I'm not going to be a JVG apologist, I thought he was badly outcoached in the playoffs this year. Having said that, I think his firing was a knee jerk reaction that is going to set this team back for years. Do any of you remember how BAD this team was right before Jeff arrived? How frustrating it was to watch a lazy, undisciplined bunch of underachievers turn the ball over time after time after time... Jeff's system may have been boring, but overall he did a damn fine job here. This team dove for loose balls, played defense like it mattered, and were overall quite good considering injuries and the severe limitations of the roster. Jeff worked his ass off. I don't think there is anyone in sports who works harder than Jeff Van Gundy. He's also honest and tells it like it is for better or worse. I think it's unfortunate when someone with those qualities, who has been successful in his position, loses his job over a personality conflict with management. I can tell you one thing without a doubt... I would HATE to work for Les Alexander. Dude seems like an absolute first-class douchebag. Good luck, Jeff. Whoever you end up coaching will immediately become my 2nd favorite team.
There should be two sticky threads. One for the jvg lovers to post in and one for the jvg haters to post in. All the threads on the boards all say the same thing right now.
Look nobody ever questioned Jeff's hard work and discipline not even Les Alexander doubted that for a moment. His offense was the reason he got canned , Les wants a better offensive team that score some points and win games. Honestly our offense suck in the playoffs and JVG made no adjustments whatsoever to make things better. We scored like 87 ppg while allowing 90 ppg to the Jazz. That is unacceptable and thus the change is warranted at the coaching spot. JVG is a defense 1st coach and we need a balanced team thats all.
But yet he couldnt come up with something to maintain Utah??? Maybe Utah was just the bettet team? What are you supposed to do when the better team wins?
Utah wasn't the better team. JVG got outcoached by sloan by a country mile. JVG doesn't know how to make any adjustments.
He had tmac for 3 years too, that made a huge difference. He was not the only problem, but he did have to go. I know not having talnet was a problem, but that is partly due to jvg. He was unable/unwilling to coach guys like Bonzi and he wa shte one who kept bringing in role player like battier and hayes instead of talent
Here's my $.02 on Van Gundy.... For all the hard work he puts in watching video, etc. he should have been able to come up with something to stop Utah. He got out coached!!!!! Other reasons I dont like JVG: 1.) He doesnt develop young players. What we lack the most was a big wing player, yet we had him sitting on the bench the whole season (Snyder). I know he isnt the best bball player. but a 6'6 athletic wing and he cant see the court?? 2) Allowing Rafer to continue to jack up 3's at a 35% clip is insane. He's our PG and should be setting guys up. But instead McGrady had to do everything in his offense, which wore him down by season's end. 3.) For all the wide open 3's we had, Novak can maybe can a chance at some PT? 4.) Bonzi Wells...I dont give a rats ass if 90% of the people on this board think he is lazy or fat or outta shape. The fact is that he could have definitely helped this team.PERIOD!!! Hopefully Adelman will talk him into staying
You're crazy. How anyone could watch that series and not see that Utah was CLEARLY the better team is beyond me. Jeff was also outcoached. I don't deny that. You have to look at the overall body of work though. You don't fire a guy for losing a playoff series that you were not heavily favored to even win. It came down to the last couple of games of the season to even get home court advantage in that series. At no point in time were we clearly the better team. I don't know...this is a no-win argument. I'll bet half of the people on here agree with me and the other half are just ready for a change.
As much as we all know JVG as a stubborn coach, we also know that he's an encyclopedia of basketball knowledge. Triangle, Princeton, Run and Gun, Cutters, Motion offenses he knows them all. He could have adjusted. He didn't and like the dinosaurs he is now extinct.
JVG worked his butt off doing the same thing he has always done. When the series changed requiring him to do something different against Utah, what changes did he make. That's right zero. He had his shot and I think the Rockets deserve someone between the Grump (Jeff) and Drunk (Rudy).
Which he choose. he didnt want younger players on his team (Gay), he wanted older veterans and he refused to play any younger guys, that was his problem/fault.
oh that's right JVG ran the whole operation. he's the gm/owner too now? the GM assembles the team. the coach coaches who he's got.
I dont sure whether adelman will be the right choice but I do know fire jvg is the right choice so far
