ESPN Insider-Bill Walton Article

I posted something last month that I met Walton and he didnt like the Rockets currently. Mentioning when I asked about Van Gundy, "Things don't look too good"

 

Or you can follow a great coach and play the way you suppose to play without any superstar, ala Detroit.

 

At least he got one thing right.

 

I dont think many know that yet... BTW, I think the triangle is dead...

 

Change of subjects:

Prediction: Rockets vs Heat in the NBA Finals

 

good point. the answer is it'll be team a for year one and b for year two ... the point is a great coach, i think p. jackson is definitely one of them, will make the team consistently better. phil didn't win 9 rings for nothing. do you believe that piston will be champion again this year? i don't think so.

 

I think JVG is doing a fine job.

 

The wingman never achieves greatness until the nba finals. When at last, they have a big game, and everybody is like wow, how about that 40 point game from the wingman.

 

Sure, you can tell by how well be play against lesser teams like the Bobcats, and Atlanta, or how we finish games strong...like the Lakers game or Sacremento.

If we had a coach who was more innovative, and a bit less stubborn, our record would be about 5 games better.

JVG is an OK coach...but not a championship coach.

DD

 

I am not going to get sucked into a pointless debate with you DaDa, you have your opinions and I have mine.

 

I would love to have Phil Jackson and his Triangle Offense. With Yao's ability to face up and shoot makes him perfect for the angle.
If Phil Jackson can get McGrady the shots Kobe or MJ got then its lights out.
But its far fetched that Phil would come here. He knows how to make superstars shine even brighter and with tracy and ming that could only mean good things.
but doubt it will ever happen.

 

The fact that Matt Bullard said on 610 that Phil Jackson is the coach he would least like to play for says a lot to me.

 

I can't think of too many championship coaches that are available. Other than Phil Jackson, who is a championship coach that we might have a shot at? I think Phil is a stretch at this point too. It just seems pointless for people too constantly harp about wanting another coach, when they can't seem to offer up many options.

 

Would you have said Rudy was a championship coach before his rings?

Would you say Flip Saunders is a championship coach?

Would you have said Larry Brown was a championship coach prior to last year's title?


I don't like defining a coach in that manner. With a couple of good roster-moves, this team could be incredible next year. If something happens and we win 2 straight chamionships in the next 2 years, then what? "Fire JVG" ? You won't be saying it anymore.

 

Despite how well we are playing, Walton is exactly right. JVG is a good coach, but PJ is a 9-time Championship coach and there is nothing that can be said above that.

IF the Rockets have a clear chance at PJ this summer, we need to take it, period. Jordan, Shaq, Kobe all played their best ball under PJ and he brought all those players to the "next" level. There is no doubt that he could do the same for Yao and TMac.

Like I said, I like the way we are playing right now. BUT IF PJ is interested this summer, we need to get him at ALL costs.

 

Speaking of championship coaches and their lack thereof, and thinking of Tex Winters, here's what I would do if I was Mitch Kuptchak or Isiah, (or if I am Leslie and the Rockets don't advance past the first round): Hire P.J.







No, no Phil Jackson. P.J. Carlesimo is probably the best coach without a head coaching job right now. Everyone who's been around him knows that the guy knows tons of basketball. Plus he's an assistant coach of the most successfull team of the past 7 years (Wins vs Losses). And if you've heard Poppovich talk you'll know that the guy doesn't know one tenth of what more knowledgeable coaches know. P.J. Carlesimo is Poppovich's Tex Winters.

Actually he may be more like Bill Belichik to Parcells, the brains behind the operation. The question is which team will be the NE Patriots and hire the guy to bring them a championship.

There's this knock about P.J. and handling NBA players. It's true that as a college coach he had no idea how to deal with pro players. However he's been in the league close to a decade now, so the chances are that he has learnt.

Bottomline is, you can't argue with success. The Spurs have been wildly successful and Carlesimo has been a major part of it. Somebody should hire him.

 

Its pretty obvious there still are some people who harbor hatred at the firing of Rudy and naturally that hatred is directed at his replacement JVG.

But lets be honest here........JVG took us to the playoffs last year with the same roster that Rudy had for the prevous 4-5 years.

And might I remind you that our roster this year is completely revamped and that Yao is the ONLY starter left from last year. I wouuld also like to point out that T-Mac and Yao have been together a whoppin' 4 months so clearly there is a lot more bonding they have to do together.

In short to fire the coach given all these changes would be a pretty dumb thing to do. And for people to continue to rant on about Phillip or Rudy taking over is pointless especially when they have no real evidence to back their argument up other then emotion and opinion.

 

Shaq was so great but still kept praising phil Jackson for something.

 

Really? I didn't know Rudy had Jim Jackson or a 2nd year Yao Ming. Plus, it's hard to argue that Rudy wouldn't have gotten us to the playoffs his last year here. But that's a different story.

Yep, it's all about opinion and speculation. What kind of evidence are you looking for?

 

Walton is so in love with Yao, he can't bare to believe that he might not be Bill Russell, Hakeem, Sabonis and Shaq rolled into one. So he has constantly tried to find excuses for him. Last year it was Steve's fault, now it is JVG. If JVG got fired tomorrow, it would be T-Mac's fault in Bill's eyes.