[Chicago Sun-Times]Van Gundy likes Bulls' direction

http://www.suntimes.com/output/bulls/cst-spt-bsep10.html

Van Gundy likes Bulls' direction

February 10, 2005


HOUSTON -- Jeff Van Gundy is the latest to jump on the Bulls' bandwagon as the Rockets coach praised the progress of Eddy Curry and Tyson Chandler.

''You're always looking for guys who can be difference-makers without the ball,'' Van Gundy said Wednesday. ''Chandler is [one]. Rebounding, shot-blocking, quickness, running -- he just does so many things that can make a difference in the game without the ball. Those guys are hard to find.

''Then there's Curry, who is so efficient in the low post. Very few guys shoot the percentage that he does. We're fortunate to have Yao [Ming], who's shooting nearly the same thing. Curry has been very good at using his strength to duck in and get catches in the paint, and he's hard to guard when he gets the ball deep.''

Van Gundy admires how Bulls operations chief John Paxson and coach Scott Skiles refused to give up on Curry and Chandler while critics were describing the young players as mistakes.

''When you're losing, the bandwagon gets empty,'' he said. ''But when you start winning, you see how quickly people want to jump back on. Because people are always jumping on and off the bandwagon, you should keep the bandwagon closed just to your team. It's easy now for some fans to say, 'See, I knew they were going to be good.'

"But it took guts by John and Scott to stay the course. Those guys stuck to their guns, did it their way, and it has proven to be the right way. The Bulls are not just a formidable team for these two months. They're going to be a formidable team for a long, long time.''

Lacy J. Banks

 

For any fans who hates JVG, here is his reply!!!