It was also send that JVG only focuses on Defense.... JVG seems like know how to win period.. and if he thinks a rookie can do better job then and useless fart then Im sure JVG will play a rookie. JVG is not dumb enough to play spoon over the likes of Sean May and comp.
I don't think JVG is dumb by any means, but I do think he's going to look for ways to bring veterans in to help before he'll look to fill our needs through the draft. I just wish he'd place a little more value on the draft. That's all I'm saying.
We are going to be over the cap, so why not gamble on what seems to be a deep draft class? Worst case scenario the kids a bust and the rox eat his cap hit to release him for a roster spot. No big deal to a team over the cap, just another drop in the bucket. We really need to groom some young guys to be future role-players. We put all our eggs into fagency.
Considering our team is old and we need a YOUTH infusion and want to add young players to grow with our core in Yao and Tmac, I think trying to buy a pick would be a wise investment. What if you were able to buy Seattle's pick and then were able to draft Francisco Garcia and Wayne Simien with the Rockets+Seattle's picks? Then bring over Spanoulis. You would then have 3 YOUNG, atheltic players to GROW with Yao and Tmac. Then you pepper the roster with some quality vets each year to round out the team. Considering we blew our chances at building a young core with the disaster picks of Griffin/Nachar/Morris, then we have to find a way to get up off the floor and add some more youth.
I'm surprised that no one brought up this yet: IIRC, we currently have/intend to have 16 players under contract without buying an additional pick. plus, with all our expiring contracts, it is more likely we deal them at trade deadline, making it quite a small selection of players to can drop to make the roster down to 15. with additional draft picks, unless they are european picks we do not intend to bring in immediately, this would add pressure on this situation and we might be forced to buy out expiring guys where we do not necessarily want to. can anyone familiar with the current rox contract situation confirm this?
I'm curious.... I have seen this said(about VG hating rooks)...but have never seen him say it in any article I have read, nor have I heard it come out of his mouth. Care to provide a source to backup your previous statement? I'm of the impression that if VG has a rookie that showed oin the practice court that he was ready to play the way the coach wants him to, he would get the playing time. btw....using old Knicks seasons as a backup is not necessarily a good thing since VG has shown that he doesnt stick to his old ways if something else works better(see changes in Rockets offense this year for proof)
Well, I'm like you in that I've never seen it written anywhere that JVG has claimed he doesn't play rookies. However, when you look at the players he brings in, it seems evident he'd rather bring in an over the hill veteran than an unproven commodity. Further, when I once spoke to someone who worked for the Rockets and mentioned how I'd like to see the Rockets get younger, he said, "But that's Van Gundy. He doesn't like playing rookies." You can choose to take my word on that or disregard it completely. It makes no real difference to me. JVG is a great coach, and honestly, it's hard to argue against his system. The guy eats, sleeps and sh*ts basketball. I don't believe he does place much value on the draft though and I don't think he much cares for young players. Since he's been here, we've traded a first round pick, traded away Boki and brought in guys like Charles Oakley, Charlie Ward and Rod Strickland. Until he shows us something different, I don't think a source is needed.
Rookie is a pretty broad generic term. Even though they will both be top draft picks and technically rookies there would be a vast experience difference between someone like Wayne Semien that started for for years under a great coach at a great program and someone like Gerald Green; a small private school player who reportedly doesn't have the booksmarts to qualify for a college scholarship. Green may go on to have the more notable NBA career but any coach would be more comfortable playing Semien in 2006.
