Rocket Rich NYC, I think it is unfair for you to blame JVG for the loss in Denver. The rockets played a great game, and we would have won, if not for Carmelo's insane performance. Regardless, even after Carmelo's Career best game, we still would have won if not for Cat Mobley's stupid foul, or MO-T not missing an open jump shot at the end of the game. I dont think you can blame JVg for that loss.
So well said B...that I can almost not add anything........ Also thanks for clearly showing a very unbiased and more down to earth observation DeniisCD..... Bottom line is this forum has been losing steam lately because people have become picket fence fans....and stop bein Rockets fans...... Up until about a year ago this forum was hands down takin to much of my time, and the posts were so well put, and my fellow BBSers were so informative and made so much sense that I wondered why most of them weren't on a payroll at ESPN or somewhere........ Within the past 6 months our popularity has become rampant on the web because this is hands down the best team BBS on the web....and we have more members and new members that don't know the rules around here and just start postin.....Before you can say rockets they are pounded into submission by senior members and humbled like never before........trust me...I've took my share of chewings myself.......EVERYONE KNOWS THAT (if anybody posts a link I'll kill em)Rocket Rich you have been here a while......you know people hate, thats why I never post anything anymore, and I see Steve on a regular bases because I have a artist he wants to sign to ISOH( anyway)......although you were a bit biased because of your hate for JVG...trust me playa I respect your input alot........ So the point to all this is this........I used to live to come here everyday and post and respond to posts( couldn't even respond to one page of posts because it took to much of my time and my wife was on my a**)...but the quality of post have almost become unreadable at times........Bashin...People takin sides...everything....It used to be just Rockets Fans.....not Steve or Yao or JVG fans but rocks fans..I hope and pray that we can at some point get back to bein JUST fans again Point is none of us are goin anywhere...so we might as well respect each other.....Everybody's opinion no matter what counts here...so no need to be overly critical on any one person.....we all are gonna post here no matter what anybody says...so lets stop bein so INTENSE, and get back to quality posts again.....because nobody's goin anywhere anytime soon Same for Steve, Yao, JVG........bottom line.....those three are untouhcable as of right now...none of them are goin anywhere any time soon(Steve just got a max contact....JVG just got a contact, and YAO is only in his second of a 4 rookie contract)So ther will be waves arguements or whatever, but nobody's goin anywhere........No matter how many Trade Steve or YAO post any of you post...you can post TRADE STEVE 24 hours 7 days a week on this board all year long and it still won't happen NOW Les will give this Core group at least a year before he blows it up so everyone please.....Need I continue
If I were Steve, I wouldn't be happy with how Van Gundy is using me. Keep in mind that Rudy T and CD drafted him with the idea that he had the potential to be one of the best guards of all time. Lofty thoughts have always been in Steve's mind. Steve shouldn't be relegated to be just an average point guard. I've always thought a facsimile of Allen Iverson with some variation is the best role for Steve. Yao is also being used in a way which exposes his weaknesses. Van Gundy may like doing this because he feels Yao needs to be thrown into fire early on. I don't think Yao is comfortable with this. I believe Yao said it is alright along as they are winning. That's like conceding your own happiness for the sake of the team. Steve and Yao are the two most important players on this team. If they aren't happy, it shows in their play on the court. This apathy spreads to the crowd which in turns creates an atmosphere of total indifference from everyone. My guess is the crowds watching at the Toyota Center do not see the same excitement from Steve and Yao as they did last year. Folks go to watch those 2 guys. It's a good thing the team is actually winning even though the record is just the same as last year's. If the Rockets weren't winning, I think there would be mutiny. Steve's got a max contract that extends to 2009. He controls his own destiny. Yao is guaranteed a max contract just from his international appeal. These 2 players are totally different from the rest of the Rocket players. They both have the ability to call their own shots. Comparing them to Cato, Mo, and Cuttino is like comparing apples and oranges.
no disrespect to DennisCD but he seems more objective because he seems to support some folx's view I think they [RRN and DCD] are about the same level of Objectivity All i know is I WANT THE BEST FOR THE ROCKETS I like all our players and coaches i second guess them often and question them . . but this is my team ROCKET RIVER cause . . .rocket fuel flows in me viens!!!!
It is getting harder and harder to enjoy watching Rocket's game these days. JVG is pushing the players too much emphasing on the defense. Many of them are just too tire to keep a good shooting FG% for every game. If one of the player can not shoot well in a game, the other team will easily take the advantage of sending an extra man to double team Yao. Everyone knows Yao can not perfrom well under the pressure of double team at this moment. The coach should be able to find a solution instead of blaming on Steve and Yao. A coach should be able to find a balance between defense and offense. If Rocket can no longer score 100+ points in this season any more, I am wondering how many tickets they can sell next year. If the team can not make enough money, I doubt how long can JVG staying as a coach here.
