I can't stand this. This season has just been pure hell, far beyond our 28 and something season. At least the players lost with passion. JVG has got to go. He's not just costing this team wins -- he's costing it fans.
That's true. And George Karl and Del Harris both sound pretty good. I don't know how that will make the role players better though. Maybe they will have more freedom and will be able to make shots..
After watching that massacre last night I say Jeff Van Gundy is the worst rebounder, misses more open shots, makes more stupid turnovers and defends like a wet noodle more than any coach I've ever watched. If Jeff Van Gundy can't start rebounding like a warrior, hitting his shots and defending penetration then we need to fire him ASAP. Van Gundy is driving me crazy the way he throws stupid passes that lead to turnovers and he can't rebound at all. You would think as tall as Van Gundy is and all he would block out, get his big hands on the ball and pull down about 15 rebounds. I also don't understand how Van Gundy can call himself a power forward at times and rebound like a sissy. Fire the coach before this bunch of scrubs playing with TMac make him look like a player who quits and doesn't care.
When we were unable to get Larry Brown to come here (or botched it is another way of putting it), I had my concerns about who we would get. I tried and tried telling myself that despite my hatred for all things New York (especially the Yankees) that Gumby would work out okay. Now I know it was just me wanting a change with the coach (get riddy ruddy), regardless of who we got. The thing that disappoints me the most about Gumby is his refusal and insistence to make the players play his "style" of basketball. It is very painfully obvious that our players fit into 2 different categories: 1) They can't play the Gumby style or at least that well 2) They are "Gumby Guys" like Charlie Ward but yet they suck out the ass Maybe there is a 3rd category - just plain sucks which covers people like Juwan Howard and Mo Taylor. *sigh* It used to be so much fun to keep up with the Rockets but thanks to Gumby, I have found myself doing other things than keeping up with the Rockets. He has driven me away from being a diehard fan and now I am nothing more than a casual fan.
Tell me about it. I didn't even know exactly when the last two games started. Both times my wife had to tell me, "aren't you gonna watch the game?". And I was like "crap, the rockets are playing right now?" I watch the second quarter, but stop watching it by halftime and maybe switch over from time to time in the second half. Just so freakin frustrating and boring
cant really blame jeff for last night, hilarious post rhester. Manny, what does Yankee hating have to do with Van Gundy?
Yankees and Gumby are both associated with New York sports teams and I despise all NY sports teams as well as all LA sports teams. Yea, it is simplistic but that doesn't mean I hate fine NY, Led Zeppelin/Radiohead lovin' people like yourself, across.
You've got a point. But I ask...Where does it start? It starts witht the coaches who have obviously not taught Yao how to block out smaller players. It starts with the coaches that aren't looking for flaws in a players jumpshot. It starts with coaches running a fast break practice. None of these things are things that seem to be done. I haven't been to a Rockets practice, so I don't really know. You have to start with the technical before the tactical can work. I'd be willing to bet that some of the same problems are happening in practice as well. That said, I don't hate JVG. I think he is a great basketball coach. He simply is not the right fit for this team and it is time that he goes. The season is only going to get worse, especially with new players, before it gets better. I'm just not sure it is going to get better under JVG. That is the same reason Denver just fired their coach. There is no tangible improvement from last season and he lost the ears of the players. Sounds familiar, doesn't it?
Well said! It is costing them fans, according to them. I'll use myself as an example. I've been a season ticket holder for a few years now and I'm not planning on continuing next year. Why? Because JVG basketball is soooo boring to watch (and a few other Toyota Center related things as well). If I didn't have to stretch my budget already to go out and support my team then I probably wouldn't be doing this, but the sacrifice I'm forced to make is too great for such crap. That's where they lose fans, according to them. I'll always support this team and be a fan, it just won't be done from the Toyota Center next year. Pugs
I'm not crazy about JVG's people skills, negative style, but I can't believe after watching this team it isn't obvious to every fan that we have a very good 2 guard and a potentially good center and a bunch of scrubs. Red Arbauch, Phil Jackson, Rudy T, Larry Brown, Jerry Sloan, and Rick Carlisle combined couldn't be more than .500 without a PG, SF or PF on the roster.
