There was some bitterness in the way he was fired, understandably, but I think he did bury the hatchet. He has been very complimentary of Morey in broadcasts since then, he has referenced some of the "advanced" stats Morey uses in broadcasts, and he attended Morey's MIT conference a couple years back as a speaker. The conflict is mainly between JVG and Les Alexander.
If anything... if Adelman decides to retire, i would much rather go a completely different route... Either give Elston Turner an opportunity... he's been searching for a head coaching job for some time, and i think he would be a good replacement. Another option would be Mario Elie (also been looking for a head coaching job) and/or Sam Cassell.
Unless something surprising happens at the trade deadline, we're going to have a pretty young, developing squad next season. While I think JVG is a good coach, he's good for veteran teams; I don't think I'd want him coaching rookie contracts. I don't see how he comes back after getting fired anyway. Adelman is also a good coach, and I think he'd be fine coaching the younger guys, though I'd still worry about the defense. I don't think it's the kind of gig he'd want to keep, since he could get a job with a veteran team and contend for a title instead of wasting his time with us. But, if it were up to me, I'd keep him. I doubt you find a better coach on the open market.
+1. I'm betting that when Battier got bloodied, or Scola got knocked down, JVG would be on the feet of someone.
God no to Van Dummy!! VD doesn't play or develop youth period. As he has said many times it is not his job to develop youth, it is his job to win. Where does he fit with our Young players? He doesn't. He is a destroyer of youth and not a builder. All our youth would be packaged and shipped for old Knick rejects. I am sure there a few someplace collecting a paycheck he would get. If he can't find them, I am sure we would be the oldest team in the league within 18 months of his coming back just like we were when he left
Jeff Van Gundy's motto was always "draft offense and teach defense". Adelman, on the other hand, seems to be highly dependent on the existing defensive IQ and strengths of his players to field a decent defensive team. On a motivational level, though, I believe that JVG was better at getting his teams prepared for games and players to do their roles. JVG's teams rarely lost games because of a lack of effort or motivational issues, and I miss that. I miss the attention to detail, the precise defensive positioning and rotation, the way he would not hesitate to bench people for dogging it out on the court. It happens way too often these days and RA just sits on the bench looking.
Which young players did JVG ever fail to develop under his tenure that went on to do something elsewhere? As for the old Knicks reject, I'm really glad RA has never done that with old Kings players......
When I saw this poll, my first instinct was Jeff Van Gundy, so I voted for him. But then something occurred to me. "Hello? Rudy T? Surely we can lure him back home from the Fakers somehow." But THEN, I remembered his health is keeping him from ever coaching again.
You are probably right. I don't think there much of a chance....but we as fans can still express something about the product we are seeing on the floor. They wanted an uptempo exciting offense and so adelman was brought in. At first he ran jvg game as that's what the players knew. We still looked rough on offense and guys like mutumbo really held that together. Last year with deke gone...hayes role reduced and barrier injured....no yak and no flax....adelman implemented his offense. It didn't work mostly that he has the wrong personnel. He's not an adaptive coach. He runs a system that let's players do what they are best at and what they like.....which is great for experienced players who are defensively there already. But for young guys its terrible. I don't think jvg will be back. I don't think adelman will be either. But I do know that a coach like jvg could squeeze every last drop of potential from this group that could be had and I would prefer to watch that then the product I see on the floor now.
Once upon a time, as a Rockets fan you looked forward to watching every single game because you knew no matter how talented the other team was, the Rockets always had a good chance to win. Once upon a time, practically every trip opponents took down the court ended in a difficult, contested jump shot. Once upon a time, all five starters were benched simultaneously because they weren't trying hard enough. Once upon a time, you could dump the ball down to Yao and be guaranteed to get a high percentage shot every time because he was the best center in the NBA. Once upon a time, we could take streetballing rejects like Rafer Alston and turn them into disciplined, controlled facilitators and role players. Even if they still couldn't shoot. Once upon a time, giving up a layup to the other team was an abominable sin. Once upon a time, blowout losses were the exception to the rule. Blowout wins were commonplace, and it was fun watching the other guys struggle to crack 80 points. Once upon a time, this team never, ever lost a game because it was unprepared. Once upon a time, Rockets fans knew what the phrase "defensive adjustments" meant. Once upon a time ...
Exactly. I mean, look at how all those players JVG was sticking on the end of the Rockets bench are tearing up the league now that he is not there to keep them down. Spanoulis, Nachbar, Novak, Lucas III, Ford, Braggs, Wilks, Barret, Knight, Bogans, Davis, Frahm, Graham, and Lampe; you could just get all of those guys together on a team and you would be a lock for the #1 seed. I think four of them are still playing in the NBA. JVG's youth hating ways even went back to his days in New York. There he failed to develop such luminaries as: Chris Jent, Walter McCarty, John Wallace, Ben Davis, Etdrick Bohannon, Demarco Johnson, Lavor Post, and just to give extra combo Rockets/youth hate Mirsad Turckan. He broke with his form for some reason, giving extensive minutes to Marcus Camby, Chris Childs, and Charlie Ward.
SweetLou this is a legit question, because people always wonder in life if they are told change is for the better and it turns out not to be. All we have to compare it to is our situation prior to the change. Here is my $.02: It doesn't matter unless we get some LEGIT 4th quarter go to guys (s), and a 7 footer that can block shots. Doesn't have to be Deke or Dream calibur, but a Tyson Chandler level player. Without this, Red Auerbach could coach this team and the results would be the same. That said, I prefer Van Gundy over Adelman for the simple fact that he held players accountable for a lack of effort. Shane Battier and Chuck Hayes are loved on this board because they give you max effort every single play. Same with Scola. Shane and Chuck are from the van Gundy Regime. We paid to see guys compete. Now the under 30 crowd on the board is asking us to tank. Which reminds me, I need to go rant in the other thread about tanking now.
