I figured since every other thread here is one bashing JVG or Alston, they deserved some good words after last nights game. Alston played great. Two big threes to start the game and two more late that never let the Mavs come close. He had 12 assists and 8 rebounds to go with 14 points and didnt make a turnover. The offense looked smooth, and the Rox never got stagnant even as Tmac struggled throughout. His hands were quick and he was around the ball all night. As for JVG, the team played with fire after their dud in Utah, and he deserves some credit for that. I thought he used Hayes and Battier well against Dirk, and even with scoring 24 points, Dirk never seemed to really get the Mavs back in the game. JVG gave Novak some important minutes, put Bonzi in early, and even played some zone which are three things most people felt he wouldnt do. JVG let the Rox run when they had a chance and the team is actually averaging over 100 points. Yes i know it was only one good game. But lets face it, it was only one bad game before the Alston sucks and Fire JVG threads came out for the tenth time this offseason and season. Im just saying if you can roast them after one bad game, lets praise them after one good one and hope it keeps on rolling.
Thank you for posting this. I agree completely, they deserve praise for good performance in equal proportion to criticism after bad performance. Alston was dominant last night.
Yeah, Rafer played a great game. I always felt that if you surround Rafer with shooters and a healthy Yao he would thrive in our offense. He doesn't play well if he is pressured to shoot or score but let the shots come to him.
it looked like JVG let him play his game and give him control of the offense, everyone had to love his play yest
I think JVG also deserves props for the D against Dirk. Dirk got his points, but the Rockets seemed to keep him slightly unsettled by throwing 3 different defenders at him (Hayes, Battier and Snyder). What was great about JVG's plan was that the substitutions were fairly random - Dirk kept seeing a different defender and never got a chance to "figure the D out." He hit his shots, but they were tough shots and he didn't have much left for any other facets of the game. I think JVG may have found a way to use our depth against star players. Throwing multiple defenders (randomly) at someone keeps them from ever feeling in control. It's a great psychological strategy and could pay dividends down the road (would make the Rockets that much harder to scout).
I'm really getting sick of how classless some of us can get... alston is our point guard. JVG is our coach. they are both good. we're gonna be fine, don't flip **** when we lose. it's gonna happen. all the people predicting a 50 win season... that 50 win season comes with 30 LOSSES. are you gonna flip out each time?
Now, this was the play I was hoping for when we traded for Alston. I'm thrilled by this game, and he demonstrated what a difference he can make, if he plays his game. Everyone else looks better. Now, to see how good a coach JVG really is, how does he coax this type game from Alston, and the rest of the players, all season? This is exactly the play we want from Alston. But, can he do it every night consistently? That's the difference between our team and a championship team. Consistency of passion. The heart of a champion, as Rudy used to put it. I appreciate JVG's honesty, knowledge of the game and opponents, and his preparation of our team every night. I just hope he can not only prepare them with knowledge but also motivate the players all season long, without wearing them out with his critical remarks. Otherwise they'll continue to play too carefully, in an effort to please someone impossible to please, and never reach their potential.
Agreed... good post. It feels like the attitude of many is that anything less than 82 wins is a failure. I'm very happy with the job JVG is doing. He's taking even the best games like last night as opportunities to look for improvements. He's done a great job seeing all the holes our team still has and is doing his best to try and fix it -- I seriously think we saw every possible line-up on the floor last night. As far as Alston, there's really nothing I can say bad about him. He's still being attacked for last year's failures, which is a bit out of line -- that season should not be the measure of anyone's ability imo. Since preseason, he's shot over 50% from the three -- the best on our team. His floor leadership is outstanding, and even his defense looks improved, just ask Jason Terry. Last night was an absolutely flawless performance. There's going to be ups and downs this season, there's no reason to threaten anarchy after a loss.
Hire JVG!!! Alston played a great game. I hope he can keep that up. He did everything he is supposed to. Knock down open jumpers. Feed Yao. Run the break. Solid D.
Praise for Alston and low -no turnovers and 12 assists. He is our point guard and is doing excellent. I could not see the game in Beaumont, and could only hear parts of it on the local radio, but the defense sounded solid. Van Gundy should be comended for the defensive prowess he has produced. It is up to the players to maintain the intensity. Go Rockets!!!!
Good post. I agree let's see it continue and I will be more than satisfied. I too have also felt JVG was a hard cookie to please always demanding perfection. Which is fine as long as you accept that all players will fall short but you have to give them credit for their efforts and even more credit when they come closer to perfect. He seems to have lightened up in this area. Last night he gave accolades to the whole team as well as Yao and Alston. He also said there were still mistakes and he would not let the players overlook those but he applauded the overall effort. Now that the kind of coaching that I want to see from him. Always look to improve but give out praise for the successes.
I think he generally does that. Unfortunately, the Rockets just haven't been winning too much this past year. And when the Rockets did win last year, it was usually against bad teams. So, we weren't necessarily playing very good in those games either.
I'm glad someone had something positive to say about these two! I was so tired of all the people on this board thinking the sky was falling after one game! I'm psyched about Alston hitting his shots and JVG's coaching!
The people who blame others for bashing Alston/JVG are equally clueless. If the players play well and the team wins, then you will/should hear the praise and positive posts from us; but they will be bashed if they don't play well, and team loses. What do you expect to receive after each game? Fans are here to provide their thoughts and feedbacks after each game. These are NOT flip-flop, but normal fan reactions. (I'm talking about player/coach performance evaluation after each game, not personal attack)
He is a much better coach with Yao and McGrady playing in the same game. He sucks when one or both are out for several weeks. Rafer is a much better shooter with Yao, McGrady and other scorers in the game. Rafer sucks when neither Yao, McGrady, or other scorers are in the game! Bring in Rick Adelman and Mike James!
This thread should be shortlived. How long before the next Fire JVg or Rafer sucks? I put the over under at 5 hours
If Ming continues to shoot like that, I could be coach. Agreed, Alston had his best game as a Rocket against first rate competition. Frankly, I expected Terry to torch him, but it was just the opposite. Beating the Mavs virtually counts as a ten game win streak in the eyes of most long-suffering fans. I am so proud of the team's overall performance, and everyone should get credit, coaches and players. From the agony to the ecstacy. Wait til Wells gets cranked up, he was pushing Howard all over the court for the few minutes he was in. TMac looks like an old player, he does not look like he can do what he did just two years ago. This concerns me. Otherwise, roses all around.
