I hope we are watching the birth of something special. Champions! If we keep improving I can point at some key moves Van Gundy is making with this team: 1. Steve Francis- first he tells Steve not to go for the homerun play, in other words trust the system. He begins to instill in Steve that making correct decisions will result in the right scoring opportunities, all the while assuring Steve that he is their best player. Results- Steve buys into the sacrifice, share, win as a team message. 2.Yao Ming- it has begun, JVG is looking for more aggression and assertiveness from the big man. He wants domination. Be polite until you step onto the court then go to war. Fight harder for the right low post position. Results- I expect to see Yao backing his many down some more. Fighting harder for position. and getting a few more fouls until he is comfortable becoming the beast. 3. Cato- JVG from day 1 praises Cato for hard work and aggressive defense. Result- He is not the Cato who disappeared after he got his big contract. He puts out every night. 4. Moochie- JVG needed a proven backup guard and said only two roster spots were secure (Steve and Yao). From the start Moochie has given the kind of effort that shows he has tried to earn his spot and minutes with JVG. 5. MoT- JVG put Taylor in the rotation from the get go. Told him if he wasn't scoring to go out and bust tail for rebounds and D, do the little things that will help us win. Result - MoT has worked hard on both ends and is starting to get his game. 6. JJ and Boki- JVG has said it over and over both to the veteran and to Boki, (only Boki needed to hear it) - If you've got the shot you better take it or you are coming out. Result- We knew Jim Jackson's game would come around, but Boki is improving and earning some minutes in the rotation. Over all I am very pleased to see the buttons Van Gundy is pushing. He is straightforward and he HATES to lose. He demands improvement and if we improve I for one will give plenty of credit to this guy. So far the season is very young, but I like this team 10 times more than the team last year that lacked any chemistry or consistancy. 5.
Great assessment! Van Gundy is definitely molding this team into a playoff team. As fans, we should expect ups and downs, but I expect this team to get better and better as the months progress. Already, defense has been the one consistent thing this year. When the offense catches up, it will be oh so fun to watch! Go Van Gundy!
The great thing is -- with all the changes, injuries etc... and a new coach this team will not hit it's stride for a while. I love the defense !!!!! I have become a huge JVG fan.
With all due respect to Rudy and his battle against bladder cancer, I think that the coaching change came at the right time. I think Van Gundy brought a whole new perspective to the team. He has shown an ability to identify problems quickly, and to come up with ways to correct them effectively. He's honest and open with his players, which is also great for the fans. I love what he has done with the defense and what he's trying to do with Steve's playmaking and Yao's assertiveness. Hope he can keep up the good work.
Not yet! I will wait until Jeff teaches the team to 1) Cut down on the turnovers. 2) Attack the full court press. 3) Feed the post when Yao is fronted. 4) Explore holes in the defense when Yao is doubled team before he gets the ball. and .... if Jeff can pull a miracle and get some production out of Mooch!
Just be patient,we are ready playing better b-ball in general I think,but Rome wasnt build in a day...Its not easy for all the player to adjust in new offense fast if you compare how they have played the last couple of year, so it will come,because we have good players and a good system! GO ROCKETS!
Honestly I would love to have Yao molded around this Tim Duncan like mentality. It's one that brings aggression to the court but doesn't conflict with Yao's humble persona. If he doesn't score himself he will set up for others to score.
