June 10, 2003 -- One year ago, the Knicks refused to allow Jeff Van Gundy to run the ballyhooed pre-draft workout for 7-6 phenom Yao Ming in Chicago. Now Van Gundy has the last laugh. No longer can the Knicks stop Van Gundy from turning Yao into a superstar. Van Gundy will become the Rockets' new coach after accepting their standing offer yesterday morning. The final details of the contract - believed to be in the five-year, $25 million range - were being hammered out yesterday. As reported here two weeks ago, the Knicks will want compensation since they own Van Gundy's contractual rights until July 31 and likely will ask for a future second-rounder. It is a small price to pay for the Rockets, who get the perfect coach to construct a low-post offense centered around Yao and orchestrated by point guard Steve Francis. "It's a great job, it's very hard to fill the two positions - center and point guard," Van Gundy said during his Houston visit Thursday. "And the Rockets have done a great job of getting that base. Those jobs, where you have a good center and point guard and a good nucleus of youth, that's hard to find." Rockets GM Carroll Dawson said in a statement he was "jumping up and down" when Van Gundy accepted their standing offer. The Post reported last Thursday Dawson had selected Van Gundy as his top choice. The Rockets, surprisingly, missed the playoffs, prompting Rudy Tomjanovich's resignation, though Houston played it off as health-related. "Rudy tried to respect the players and give them space," a source close to Dawson said. "They want to go in a different direction and Jeff is about discipline." Van Gundy is expected to bring along his former Knick lieutenants Tom Thibodeau, Steve Clifford and Andy Greer, maybe even Patrick Ewing. Larry Smith, who replaced cancer-stricken Tomjanovich for the last 17 games, is not expected to be retained and Don Chaney, who coached him in Houston, has shown interest in Smith for the Knick assistant vacancy. Van Gundy confidants say he realized the Cavs weren't a good fit - showing patience with rookies was never his strong suit. Though Van Gundy was offered a tiny percentage of ownership in Washington, Van Gundy considers the competency of the majority owner more important. Abe Pollin? Please. The Rockets were his clear No. 1 choice but he didn't rush. "His defensive plan is very good," Dawson said. "We decided he was the best fit. I think we got a very good coach. I think it is going to be a good marriage." Who wanted to go in a different direction, the players?
I really think that JVG has been eyeing to coach our big man YAO, to turn him as the most dominant center in the league. Now that's impressive in a way!And not to mention Ewing on his side, How can you go wrong!
Kid Rock-et, I think the team wanted to go in a different direction in terms of how the coach handles the players. Rudy was laid back and gave the players space. Van Gundy is a more in your face disciplinarian.
Just what the doctor ordered an in your face diciplinarian! Wake up Rockets you are about to be made into a team!!
Heres the write up from the Paper of Record (Times): Van Gundy Accepts Job as Coach of the Rockets By CHRIS BROUSSARD Nearly 18 months to the day after stunning the N.B.A. by resigning as coach of the Knicks, Jeff Van Gundy accepted an offer to coach the Houston Rockets yesterday. Van Gundy, whom the Rockets had courted for a week, telephoned Carroll Dawson, the team's general manager, to tell him that he wanted the job yesterday morning. The Rockets did not make an official announcement because their lawyers were still negotiating the details of the contract with Van Gundy's agent, Jim Ornstein. But Dawson said yesterday that Van Gundy was the Rockets' new coach. Dawson would not comment on the terms of the contract, but it is believed to be worth about $25 million over five years. He said he expected everything to be solidified, and he expected to hold a news conference announcing Van Gundy's hiring this week. "I was very thrilled," Dawson said of receiving Van Gundy's telephone call. "He was very excited, and I was jumping up and down. My wife thought that I was crazy. You're looking at a happy guy. I don't expect any problems at all on the contract part. I think we got a very good coach and I think that it's going to be a good marriage." Van Gundy, who resigned after nearly six seasons as Knicks coach on Dec. 8, 2001, is still under contract with the Knicks through July 31, so the Rockets had to compensate the Knicks for Van Gundy's services. Houston agreed to give the Knicks a future second-round draft pick, according to an Eastern Conference official. The year of the selection has not been determined. Van Gundy's decision ends a month of courtship. Six teams - Houston, Cleveland, Washington, Philadelphia, New Orleans and Toronto - received permission from the Knicks to speak with him, and Van Gundy interviewed with Houston, Cleveland and Washington. He turned down opportunities to interview with Philadelphia and New Orleans. Van Gundy, who worked as an analyst for TNT telecasts this season, could not be reached for comment yesterday. But after a tour of the Rockets' new arena, which will be open for the 2003-4 season, last Thursday, Van Gundy spoke about the prospects of winning in Houston. "The job here is about only one thing: winning, and winning big - winning championships," Van Gundy said. "I've said all the time that the only worthwhile goal in the N.B.A. is to be pursuing a championship. That doesn't mean if you don't win, it's a failure in that year. But you always want to be making strides to try to get there. I think because of the nucleus that has been assembled - good ownership, good management and a good nucleus - that it's a wonderful opportunity." Van Gundy, 41, never won a championship with the Knicks, but he was one of the franchise's most successful coaches. After being named interim coach when Don Nelson was fired late in the 1995-96 season, Van Gundy compiled a 248-172 record. He was 37-32 in the playoffs, leading the Knicks to the postseason every year, and he led them to the 1999 Eastern Conference title; they lost in the finals to the San Antonio Spurs in five games. In Houston, Van Gundy has the foundation for what could be his best team yet. Yao Ming, the Rockets' 7-foot-6 center from China, completed his rookie season and could be as good, if not better, than Patrick Ewing. And Steve Francis, the All-Star point guard, will probably be the best guard Van Gundy has coached. players like Cuttino Mobley, Eddie Griffin, Maurice Taylor, James Posey and Moochie Norris give the Rockets a talented supporting cast. Van Gundy will also be reunited with Glen Rice, whom the Knicks obtained in a trade for Ewing during the summer of 2000. Van Gundy has yet to choose his coaching staff, but Dawson said it would be Van Gundy's decision. ___________________________________________________ Moochie and talent in the same sentence!
When you say team are you saying the players or the management? The way the quote from the source reads is that the players wanted a change, that they wanted more discipline. If that is the case then who wanted the discipline, who voiced his dissapointment with the freedom Rudy gave them? Do you think the entire team sat down and said they needed more discipline? I am sure management saw it coming it just reads to me like it was one of Rudy's own that betrayed him. It's like a little kid who gets into trouble and says to his parents "if you would have punished me I never would have been bad"
From some of the stupid things Ewing has said I am not a big fan. I would rather see Mario Elie get an assistant coaching spot. But I am biased towards one of my all time favorite Rockets. Hmmm I thought I replied to a different thread. Not sure how this ended up here.
I'd like to see the Junk Yard Dog on the coaching staff too. I also want to see a great big man help out Yao some. I'm guessing JVG will make a wise choice on who he brings in as the assistant.
I agree with the Ewing comment. I, more than anyone, hate the Knix and will always hate the Knix. I have hated Ewing from the day I understood basketball because he was a Knick. BUT, I have heard people say that Dream or Moses Malone would be a better coach than Ewing, but I haven't heard either of them knocking on the Rockets door to try and be a coach for us. At least Ewing is showing interest in being w/ VG, and I think he would be great to show Yao the ropes. As long as he doesn't teach Yao how to make a game winning shot at the buzzer, Ewing always seemed to stink at those.
So it looks like he's gonna keep Francis at the point. I think Steve'll be just fine there as long as Van Gundy can help him develop.
