I don't exactly dislike him but I also don't know much about him. I was so dissappointed about Rudy T leaving I didn't want to give anyone else a chance. Well, I am awake now guys, I feel it again so JVG just seems like he's not a happy guy, like he's always stressed out.
"Slightly above average" may be overstating the qualifications of a coach that hasn't been past the first round in five seasons, and can be credited with the worst game 7 loss in NBA history.
I have to agree with the game 7 loss. Game 7's are about motivation more than anything else and motivation starts with the head coach. JVG maybe a good x's and o's coach but he clearly lacks the ability motivate his players. You've heard players say they would go to war for their coach or they love their coach or they want to win for their coach. The best you hear about JVG is he is a smart coach. Smart coaching alone doesn't win championships, leaders do.
LoL, the only reason we were 7 games into that series was because JVG got us there. Secondly, JVG was the coach of the least talented team in an NBA Finals ever. Just the fact that he's been to the finals sets him apart from tons of coaches. He hasn't gotten the chance to shine, so I won't say he's been excellent. But there's absolutely nothing he's done to merit this much criticism. He has transformed Yao into a monster and motivated this team such that, 2 weeks before training camp, we are probably the fittest team in the league.
I do not fell loyalty or care about Van Gundy, but as a Rocket fan -if we get the complimentary talent around Tracy and Yao, Van Gundy should be capable of coaching them to a championship. He needs lots of help to get there.
"Slightly above average" may be overstating the qualifications of a coach that hasn't been past the first round in five seasons, and can be credited with the worst game 7 loss in NBA history well he didnt coach for a couple of those years before he came to the rockets. so of course he didnt get past the first round. But did you really think steve francis and a young yao ming were going to beat the lakers with shaq? come on. thats an unfair criticism. And considering the mavs were a better team than the rockets when they met in the playoffs (especially considering the rockets had no PF, a sick and hurt sura, and wesley playing on a knee that needed surgery) i think its also a bit harsh. The rockets were old and slow and the mavs flat out ran circles around them. Hell, it was impressive that the rockets took them 7 games. So it was a blow out. But i hardly understand how its JVGs fault. You can say he didnt motivate the team but thats impossible to prove. Plus, if players cant get motivated to play game 7 of the playoffs...thats their fault not the coaches. give the mavs credit. they let yao and tmac get theirs and simply shut down everyone else based on pure athleticism (especially the guard positions where they dominated the rockets guards). no matter how good the coach is, sura was going to be hobbled, wesley was going to be worn down, howard wasnt going to play.
Actually, didn't T-Mac and pretty much the current roster talked about how they would go to war for JVG and how much they loved him as their coach?
Actually, didn't T-Mac and pretty much the current roster talked about how they would go to war for JVG and how much they loved him as their coach? yup. Jon B said he was the best coach he's ever had.
(1) The last five seasons Mr. Van Gundy started as a head coach (three in Houston, two in New York), the team did not get past the first round. It is more if you count his "hiatus." (2) No excuses. The "old and slow" Rockets were (and are) built to Mr. Van Gundy's specifications. (3) Game seven's are entirely about coaching (being outcoached) and motivating players.
Mister Van Gundy also rescued Jon Barry from the Atlanta Hawks, and extended his career beyond when it should've ended naturally.
I've never liked JVG's routines. He's the least encouraging, least amount of zeal, least flexible. He never adapts to his players, he forces or trades those players to adapt to him. Pat Riley was the same, however, he stopped that. The way they got their championship proves that. Van Gundy's also the least likeable to change. Terrible at development. A horrid offensive coach, however defensively he's premiere, same goes for rebounding. He gets the least out of you though in terms of production, that's #1.
Would you have said the same thing for Rudy T, who had a connection to the city and had NO PLAYOFF appearances his last 4-5 years? I dont like plenty things about JVG and I dont know what you consider criteria for qualifications but 3 conference semis, NBA finals, and conference finals appearances in consecutive years are things hardly any current coach can say they've accomplished in the league.
Per EHSAN: "He has transformed Yao into a monster" JVG does not get credit for this. Yao developed himself. JVG does not seem to develop players-they have to be pre packaged and ready for him- like the draft day trade-Battier-not Gay. As for the Dallas game 7 loss. I give T-Mac credit for that season and the playoff success we had in taking a better team to a game 7. T-Mac ran the offense with Bob Sura.... The coach has to own up to some of the responsibility for that collapse in game 7.
"The old and slow Rockets" was the best they could do in trades after the team got gutted in the process of acquiring McGrady.
this may be off topic but im frantically looking for the new rockets commercial with yaos eyes. i went to the rox site but it shows up smaller, not as big as the screen as i seen before. im looking to save it for my own personal collection. thanks for anyone that can help by giving me a link to a bigger video or a saved file or whatever
So Yao developed himself, and it is JVG's fault the other players did not develop? Likewise it was TMac that got them to game 7 and JVG that got them blown out in game 7? It sure seems like you are just giving JVG none of the credit for good things and all the blame for bad things.
I don't care if Bobby Knight coached this team, you support your coach if you're a true fan. You think JVG is worthless? You think he's mediocre? Well, if that's the case, then you should actually like him because his worthless coaching skills (according to you) are equivalent to your worthless posting abilities.
Per StupidMoniker: "So Yao developed himself, and it is JVG's fault the other players did not develop? Likewise it was TMac that got them to game 7 and JVG that got them blown out in game 7? It sure seems like you are just giving JVG none of the credit for good things and all the blame for bad things." I don't think he had a thing to do with Yao's improvement. I think it's questionable if Patrick Ewing really did much. I do not give Van Gundy credit for much player devlopment. In My opinion he seems to like the older veterans (Charlie Ward, Mark JAckson, Rod Strickland,Juwan Howard, and Bob Sura) that he does not have to spend energy developing. Maybe that is not his responsibility to develop players anyway. He does not take any responsibility for acquiring players as he defers to CD as making the deals. OK - It's not JVG's sole responsibility the team lost in a blowout game 7 in Dallas, but the coach should have some responsibility to get his team ready. As for the offense in '04-'05- recall that T-Mac made remarks that JVG turned him loose on offense to create and he loved JVG for it. The combo of a healthy Sura and healthy-energized TMac made that offense work-in my opinion. I really do not hate Van Gundy- if we can get complimentary shooters- players around healthy Yao and T-Mac to create a stable offense, the team will win, and Van Gundy will get that defense whipped into shape as well as anyone can in the league. My compliments to Van Gundy Spartan defense. Van Gundy can coach us to a title.
If they were to change at the end of the season, they need younger blood. I think these older coaches have lost the touch that it takes to coach thsee new era players.....Larry Brown, etc. just seem to irritate more players than help them win.....
I tend to agree with you that JVG prefers to work with established players than inexperienced rookies. However, I do believe that he cares about player development--This is simply a responsibility he delegates. Using clues gleaned from sports reportage from both the Chron and Chinese sources, I'm of the opinion that most player-development responsibility on the coaching staff is delegated to Tom Thibodeau. Not only does Thibodeau coach the summer-league team, but we've received several reports from different sources that he is the man who has personally coached and tutored Yao on his technique and strategy. I think we have to assume that Thibodeau deserves at least SOME of the credit for Yao's breakthrough (although of course it was Yao putting in the sweat). If guys like Hayes, Head and Lucas make breakthroughs this season, I think Thibodeau deserves credit for that as well.
