As much as I think that Dawson has done a great job getting the players we have gotten, I don't think many are looking to why players are wanting to come here. T-Mac has been a hell of a recruiter. Some might say that he has been THE main reason. Maybe. But what has been T-Macs main recruiting tool? The coach. Jeff Van Gundy has been to me THE main reason why players want to play in Houston. Yes, we have the talent. Sure many players will look at the nucleus and drool. Ok, maybe the whole income tax situation can be a factor. Sure a new arena helps. The tity bars? Ok. I can buy that also. But THE main factor is Van Gundy. Gundy had the reputation from all of his formers players as being a coach that they would go to war with. His rep in the league was already established in NY before coming to Houston. Many on the BBS doubted. But he has showed in the last couple of years that his way of coaching not only works, but players love it. And that is what T-Mac tells ALL who want to come over to play for the Rocks. He talks about the coach. T-Mac described coach Jeff Van Gundy as "a hell of a coach, the best I've had in my career" and couldn't get specific about the best JVG moment last season."There are so many, but just to get that guy to put a smile on his face is just for a moment for me," said T-Mac laughing. "He's so tough to please man. I've never been around a coach that is so competitive and so dedicated to his work. It's unbelievable. He's amazing. I love him, just love him." Remember that? Remember the same being said about Rudy T. when he was here? Players say the same about Bobby Cox in baseball and Bill Parcells in football. You think Duke gets the great players years after year without the coach? Some coaches just have the rep. Gundy has that rep. And when we win that first ring, it will only enhance it. Sure, I have a mancrush on Gundy. He is my boy. Love him love him! But lets face facts. A coach being a great coach and having THE great player on the team vouching for him is better than just about anything. Dawson deserves credit. T-Mac deserves more. Gundy is THE main reason.
Could have posted this here: http://bbs.clutchfans.net/showthread.php?t=100857 Also, descriptive thread titles are cool (same would have been nice for that thread). Also, credit... there is a number of factors which play a role when a player chooses a new team, money of course being the most important one. I think most players' top reasons to choose a team would be this: - money - chance at getting a lot of minutes/prominent role on the team - chance at winning a championship - city Whoever the coach is or how much the GM tries to sweet-talk them comes later.
Thank Yao for getting us Tmac. In all seriousness, I think other players like the fact that Yao isn't a cocky, selfish, SOB.
Uh, some players didn't love it. You know, the guy who was. . . ahem. . . a Superbowl fan. . . Good point. Yao was THE reason we got JVG in the first place. And THE reason we got McGrady. And now he is one of the reasons we got all these free agents. And CD/Rudy was THE reason we got Yao. So Almu, you are only partly right.
Him calling out the refs was still one of the most impressive things I've ever seen from a coach. If you still don't think there wasn't something there, look at the league's response.
I think you went a bit too far there. Getting Yao was just pure luck and you have to give SF some credit for that! However, CD and Rudy did spend a lot of time negotiating with Chinese authority to free Yao from his chinese contract so we were able to draft him.
I will admit my very first post on this board was that van gundy needed to go and that we needed phil jackson, but I will say this, I have warmed to van gundy, and his ability to motivate this team. I will eat my crow.
You are exactly right about Van Gundy. Don't think that that $100,000 fine for the way he defended Yao to the league wasn't an extension of the way he expects all and he gives all. When your coach demands nothing less than all you can give and he gives the same and then backs it up by laying it all down for you. Well... they love him. First of all he laughs only at himself. Second he don't put up with bull, but he holds himself to the same standard. Third he wants to win a championship so bad the players can smell it. Fourth he is starting to bleed Rocket Red and that means he loves Houston and this franchise and I believe he will put it all on the line to bring us a ring. That's what I want, 2-3 championships. Plus he is a very good X-O coach and game coach. I just don't like any NY arrogance- that he can leave out. But the rest I am really starting to love.
Well didnt Swifts agent say they had higher offers else where? And the same goes with Derrick Anderson. I think its a little unfair to say that money is the most important thing to ALL of the players. Sure it does play a major factor, but some of these guys want to win and thats the most important thing to them.
Are you kidding me... I've got 8 syllables for you. Yao Ming and Tracy Mcgrady. That is why they are coming here and we all know it.
Believe it or not, Shaq might have been our best recruiter. What he did in Miami last season, and what Kobe didn't do in LA, proved to everyone all over again that this is still a big man's game. So unlike last year when people went mostly for the money, this year's free agents who wanted to win looked around the league for a team with a good center. As one of those teams, we were a hot destination.
Whoa, there, Almu. I know I've joked about having JVG's baby, but dude, you look like you're carrying twins.
Remember last season when we kept hearing about how Tracy coming on board had made Houston such an attractive place for free agents? And then how when the best we could do in free ageny was Bob Sura and Charlie Ward, people were openly wondering whether that was all just a bunch of BS? You know, because we had been turned down by Brent Barry? And Derek Fisher? And Troy Hudson? Now we're starting to see what all those agents were talking about.
Well, if Gundy doesn't get the most credit, then I say we are wrong for thinking Rudy T. had the same effect. I always thought Rudy T was the main reason players came here. But I guess I could be wrong on both counts.
great post almu. i initially wanted larry brown when rudy "stepped down" but was satisfied with jvg above the rest of the candidates. now i would take him easily over any coach in the league. i have a ton of confidence in how he runs the team and the way guys like t-mac and barry talk about him sure helps that confidence. hiring van gundy could turn out to be one of the best moves les ever made.
I will never want a guy like Larry Brown to coach the Rockets. He's a great coach but way too unstable for want to win a championship. He picked New York to start over as a coach just make me so happy we did not get him. JVG is great and we can rely on him to prepare the guys for a championship run now that we have the pieces. No point to argue who deserve more credit, (CD, JVG, Yao, TMac, Rockets, Francis) they all deserve some credits. I say the fans like us deserve some credit, our support make all of these possible. Remember in TMac press conference, he was so moved by the fans. I think Swift felt the same way and Derek Anderson too. I remember Yao said one time when he was down, some old lady pat him on the back and said "the fans are here for you", Yao said to himself, "I will play my ass off for these fans."
Yup...you mean this one... http://bbs.clutchfans.net/showthread.php?t=87744&highlight=fire+gundy or this one... http://bbs.clutchfans.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=89422 or better yet how about this one... http://bbs.clutchfans.net/showthread.php?t=87787&highlight=fire+gundy of course after the halfway point we all realized how juvenille we were acting... http://bbs.clutchfans.net/showthread.php?t=91458&highlight=fire+gundy I could go on....LOL its freakin' hilarious going back and reading some of the emotional comments in these threads and the others that were started....and then all of a sudden about January the few people causing most of the commotion were eating crow and sort of faded away....hmm by the way where is Rockets03 and edc anyway.....haven't heard much from those two lately but you gotta love the passion on this board
That's like saying that the Chicago Bulls and Houston Rockets and LA Lakers and San Antonio recent championship teams were built by the star players and that the GMs didn't choose the role-players. Remember T-Mac wanted Stoudamire here so he isn't the only one building this squad
