Call me un-American but I'd rather have a team that plays gutsy up-tempo basketball and never wins a championship than a grind-it-out team that wins one championship in the next decade. I can handle not winning the championship-- so few do.
I have been a Rockets fan for a long long time. I cant ever remember watching our offense go through so many long scoreless stretches in one season. So I have to say NO, I did not like his style. I do think he is a good coach though.
prior to Yao's knee surgery he was having an mvp type season and I did enjoy watching that. Although I am looking forward to what adelman will do with Yao. Prior to JVG becoming coach I really didnt pay to much attention to defense, just how awful ISO ball was. But these past few years watching the defense smother the other team was really fun to watch. Alas, not even great team defense could offset our poor offensive talents, decent offensive sets/plays, and player mismatches out in the west.
JVG brand of baskeball is not the most exciting in the world...but I believe with the right group of players, he could've probably won a title or two by now. I could actually see being a good coach for Detroit, Miami, or even Phoenix type team where the players are so good offensively (or have great point guards or distributors of basketball with great talent off the bench) it would negate JVG lack of coaching schemes on offense, but would make those teams infinitely better defensively. Reason, we struggled in Houston so much, is because we don't have the players who can truly score without the basketball. We have had inept scoring options, not avaliable or not used or just not there. And we've had the misfortune of playing some tough teams in playoffs Mavs, Lakers, and Jazz, two of which played in Conference finals, one went to the title and should've won.
Was the coach or the players? I mean, seriously, maybe if the guy had decent players around Yao-Mac it wouldn't look so ugly. I've never been a fan of the offense - but I guess we'll learn from Adelman. If our shooting precentage jumps up next season, I think that will say a lot. But I'm not holding my breath.
I can't wait for January... NEW THREAD: We Score 105. They Score 110. THEN, THIS TIME NEXT YEAR: FIRE ADELMAN. BRING BACK THE DEFENSE! Just one meaningless thread after another after another after another started by people barely out of their teens! Van Gundy bashing will be in style for years to come I see...
Believe it or not I am tired of it as well. I think once the pre-season starts and the Rockets get some new players it will stop.
If the rockets were in the WCF right now, nobody would be complaining about style. The only thing that matters is winning or losing. Not style, or tempo, or whether you score 85 or 120. If the rockets win, everyone is happy, if they lose, its time to criticize everything.
It was Mr. Van Gundy. He knows exactly one type of basketball, and will put square pegs into round holes until he can either find some round pegs, or until the originals "sort of" fit. I've said it before, and I'll say it again (although I hope the gentleman becomes a faint memory sooner rather than later): "Adequate but uninspiring."
No kidding and it's a totally pointless arguement at this point. New coach next year, new style. Everything in the JVG era is done and over with but people seem to enjoy bashing more than having any actual meaningful conversation on the future of the team.
i think people put way too much emphasis on "entertaining style", what the hell does that mean anyways? more dunks? more fast break points? This is basketball, not a beauty contest. I can understand how a casual fan would need to be forced fed the 'good plays', like a dunk but for more observant fans you can see many 'good plays' on the court that arent so obvious. Personally, i dont think you need tricks or gimmicks to win. you just have to do a few things and do them well. Motion, spot up, fast break, slow it down...whatever, it doesnt matter so long as those things are done well. If someone cannot find great execution on defense 'entertaining' well thats probably b/c you dont really understand what you are watching. If watching a post player read and react to the defense isnt 'exciting' then i dont know what to tell you.
those people that enjoy the bashing arent basketball savvy enough to actually have a meaningful converstation
Those people that enjoy the JVG promoting/worshiping are protending they are basketball savvy, but can't handle the fact that JVG was fired.
You Are absolutely right. Nobody cares how many games we won with the one and Done style offense we used to have or how great the defense was. No Real rocket fan could give a crap. If we would have won 82 games with Van Dummy's style it just doesn't matter. Do you think Avery or Dirk are feeling any heat up here in Dallas? Bottom line for all questions or comments anyone has on this subject and the only thing that matters is zero/Zilch playoff series wins. Nodda in three tries. That is the only thing that matters. If the new style has 40 wins and we make it out of the first round, it is a wonderful style compared to the previous results of the past ten years. If we continue to be One and VanDundy, Addleman will feel our wrath and he'll be VanGonedy. The only thing that matters to any true fan is advancing in the playoffs. While i hated the previous style, I would have put up with it had it produced results. But with no results and the appeal of an evening watching the front lawn grow, it had to go.
