-pick 12. Hurricane Harvey also equals 112. The first pitcher the astros faced coming back from the hurricane played for New York and had the last name Harvey. this game is also on a huge 3/3 date numerology. I want to bet rockets tonight but don’t know how
On what planet are 5-point games mid-late 4th quarter and losses by <11 points equalling getting blasted? That's what half the games have been during the losing streak. The Rockets have not been blasted for 12 straight games and is another disingenuous argument. You wanna compare Houston to other teams, then start by answering this question. What other team has missed its best player for an extended stretch?
