One thing that occurs to me with this whole Hakeem/Rockets?Raptors thing is that, as it seems to be about "respect", "realtionships" etc, is that the personalities of those involved is an essential factor...With that in mind, I have a couple of statements, and a couple of questions... It has been elluded to here that Hakeem and Rudy have a strained relationship...While I sort of have a sense of Rudy's personality, living as far away as I do, I rarely get a chance to see him speak, only clips and interviews in the playoffs...I would apreciate anyone giving me a sense of what he's like...Are these jokes about him being a bit of a bottle hound just that, or does he really have a problem? What is CD like, as a person? I have no idea, none... The reason I'm asking these questions is that, while I know little about Rudy, and almost nothing about CD, I live in Toronto, and know a lot about Glen Grunwald, and a fair amount about Lenny Wilkens, and I wonder if they aren't more Hakeem's kind of people..Let me elaborate.. Lenny, who I think is pretty good, but not great, is a fairly quiet spoken, classy, old school type of coach who favors veterans...He's family oriented, proud, and has interests outside of basketball, and is occasionally seen as a little too relaxed... Grunwald, who I believe is becoming one of the best in the business, is almost completely without public ego...He is extremely low-key, very, very intelligent, and avoids the spotlight..What I like/respect most about him is that he is much more willing to take the heat when things go wrong than he is to take the credit when things go right...I'm not sure if you guys know, but he took over under terrible circumstances, with Isiah quitting after his bid to buy the team fell through, when his star player (Stoudamire) demanded a trade, and his coach quit...all within a week of each other...Then Grunwald took the mike at center court following a dismal end to that horrible season, and the fans just crucified him..It was really ugly, and a little embarrasing, as Grunwald was in no way responsible for the situation. And he handled it with class, just said he understood their frustration, and pledged to earn their respect...and when other things have gone wrong (Butch Carter's mental implosion and attempted coup) Grunwald is always there, front and center, taking all the blame...But when things go right, he fades into the background, and lets the players and coaches take the credit...I know I'm going on about this guy, but I really think you guys would appreciate him if you knew him. Wilkens, well, he did a good job with Alvin Williams development, and moulded a completely overhauled team in mid-season last year, but I think he's over-rated, doesn't use his bench enough, and his dog house has a one-way door...I think Rudy is way better... However, I think maybe these two quiet, classy, businesslike men might be more Hakeem's type of people, and that may ultimately prove to have been a factor..I can't say this with much certainty without knowing more about Rudy and CD, but I would appreciate your thoughts/comments...I have included no descriptions of what I know about Rockets' management, as I'm assuming most of y'all (did I do that right?) know more than I do... ------------------ We're all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars... O. Wilde
Uh...Can no one give me any feedback on the Rockets' Management? Please? ------------------ We're all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars... O. Wilde
Jag, I think you bring up a really good point, and I don't think other people are ignoring what you say, it is just that I'm not sure many people in Houston know how to describe CD. I don't know if Rudy has quit drinking, but all the stories I've heard about him involve excessive drinking, though I'd like to think he's stopped or slowed down like I've heard on the board. I think Hakeem wants to be treated as the first option on a team, or a vital option, and not as a teacher, or a role player. If he goes to Toronto, I think he expects to the man in the middle, and will call for the ball quite a bit. Your point about Lenny favoring veterans may be a big deal in Hakeem's mind. I wish I had a good answer to your question, but all I really seem to be adding is that I think your post is thought provoking, and I'd like to know more about CD also. B ------------------ The world will not be saved by old minds with new programs. If the world is saved, it will be saved by new minds--with no programs. [This message has been edited by B (edited August 01, 2001).] [This message has been edited by B (edited August 01, 2001).]
