JVG will end up being coach of the year because we will go into the playoffs with a top five record after dealing with more injuries than any other top contenders. The effort the last two games when we were short handed just added to my belief, and who would of thought we would be 9-4 without Yao (and Bonzi for most of it)? Bring it on JVG haters! Other notes, I would like to see Billy get a look at point because he can't shoot worse than Lucas3 did last night and I gaurantee his d is better. Final Rotation C-Yao F-Hayes F-Battier G-T-Mac G-Alston Bench, Howard-Bonzi-Head (all get big minutes) Deke (depends on the matchup) Also either Lucas3 or a PG we trade for will get some time (I would love to see Spanoulis but it aint gonna happen) This is a championship team!
I agree I think if we make it into the top half of the west come playoff time, he'll get some votes for Coach of the year
Phil Jackson will be coach of the year if Lakers makes the top 4 of the west, period. I can't believe Kobe with rest of scrubs can win so many games. The way those young players making strides is really fun to watch. I really enjoy it.
and that's the difference between great coaches and good coaches. the rockets, unfortunately, don't have a great one. and to the thread starter: no way jvg will be coach of the year. mark it and move on.
JVG is getting a lot of credit from some of the folks at ESPN.com. Hollinger called him his early pick for Coach of the Year (and that's before the recent hot streak), and David Thorpe has praised his coaching in a couple of his chats recently.
I think Kobe has really matured as a player. It's him more than anyone.. if you wanna give Phil crdit for that, fine. On top of that, Luke has turned into an above-average SF. He was already a great passer...handles have improved, and shooting has seriously improved. Brian Cook has steadily improved each year, Kwame was giving them more this year before he got hurt, and Bynum is way ahead of projected schedule. My point is, these guys aren't the scrubs that they were last year.
Let us not get carried away. If current trends hold- Phil Jackson and Brian Hill ( magic) and Avery are the front runners. True we had injuries- but that is a part of the game.
You need to take injuries into account. That they're "part of the game' is irrelevant. You judge a coach's performance by how his team exceeded (or lagged) expectations based on the player personnel. If the roster suffered a lot of injures, the expectations obviously lower.
The difference is that I think JVG has to take some of the blame of the injuries...I think the way he manages their minutes is really bad, and it leaves them suceptible to injuries as they play fatigued. DD
Yao injured broke his leg in the opening minutes of a game. Was he fatigued? McGrady went out against the Wizards after resting for 10-15 minutes due to the lighting problem. He was injured shortly after returned to the court. Was that due to fatigue? I'm sorry. I don't buy it.
Injuries or no injuries.. it's going to take a some big winning streaks for JVG to win Coach of The Year.
Yao's was clearly a freak thing...no doubt about it, but Tmac had played a TON of minutes before the injury, but not so much the amount of minutes but the lack of rest.....JVG should give Tmac a blow earlier in the game....or use his timeouts and get him some rest. I do think Tmac's injury could be a direct result of being fatigued..... Or JVG's attitude is so bad that he is just a cancer.....and bad luck. DD
If we had beaten the Mavs then ya he would've been right at the top. That game was <b>very </b> winnable. A few adjustments and we win that game. The role players and JVG blew the game. Role players cause they couldnt hit a shot. JVG for not utilizing his bench and only goin 7 deep, while Avery just about used everyone on his bench even in the first quarter. He used Buckner, stackhouse, harris, stackhouse etc. Just about everyone until he found a rotation that worked against TMAC and Mutombo......... JVG could have responded by putting Snyder on Stackhouse.....or Bonzi in for Mutombo to change up lineups.........or try putting in Novak or Padgett when TMAC was being triple teamed............. JVG is doing better this year, sure. But to me he still got schooled by Avery Johnson that game......U <b>can't </b> waste a 45 night by TMAC.......just cant.....If we had no one on the bench, I would take the loss.....but we did.....JVG is not coach of the year yet.....
JVG is a top 5 coach in the league. They're not many coaches that can take a bunch of role players and scrubs and continue to compete and win night in and night out.
