werent you the one that started the fire gundy chants at the game?? boy things have changed as for me i never thought the team would turn like it did, but i've always felt that jvg teams excel more in the playoffs than the regular season and that we should keep him as our coach. this guy is a mean mofo man. is there a more intense coach in the league right now?
I'll consider Jeff all world until the next time we struggle to scored 80 points for almost 2 months while having the prolific scorer in the game today or pick up another former knick that can't shoot or run anymore.
Actually it was R0ckets03's thread. edc, or whatever, was simply trying to have a point in the thread. I love that thread... it has a lot of really great reasons to can JVG after about a month or two into the season. I said JVG should be given until the end of the season and then we should make a decision. My decision's made... bring the little bald headed munchkin back. PS - there's not enough crow flying the friendly skies to serve up to some of these guys in the forum.
I offer my offical apology to Mr. Van Gundy for doubting him early this season. He made me look like an idiot.
have been asking for this thread for a long time. JVG didn't have the players to even get close to his basketball coaching abilities. Now he does. I hope Les feels the same way, and think that's probably very true. There is not doubt also, that with the moves made by CD, coach was given the hungery veterans who know how to play grind it out if they have too, which has feed right into The Machine. I also want to submit that DK is having his stellar run in part because he is getting the respect from coach he deserves and responds to that with big energy. And to think, ther were all these people crying out for francis and company, while dissin coach. We have REAL Rockets basketball back in the house. Knicks southwest. lol.
No...I'm trying to say that Gundy isn't the type of coach to take on a team through rebuilding, and that's why he always goes to the playoffs. Same with Phil Jackson. One of the things I really respect about Rudy-T, he was willing to take the Rockets through a rebuilding phase and bring them back to a winning team. So Rudy not only can take a playoff team to the next level, he can also take raw talent and make it better. In fact, I think that's what Rudy has over Gundy....Rudy isn't just a coach, he's a teacher. But I do think Gundy knows how to use the pieces he has a bit more effectively and creatively.
I love Jeff Van Gundy. I was happy ever since I first he heard he was gonna coach here. I never doubted him for a second. I love how hard he works, although it's really not healthy for him at all. I love his humor. I love his approach to the game. I LOVE THIS TEAM! Keep up the great work, Jeff, I know you will. GREAT JOB THIS SEASON!
When he told Tracy to be himself and 'do your thing'(use the force). He stopped becoming a control freak. That is what made this team. Jeff you have become the Jedi coach. (no funny smile here)
Jeff Van Gundy is the Shiznit! What I like about him so much is his similarity to Jerry Sloan. As much as we all hate the Jazz I think Van Gundy's personality and coaching style is very similar to Sloan's and Sloan is one of the most respected coaches in the league. I was happy from day one when we got Van Gundy and saw his picture on the homepage with him In his Hard Hat touring the the Toyota Center.
Thank goodness we're not in charge. I hate being part of the mob. That said I'll join the mob is praising this tiny little big man.
Lets talk about rebuilding. Here's a recap of the changes made... 2002-2003 Roster (Yao's 1st year/Rudy's last...): Steve Francis Cuttino Mobley Yao Ming Kenny Thomas James Posey Glen Rice Eddie Griffin Maurice Taylor Kelvin Cato Moochie Norris Terence Morris Jason Collier Juaquin Hawkins Bostjan Nachbar Tito Maddox Players traded/released/left from 2002-2003 Roster the following summer... Tito Maddox Juaquin Hawkins Terence Morris Glen Rice Kenny Thomas James Posey 2003-04 Roster (JVG first year): Yao Ming Steve Francis Cuttino Mobley Jim Jackson Maurice Taylor Kelvin Cato Clarence Weatherspoon Eric Piatkowski Scott Padgett Torraye Braggs Bostjan Nachbar Moochie Norris Mark Jackson Mike Wilks Alton Ford Charles Oakley Adrian Griffin Players traded or released from 2003-2004 Roster the following summer... Steve Francis Cuttino Mobley Kelvin Cato Moochie Norris Alton Ford Charles Oakley Adrian Griffin Eric Piatkowski Torraye Braggs Players aquired via trade/FA for 2004-05 Roster: Tracy McGrady Juwan Howard Tyronn Lue Reece Gaines Mike James David Wesley Bob Sura Jon Barry Dikembe Mutombo Ryan Bowen Rod Strickland Charlie Ward Andre Barrett Brandin Knight Clarence Weatherspoon (Holdover) Torraye Braggs (Re-signed) Vin Baker Moochie Norris (Reacquired via trade) Players traded/released from 2004-2005 Roster (mid-season): Jim Jackson Maurice Taylor Bostjan Nachbar Tyronn Lue Reece Gaines Mark Jackson Mike Wilks Brandin Knight Rod Strickland Andre Barrett Number of players still on the team since the 2002-2003 season? Two players. Yao and Moochie (Sounds like an After-school special)! If that's not rebuiding, I don't know what is! It's also strange that everyone was screaming for Jeff's head when this rebuilding was going on. Seems like there a lot of people that have an unrealistic view that *all it takes* to win is TMac/Yao. Like if they could do it alone. P.S. Rebuilding shouldn't have to include 4-5 years of stagnation either.
Reloading? Reloading is taking the core players and trying to find the right parts around them. REBUILDING is trading core players and replacing them with same or better ones. Hence, this is REBUILDING. The core players here were Francis and Yao. You can argue that they wanted to make Griffin a core player also. Now,they are all gone along with 90 percent of the team. I want to see easy Phil Jackson do a job like this one. He wouldn't have the patience. One side note... Just because Gundy did a hell of job this year does NOT mean that I am happy to get to the playoffs. Thats all fine and dandy. But I need to see PROGRESS. To me, that would be losing in 7 hard fought, gut wrenching games which could of gone either way or a second round loss in 6. Thats headed in the right direction in my opinion. BUT... I do believe that if we get past Dallas, I think we can head to the WCF this year. I am scared of Dallas more than Seattle. I do believe that once Dallas is defeated, we can do SERIOUS damage.
Thanks Jeff for giving us Rocketball back. We went thru some rough seasons no doubt. And despite the mob calling for your head earlier this season, I never doubted that you would get things together. It was obvious enough from your expression on the sidelines, that nobody cared more and nobody was a bigger critic of the team's performance than you yourself. It was obvious that you would eventually do everything within your power to get us going on the right track. You have given us a team that advances the ball, makes the extra pass, hustles in 4th quarters when we're already up 25, refuses to die when we're down big with 35.3 seconds to go, takes pride in team defense, and stays humble thru it all. After enduring the previous few seasons, it all makes me wanna cry After all you've done for our team and the fans this season, whatever we end up doing in the playoffs is gravy to me at this point. Getting to the conference finals would be kinda nice though
Justice article in today's Chronicle Homerism at its best, but it sure was a nice read. Here's to a successful playoff run. All of us Dallas-area Rockets fans are counting on your leadership to see us through to the second round!! GO ROCKETS!!
