My problem with Jeff is that he coaches only one side of the ball. Its almost to the point where I feel that they need an offensive coordinator like in football. Jeff handles defense aka Wade Philips and Ex. Rick Adelamn coaches offense aka Garrett. rudy got a performance on his players on offense which is the emphasis of the league right now and was not too shabby of a defensive coach himself.
How is this even a question. JVG should never be mentioned in the same sentence as Rudy. Rudy was a great coach, the best the rockets ever had. JVG is not even a top 10 coach in the league today.
LOL wishful thinking buddy... wishful thinking. What about when we had Hakeem, Barkley, and Drexler in 1997? (That's right... I went there) Why didn't Rudy win the big one? What about when we had Hakeem, Barkley, and Pippen? Why didn't we win the big one? I'd like to see how Rudy could beat a much more talented Mavs team if his defensive scheme is nowhere near the level of JVG's team. I'll say it again, if Juwan Howard was healthy for that series, we'd beat the Mavs and Suns with JVG as our coach.
I voted for Rudy for a couple of reasons. 1. He let the players play 2. He was positive in spite of negative situations, losing streaks, bad games, moody players 3. He won two titles, albeit with better talent 4. His famous statement "Never underestimate the heart of a champion"
Rudy took an extremely old team of superstars to the championship of the western conference and lost a chance at the Bulls because of a miracle shot by Stockton (Drex was held on the play by Malone). You've got nothing rookie. Rudy >x10 JVG Rudy got Results.
Oh, give me a break... Dream, Drexler, and Barkley may not have been in their prime in 97, but you're going to dismiss them as "extremely old"? All three players could still play at an elite level that year. Don't even act like it was all Rudy T that got us there. Going into the season, me and A LOT of other Rockets fans had championship expectations, and we didn't get there. Utah played like the better team that year too. Even if we won Game 6, you really think we could've beaten them at Utah in Game 7? I'm not saying it would be impossible, but we had already lost to them three times in the Delta Center just in that series. Again, what about in 99 when we had Pippen? Why couldn't Rudy get us past the 1st round? You've got nothing... contributing member.
Not really. Not really at all. And I think it depends on the lineup. But I'll always love Rudy...and as of now I only like VG
From what I heard, Tomjanovich said he doesn't want to coach anymore. It's not like there is a lack of coaching opportunities. He just doesn't care for the stress.
how is this even comparable, it is not even close. This is like that "who will be the better rocket" thread. how some of you voted for yao over hakeem is beyond me. Rudy brought 2 chapionships to Houston, give him some respect. What has JVG ever done? not gotten the rockets out of the first round of the playoffs. JVG is not even a top 10 coach in the league today, he is in no way comparable to Rudy
Jeff Van Gundy is probably one of the smartest coaches in the league. He has a Napoleonesque temperament because of his small stature, leading to his "my way or no way" attitude. Not to say other coaches are not like that, but he just seems to be more up front about it. A lot of times he comes off as thinking he is bigger than the team. He may rub some people the wrong way, but his teams play hard, and that speaks volumes for how much respect the players have for him. He is similar to Bill Fitch and Pat Riley in that his drive and constant pushing of his players to be their best wears thin, which is why he will probably not be coaching for the Rockets after 5 years. Players liked Rudy on the other hand because he was a player's coach; he basically let them do whatever they wanted. Established players like Hakeem, Clyde, and Charles basically carried him to winning seasons when they were still productive. We saw a glimpse of how well Rudy actually coached when Steve, Cuttino, and Moochie decided to played iso-ball the whole game and exposed the fact that he never really had control. I had a friend a few years ago who would regularly go to Clyde's house to play ball. Clyde basically told him that Rudy was an inept coach, and that either he or Hakeem would usually call the important, clutch-time plays in the huddle. Not to say that Rudy wasn't a talented motivator, or that his staff was not top-notch. There is a reason why the Lakers let him go so soon into his coaching stint, and it more than likely wasn't health. If Yao and T-Mac stay healthy, and we bring in a player or two to plug our holes, Van Gundy will get a couple of rings within the next few years.
What a bunch of BS....watch the old games he is always designing a play...your friend lied to you and posting it is stupid. Rudy left on his own - more BS. I disagree, JVG is not creative enough nor gives enough leeway to his players to win a championship....IMHO. DD
Why are you changing the subject? I was talking about 1997, not 1995. Focus! We didn't win a SINGLE game at Utah in the WCF. Even if we were to win Game 6, we would be certain underdogs in Game 7. We could win that game, but it never happened... because we didn't win Game 6.
What is the saying...never trust anyone who deals in absolutes? (I think it was in Star Wars, but it applies to real life as well) Since you created this topic DaDakota, my assumption is that you wanted to hear other people's opinions on why they would pick one coach over the other. My friend told me that Clyde said he or Hakeem would USUALLY call crunch-time plays, not that Clyde and Hakeem would call ALL of the plays. Again, this was just my opinion. Did Stan Van Gundy really leave the Heat under his own will? Do politicians always just leave office "to spend more time with their family?" Hmm...not enought leeway to his players. To who, Yao and Tracy? He lets them take almost any shot they want on the court. But that's because they are Yao and Tracy. As it is he probably gives too much leeway to Rafer, who jacks up threes like he's Reggie Miller. Players fill roles on a team, and he is still trying to find the right mix of role players for our team's particular strengths. If you are talking about his team's style of play, I have heard more than one commentator say that the Rockets style of play is much more uptempo than his teams have been in the past, only because he has better talent than what he had with his old Knicks teams. But I digress. The argument is who I would prefer to coach the Rockets right now (Van Gundy). If you want intelligible responses to your future posts, try to be more tactful with your disagreements.
I do agree that JVG is not a championship coach, but the blame should be put on CD for not surrounding Tmac and Yao with good role players.
Rudy is a better motivator, and he's better at bringing out all of his players potential through heart. I think he sealed that rep when he won bronze in the Worlds with a team of scrubs. Jeff is a better planner and drillmaster, but I think it's over for us if another team knocks out one of the legs to his schemes, as they're supposed to do in the playoffs. They are different approaches, but I think it's easier for a player to step up during crunch time under Rudy because he gives them that freedom, whereas if you haven't earned Jeff's trust, then you aren't going anywhere.
