Come man! Read! When I say, "unavoidable" stop looking at everying in absolute terms! It doesn't mean impossible! I means that with all the factors against him, from the staff, media, and fans, personal and professional, Francis and Yao...the idea that some lone voice in the distantance (you) could have made a difference is crazy. It just wouldn't happen. So, realistically speaking. It was unavoidable. Anything eles would just be 20/20 thinking.
Based on the delopment of Yao. The idea that most of theses guys will be gone is likley in *this* year or next year. If Yao was more agresesive, faster, quicker, etc...then that wouldn't be *as* necessary. Anytime your best players are the weakness. That's a problem no matter what. Role players are fillers. And it's clear that we need a lot more talent (speed and quickness).
I didn't see any "saverudysjob.com" we sites. Did you? I'm merely pointing out factors that existed at the time. Whether or not it's an *absolute* is not the issue. absolute = That everyone wanted Rudy gone (I'm not saying that). What I am saying is that enough wanted him going so that there was enough interital to make it happen.
There is just as much, if not more inertia from fans, and internally (if Doc Rocket and others are to be believed) that it is equally "unavoidable" that JVG gets the boot.
Well, that seems to be the question. Sometimes we can get only players that are available. Sometimes it takes bold trades. Sometimes it takes patience (FA or drafts). I would love to have Bosh or Evans. But can we realistically get them without trading our whole team? Would CD approve that? Would our salary cap allow it? These are questiosn that have to be asked. You can't just wish it to happen. Sometimes I think that we should just bite the bullet and get our OWN "Bosh" via the draft. Goodness knows our drafts haven't got so good the last 5 years. Maybe we can do better this year. If JVG keeps getting moderalte fast, older players, it would be the end of his job. Even though it would be only partialy his fault or CDs. Maybe we could get lucky and get a diamond in the rough. Amres don't come around a lot?
That's true. But winning cures everything. And if Rudy would have won more no amount of inertial could have gotten him fired (unless he wanted to leave because of the cancer). This goes for JVG too. His future lies in his hands (some circumstantial and some his fault). The difference is that Rudy got the benefit of the doubt because he had a history w/the team and because of his past rings. JVG doesn't have that to fall back on (tenure and rings), even though the team's circumstances are the same that Rudy had (more time than just two years to build a team).
...and despite a nice four game stretch, almost halfway through the season, the Rockets have proven themselves to be at best a 7th/8th seed club, much closer to the tenth or eleventh spot than the top of the West.
Yes, that's is a fact. But come on...Didn't we just get finished talking about how speed, quickness (trades/FA/role players), Yao slowness, chemstry? Yet you still just take the record for this mid-year as the absolute issue? Look at the big picture. Plus the fact the season isn't over yet. Now, if the average record was to continute year after year because of bad trades or FAs or lackluster development from Yao or bad aquisitions...Well, you then you can make a better assessment on JVG's job. I've said it before. Players matter. If JVG doesn't recognize this this year and next year, then yes. It's his fault (some CD's). But we can't just go and get us speed (right now) because we want it. It's going to be partially timing, money and luck. We don't know if more trades will occur and where we'll end up. But don't just take the record. Also look at the fact that we are building a new team. Even Jordan had a 28 win season. And Tmac and Yao are not better than one Jordan (he was a freak of nature).
"Year after year?" Nonsense. Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady should be able to generate fifty wins (52, actually). If Van Gundy cannot accomplish that this season, he must be fired come May. Period, end of story.
Look, "year after year" is assuming that JVG would still be our coach (which is a whole other issue). But the reason I said "year after year" was because you were basing your assessment on this team right now, regardless of all the factors that makes a team better. Things we just we just talked about. You just want the wins, but you don't understand how to get there. It's not as easy as fire JVG. There are no quick fixes. A lot of our problems stems from Yao. He's very good 18/8. But not as good a the media makes him out to be. He's just not going to get that much quicker anytime soon. And I think that it has affected everyones image of the TMac/Yao duo. Think about it. Yao is the kind of player that gets 25 one game, then goes for 8 and 12 the next two. He's foul prone regardless of who he's guarding. And although Deke has done a great job filling in, he's not the reason our team was created. How far this team goes depends on how well TMac/Yao duo play. And when Yao (half of our tandum) is having so much trouble...well, that should tell us we need a lot more help. I'm sure that JVG/CD recognize this. It's just being able to get the right aquistions. Key aquisstions that are younger and quicker. And it's those players that get us over the 50 win hump.
...and I am telling you, there is no "getting there." I believe a top tier coach could get fifty wins from T-Mac, Yao, and ten other NBA players. Right now. Even with Yao Ming's "issues," those two are that good. RT got 45 wins without YM. RT did (more or less) the same with a rookie YM and Steve Francis. JVG stagnated with a second year YM and Steve Francis. If T-Mac is better than Steve Francis, and considering YM is in his third year, there is no excuse for staying where they are, or going backwards. The supporting cast be damned. If JVG got the wrong role players, THAT IS HIS FAULT. Assuming no miracles happen, firing JVG come May will not fix everything, but it would be a step in the right direction.
Yeah, you'r right. It's like just pulling a rabbit out of a hat. You know? Like presto! Yes, we should not go backwards. But I don't think you understand how the team works together as a unit... If one player (a player that gets a lot of touches) has "troubles", well, that has a tremedous negative effect (or positive, if he plays well) on the team. All you are doing is taking TMac alone and Yao alone, combining them together in your mind and creating an image of "greater." It doesn't work like that on the court. Yes, getting the right players around TMac/Yao is the responsiblty of JVG and CDs and if they don't do this it will be their fault (and JVG takes the fall). But it's much harder to get the team to play as a unit when one of those main guys are having troubles. Yes, 42-45 wins would be bad. But I think you need to give up the TMac/Yao duo are just *automatiaclly* great, just beacuse. First TMac and Yao must play consistently good, individually (low fouls, low TO). Then, you fit the team around them. If one of those players doesn't progress and still has trouble, then trying to get the unit to play together is going to be a struggle.
Doc Rocket does not work for the Rockets. He knows people inside the organization. His entire rant was his personal opinion, and not based on anything he has heard. You are assuming facts that are not in evidence.
Please read: "if Doc Rocket and others are to be believed." I believe him. If you don't, or choose to write it off as opinion...then that is your perogative. Incidentally, direct quotes (albeit second and third hand ones), and a report of a shouting match between the coach and owner are awfully strong evidence for "personal opinion."
That, too firmly lies on the shoulders of three people: Yao Ming, Jeff Van Gundy, and Patrick Ewing. I think a big part of Yao Ming's difficulties are the result of being forced into a role he is ill-suited for.
There's nothing to believe, that's the problem. He stated his opinion, you can agree with him, but how do you believe someone's opinion? Doc never made mention of anything in your second paragraph, which you have a habit of twisting things to make your points. (see the JVG quote you took out of context and twisted) You can easily say how DavidS assumes stuff and doesn't use hard evidence, when in reality that is exactly what you do. Even when directly proven wrong (Rockets players quotes, provided by Texas Stoke), you like to reference vague comments made a long time ago and apply them to now.