I agree. DennisCD's take on things might sound better to the ear, but it's as credible as Rocket Rich's account. Besides, if Rocket Rich's sources are accurate, word of this might not want to be leaked out before it gets resolved or becomes too big a problem.
I like Van Gundy, and even thought I would love to keep steve and have him be his normal self, a trade taht would get us Andre Kirlikenko and another good player does seem interesting,, with Mobley, Andre, Cato, Ming, and a very solid point I hope it would be REALLY hard to score a lot, plus they say All the great centers had great small forwards,, Andre can D up like crazy, he can be a monster sometimes and he can also hit the open shot, as much as I would hate to see francis go, this does sound REALLY interesting and I would definitely look into that if they can.
Exactly. So may not obviously like Steve, but to accuse him of tanking (cough cough Yetti cough cough) is such a slap in the face to him as a player and a professional. I get upset at him as much as anyone for his play sometimes, but I never doubt that Steve isnt trying his best out there. I think some of the members on here are tanking their posts to get attention.
If it was a story, it was the story of last year. The only thing that has changed significantly about Cato this year is his FG percentage, and that's in a BAD way.
Richie Rich, chill out. When I say you smoking crack, you actually think I mean it? And you live in NYC, right? Where is your thick skin, guy. Or are you actually from Connecticut? Because if you read what I have posted for 7 years, you should know that "smoking crack" is a saying and I am using it to make a point. Its not an accusation. There are things that Gundy does wrong. He is a bad offensive coach. I grant you that. But you want to FIRE HIM. And that is not fair. The man just got here. I am saying GIVE HIM A CHANCE. You are not doing that. Every bad game he has, you are here to bash him. You think Gundy is not right for the job? Fine. But your point of him not being able to relate to players on the team is not accurate. And the players have to RELATE TO HIM. Not the other way around. He is the coach. He has the knowledge. So, should we fire Carlisle because Ron Artest is b****ing? Because he is tough on O'Neal? The problem is that you think since Riley didn't win a ring with his method in Miami and Gundy was under him, it makes Gundy a bad coach. Why can't his system work? You want an offensive coach so we can be Dallas? The Kings? We don't have those type of players! We can be a hell of a defensive team and that wins the rings. Stopping people from scoring while having Francis, Yao, Mobley etc is good enough for me. I want rings winning 85-80. Not lose 120-115. I don't want to win 120-115 either because that is not how you win in this league. This is not 1980. Sorry for offending you, Rich. But guy, I am asking that people give people a chance. You want Rudy T here? How many chances you want him to have? He didn't make the playoffs for 5 years. Yet, he is cool? Who did you want here who experts and people who know say is a BETTER coach than Gundy? Brown? Dunleavy? Who can relate better in your mind? Who has won a ring out of the group tht you wanted?
Well, you can use statistics to prove anything. You can also point out that our overall team scoring is way down so of course his assists are not way up. My point is Steve has bought into the team system more than ever before. He has accepted that he needs to pass to teammates when he needs to. Maybe it hasn't shown up in the stats yet, but you can see the change on the court. And today's Chron article further supports that.
Everyone thinks this is a great transformation from RT's days. I think there is a big "theoretical" change in the way JVG would like it to be (almost exclusively on defense - he has no noticable offensive scheme that differs from the past). Key word like. It is mainly his forcing SF to play a style way different than what he is talented to do, and the change in personnel and the players who have been absent so far that makes this team any different in a quantitative fashion. Thus the same record more or less....
You could also argue that his assists are up per shots made. Since you only get an assists when the shot is made, it would seem to reason that he's passing more. So I doubt Steve is just along for the ride.
Van Gundy has not won one. And that is my point. Unless you are bring Phil Jackson or Greg Popovich or Chuck Daly who are the only three besided the previous Rocket coach who got rings, then we should give everyone else who was coming here time and patience before we are ready to run them out of town. One more point about relating to todays players. I see Gibbs is back at coach. Boy, am I glad he is not too old or has never left the sport. Cuz...there could be a problem with him dealing with "todays" players. Wait, he got the rings. So never mind. That theory don't apply to people like that. Sorry.
The NBA is not very patient, if the Rox don't make the playoffs or this blows up, JVG (especially since everyone in the org hates him) may be the casualty. Bring on and asst. from the champion coaches
I would tend to believe this...JVG I'm sure is all over Stevie/Yao and the whole team, but he's old school... Yao probably doesn't take negative reinforcement very well and I know Franchise doesn't take any crap either...THey don't have to like each other, just as long as they have a common goal of making the playoffs...
They all have a "common goal" of making the playoffs. Under RT anywhere in the league. It's cliche....