Yeah right, whose fault? You don't believe CD solely made the decision, do you? JVG wanted those trades, CD made it happen. That is how I see it. It can't be more obvious that JVG wanted to get rid of Steve Francis, sign Ward and trade Boki (see front-page story Clutch wrote). CD's problem is he gave up tooo much in order to make those things happen. JVG got the players he wanted, he tried to let players buying into his system, he tired to send message to get players motivated, and he failed both. Trading JJ was the latest blunder he and CD made. Technically, we may not lose much on the court, but we lost huge off the court. Now Rox are full of old legs and disinterested players and we may see the losses like yesterday more often. Whose fault? Fire JVG! And take CD with you!
blame is easy- remember when we said Rudy had lost control of this team I wish we had signed Damon Jones and Mike James And I wish we didn't have Mo Taylor and Howard as our PF Charlie Ward is history as a player Sura and Barry are fair role players JJ would be nice for a few minutes off the bench We paid a high price for TMac We haven't drafted well besides Yao If that is on JVG fine he needs to pay If it is on Les or CD or Rudy or whoever fine but I don't expect another coach to improve what can't be fixed A bad team of bench players that neither TMac or Yao and TMac can carry past a .500 record. The worst thing JVG has done in my opinion is sign Ward and trade Boki- both were terrible decisions
Just wanted to requote this part from a Charley Rosen article: But there was a fatal weakness in Van Gundy's design -- Houston is 6-foot-6, 200 pounds; Sprewell is 6-5, 190. For 32 games (the 12 remaining in the regular season after Ewing's injury plus 20 in the postseason), the two comparatively lightweight players could absorb the punishment of playing one-on-one basketball. Every shot was taken under duress. Drives hoopward were challenged by the opponents ' biggies. Bang! Smack! Pow! For 32 games. However, extending that same game plan over an 82-game schedule (plus playoff contests) simply wore the edge off of Houston's and Sprewell's effectiveness. So, too, by legislating the passivity of the rest of the team, Van Gundy also dulled their competitive energies. Not only that, but defenses now knew exactly where the ball was bound. Still another problem that put the Nix behind the 8-ball was Van Gundy himself. While his peers gave him high marks for his team's stubborn defense and all-around hustle, he was derided for the simplicity of his offensive strategies. (An assessment that at least one of his players seconded.) NBA insiders likewise know Van Gundy to be arrogant, secretive and relentlessly manipulative. But he was so cute and pouty -- how could any self-respecting, underdog-loving New Yorker not cherish him? Another strike against Van Gundy concerns the very reason why he got and kept his job, i.e., by sucking up to Ewing, and then doing the same to Larry Johnson, both influential clubhouse presences. So why did Van Gundy quit so unexpectedly one Saturday morning last season when the team was 10-9? Mainly because Sprewell habitually responded with profanity whenever Van Gundy unholstered his brown nose and, during the Friday practice session before he quit, suggested that his coach perform a certain X-rated activity upon himself. http://espn.go.com/page2/s/rosen/021126.html
There are plenty. Role players in and out his doghouse like they are true dogs. Tell me why JVG put Boki in IR when he was obviously improving and hitting his shots? Why did he activate Ward and send Andre Barrett to IR when AB was doing good? Now Ward need surgery and AB is still in IR while he is totally healthy. Is that pathetic? And the timing of trading JJ couldn't be worse. We certainly played well against Clippers and players seemed find their rhythms. Suddenly JVG and Cd shocked them with JJ trade. Don't cry about how poorly Yao played last night and how badly he was out-rebounded. He was rebounding and aggressive before the trade happened. The whole team played like sh*t yesterday. It was obviously a hangover yesterday. Why can't you see that!
Because they've played that way on numerous occasions before the Jim Jackson trade. This team did lose to an expansion team twice in the span of one week with Jim Jackson in the lineup.
