[Houston Chronicle] Rockets give Van Gundy non-coaching option

dreammvp · May 18, 2007

Glendelicious said:

I don't understand why so many people are totally sure that this is finished, that the Rockets want to fire JVG, and that they're just spinning things until they can officially can him, or whatever. Is that a possibility? Sure, but the situation seems far more ambiguous to me. For instance:

"(JVG) had decided he would like to return. Tuesday, Morey described the decision as mutual."

What the hell does that mean? The "decision"? What decision? JVG has clearly decided he wants to come back and coach, but the Rockets' position is ambiguous. It's mutual? So where's the damn 4 year extension? What are these reported conditions under which JVG would return/the Rockets would take him back?

As for the guys who are ready to pop the Champagne corks and celebrate JVG's departure and Adelman's entrace, um, are you kidding me? Look, go to basketball-reference.com and take a look at the careers of these two coaches.

Adelman is an offensive mastermind? For one thing, the offensive schemes of those excellent Sac teams is largely attributed to Eddie Jordan, who implemented Pete Carill's (sp?) Princeton offense (with Carill also an assistant coach with Sac as tutor): backdoors, sharp, timely cuts, precise passing schemes. And before you jump down JVG for not implementing some a similar scheme, remember that the Princeton offense's success is contingent on having excellent shooters and passers. And regardless of the offense used, check out the personnel on those teams: Webber, Peja, Bibby, Brad Miller, Divac, with guys off the bench like Bobby Jackson, Pollard, Turkoglu, Peeler, Jim Jackson.

These teams were STACKED and all the starters were in their primes, save a still very effective Divac. And every one of the starters were excellent passers. Webber and Divac alone were two of the best passing big men in NBA history. I mean, Bibby, a very good passer, was the worst passer in the starting lineup. And the starters were excellent shooters, except Webber, a good shooter. And what happened when that talent dissipated, through injuries, trades, guys passing their peaks? The team went to hell.

Adelman is just like a million other NBA coaches, he's fine, he's decent, and his success is contingent on the talent available. It's nothing against him; that describes 95% of all NBA head coaches over the last 50 years. It's that 5%, maybe only 1%, who really make a difference, the rare coaches that coax W/L records out of teams that bely their talent. The fact that JVG has "delivered results" with the Rockets and Knicks teams he's had, is remarkable. The Rockets have two brilliant starters, a very good non-shot-creating third guy, in Battier, and... Deke is great for 5 minute stretches, but you know, center ain't exactly a weak spot for us. At this point in his career, Howard is a solid set shooter from 10 or 12 feet. Alston protects the ball and... Hayes is a terrific rebounder and defender and a good bet to score within two feet of the rim, without a shot-blocker near by. And the kids? I feel good about the futures of the young guys on the team, but right now they're clueless. That isn't JVG not knowing young players, it's just the nature of young players. Most of them take a while. And remember, we're not talking lottery talent here. I think they'll get good, in time, but there's no way that any of the young guys, other than Head, a late first-rounder who's largely one-dimensional at this point, would crack the rotations of any team in the NBA, regardless of the coach they play for. They're just not ready. On those Sac teams, Head is the third guard off the bench. Here, he's started half the time. People think JVG's offense is too simple? To predictable? That's what happens when you have one perimeter player who can create shots for himself and teammates, and one post scorer. That the Rockets have had this much success, with Yao and TMac being out so often, is remarkable.

All right, I've said enough. I've avoided most of these JVG threads and maybe this isn't the best place for it, but it always gets to me when fans delight at the prospect of ditching JVG. He has one of the finest basketball minds among NBA coaches, going back as far as you like, and losing him would be devastating. Do check out basketball-reference and check out the biggest name coaches and the talent they had over their careers and compare it to what JVG has had in his career (and Adelman, check out those Portland teams too), and reconsider your position on him.

Peace,

M.
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good point.....I want him back and I've said that all along....

dreammvp · May 18, 2007

DaDakota said:

I guarantee he has been told, but neither side is telling the fans....we will find out when the contracts are signed after the negotiations are over.

DD
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what guarantee are you giving? Were you in the meetings? You know as much as the rest of us....
Last I read was the JVG wants to be back and morey said the feeling was mutual...the longer this plays out, the better chance there is that JVG will be back....I know thats not what you want DD but you have to think of it as a possibliltiy....

GATER · May 18, 2007

awo86 said:

i bet u ur dick that alston will start and maybe ur balls that hayes will start even if adelman becomes our coach next season. barring roster changes of cuz.
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Barring roster changes??????

Are you serious or just yielding to a compulsive urge to place your hands on a computer keyboard?

That's the first thing Adelman will push for is to get rid of Gundy's slow pokes.

Congratulations on entering the fast lane to a Clutch Classic moment.

brantonli24 · May 18, 2007

http://broadband.nba.com/cc/playa.p...om/pod/pod_070517.asx&video=blank&nbasite=nba

There was this NBA siruis channel 127 on #NBA boardband, and JVG says that 'I would like to be back' I don't understand, if he wants to be back why doesn't he tell Dawson directly?

DaDakota · May 18, 2007

dreammvp said:

what guarantee are you giving? Were you in the meetings? You know as much as the rest of us....
Last I read was the JVG wants to be back and morey said the feeling was mutual...the longer this plays out, the better chance there is that JVG will be back....I know thats not what you want DD but you have to think of it as a possibliltiy....
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Yeah, I admit it is a possibility, but I believe he has been told and all of this is just posturing.

JVG is gone....I know it in my heart of hearts.

DD

A_3PO · May 18, 2007

Will said:

Between this and the Justice column, it seems pretty clear what's going on. (I'm just inferring here.) Alexander thinks he's doing Van Gundy a favor by pretending not to fire him. Van Gundy, on the other hand, is following his usual practice of brutal honesty, which is completely screwing up Alexander's policy of polite lying. Morey is cringing at the idea of losing both Dawson and Van Gundy, the two guys who know the team best, in his first week as GM. He wants to keep Van Gundy around, at least as brain trust, but is fast losing hope that he can sell Alexander on anything like that.

Bottom line: We're stuck with a stupid owner. We have little hope of adding new talent. Our new coach will not be any better than the old one. And if Morey decides his boss is too difficult to work with, we could soon be looking at another new GM.
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Will, you are a scholar. The only part I disagree with is Les isn't trying to do JVG a favor. He's trying to cover himself against looking bad for firing a coach after winning 50 games. He's a chicken.

ubigred · May 18, 2007

JVG should just be our def. coach. He doesn't wanna leave houston! Its not like he's a championship coach anyway. He should be lucky he has had a coaching job. Baggy eyed dwarf

Mavs. aj and del harris

Spurs pop and pj carlisimo

edc · May 18, 2007

A_3PO said:

Will, you are a scholar. The only part I disagree with is Les isn't trying to do JVG a favor. He's trying to cover himself against looking bad for firing a coach after winning 50 games. He's a chicken.
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Le$ doesn't care about "looking bad." He's proven that. Besides, no one in the national media would say a peep about not picking up the option (NOT "firing") on a coach that cannot get out of the first round, and now has a history of blowing 2-0 leads.

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