As I said in the other thread, Rockets has been in "clearing up mistakes" mode. With Head and this years FAs, they are entering the "building a team" mode, but unfortunately made more mistakes along with way. Fortunately for the Rockets, aside from Tmac and Yao, there isn't too much at stake for mistakes.
I'm reluctant to give Van Gundy another chance. As long as T-Mac and Yao are healthy, the team will almost certainly have decent years -- and that would be true even if I were the coach. We could be fooled by these decent years into believing that JVG was competent, and before we knew it, the prime of Yao's and T-Mac's careers would be over. Our championship window would slam shut. There is plenty of evidence to suggest that JVG is not the coach who could bring us a championship. 1. We are already familiar with his inability to adapt to his players, instead of the other way around. Completing a puzzle is so much harder when you can only do it in one way. 2. He is also horrible at adjusting to the other team's tactics during a game. 3. He can't seem to evaluate talent, which is why he leans so heavily on players approved by the old master, Pat Riley. 4. And perhaps the biggest negative is that the truly good coaches like Phil Jackson have only contempt for JVG's predictable offensive schemes. As I said, as long as Yao and T-Mac are healthy, we would be reasonably successful no matter who we hired as coach. So there is not much risk to dumping JVG. The potential reward is that we would finally have a championship coach. So let's do it.
You are absolutely right that, I did not claim that JVG is the best coach. In fact we do not need the best coach to win in the league. All I tried to say was that, JVG was the best choice we had at the time we signed him, and he has been doing a good job so far. He makes mistakes, and he has weakness. It is a valid argument that other good coach could do a somewhat better job when Yao and T-Mac are out, like Carlisle did to Pacers. But you can name ANY coach, and I can easily point out his weakness. Looking at what he did, in all 3 years with Rockets, I have to say he did a very good job, and he does NOT deserve to be fired, because of this year. You are also absolutely right that, this team so far is only Yao and Tracy, and no one else, especially right after the big trade to land T-Mac. Indeed the role-players is the biggest problem for the Rockets right now and it is the main reason we have a bad season this year. However, you have to look at the problem in a historical perspective. As a coach or GM, you have to work on what you are given to begin with. Look at the roaster when he took over 3 years ago. Besides the first year Yao, who only showed a promising sign but nothing else substantial, the team was full of pieces of garbages, thanks to our lovely Rudy T (and partially CD of that time). We were really dead in the water at that time. Look at those players, Steve, Mo Taylor, Rice, Moochie, Malony, Cato, and such. I am so happy they are all history now, in a short 3 years. I have to thank JVG (and CD of today) for the job they have done. I whole heartly disagree with your accessment that JVG is a less flexible coach, and his bad-mouth on the players. First of all, what I have seen is that, he was quite flexible, and has been making changes all along. When he first landed T-Mac, his vision was to play Inside-out game. When it did not work, he gave the entire control to Tracy and for a period of time, Rockets solely depended on T-Mac's creativty to win. In my book, if a coach who stresses diciplanary approach is willing to do this, is not less-flexible. As for bad-mouthing on players, the best thing is to look at the player's reaction. As far as I know, they players very much respected his coach.
With those 3 we would have been on our 4th championship with statues of the Big Hippy erected everywhere in Houston.......because everything has a simple solution and even Shaq and Kobe won right away with no issues....
You have to remember that we had no tradable assets. Being able to move Mo Taylor and Moochie off the books for players with a lesser contract is terrific. How do you expect JVG to sign the players he/we want with no cap or tradable players? If you were a coach/gm would you like to trade for Moochie or Mo Taylor? Probably not. The guys JVG picked up are not great, but they were better than what we had before, and they were affordable. Some of us just expects too much as fans. The lack of dept on this team has to do with how Rudy drafted in his later years, as well as some of the players he signed. Im not saying that JVG is perfect, but some here have laid too much blame on the guy.
Props to you man. This is one of the wisest posts in this thread. You said everything that I wanted to say yet you express yourself much better.
Players being afraid to shoot, useless passes abundant, bad execution on picks and rolls, easily stopped by swarming defence, one dimensional offensive strategy, hot players taken out replaced with scrubs, dinosaurs like Rick Brunson roaming on the court paired with Flintstone Bowen, coach talking about defence, not shooting, being a problem when the team struggles to score 85 points a game, ripping Yao's D when Yao scored a huge bundle. The emphasis on offence isn't there, the philosophy isn't there, and the execution isn't there. We need a coach who is good on both ends of the court to win it all.
With T-Mac and Yao healthy, we would be a decent team even if we were handicapped by having you as the assistant coach. By the way, how about addressing my arguments instead of being snide? Do you actually have any answers?
Thanks. I just wanted to summarize my feelings and observations about JVG, which have been accumulating for a couple of years now.
I would love to but I can't.. not after this gem: "As long as T-Mac and Yao are healthy, the team will almost certainly have decent years -- and that would be true even if I were the coach." You did yourself in with that one. Get to making those game plans, big boy.
Nice job of taking it literally. If you cant make an educated guess of what he was implying, he shouldnt even bother replying to you. And yes he is correct. Any coach in the NBA will have a decent record with a healthy Yao and Tmac on the team. Question is, which coach can take them to championship? So far, JVG has proven he is inept for the task.
So thats how we're gonna do this now. Give the coach one season with Yao and T-Mac to make it work and it's either championship or bust for him. Or is that just how it should be done with JVG. I understand the guy rubs you the wrong way but lets be reasonable here.
as many qualms as i have with JVG, i do believe he is owed another year. it has been a difficult season for everyone, players, coaches, fans, etc. the injury situation has been a nightmare and i believe JVG is due time with a healthy group of players. however, if we don't get the job done next year. we will definitely need to make a change. i just wish JVG would stop ripping his players through media and make some changes in what he is doing.
