Most of Sam Smith's columns should come with the same warning that Miss Cleo gives: FOR ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY. But that concerns the trades he invents. He did get one right: acquiring Jalen Rose. He wrote an article about the coaching carousel, and this is what he wrote about Jeff Van Gundy and the Rockets: --------------------------------- Van Gundy was a successful coach for the Knicks, though success in NY these days is a .500 record. Van Gundy was a little better than that, got a few breaks and stumbled into the Finals in 1999. He then jumped ship, quitting in December 2001 when the Knicks, then 10-9, began to sink. He certainly deserves another shot, though lately he has become the coaching version of Miss Universe: Everyone seems to want him, but what has he really done? We're not talking about Phil Jackson, Pat Riley, or Larry Brown here. It will be interesting to see whether Van Gundy's brusque Eastern style works in Houston. Pat Riley taught Van Gundy well: Get a center. Van Gundy got a good one in Yao Ming. Van Gundy's point guard is a good one, Steve Francis. But Francis is an uninhibited jazz musician on the floor, and Van Gundy is a symphony conductor working the classics. Van Gundy's approach in New York was to slow the game, overcoach his guards, walk the ball up through the center and try to win at the end. That takes away Francis' strength, as well as Cuttino Mobley's. It will be good theater to see who compromises. Or whether Van Gundy tries to talk Larry Johnson out of retirement. "I think [Van Gundy] has been pigeonholed a lot more than he should be," Rockets general manager Carroll Dawson said. "To win, you coach to your talent. It's going to be interesting to see how he feels things will work with this team. That's why we're getting a lot of film together for him. He has the intensity to win, but he finds the right button to push for each team." ------------------------------ I think CD's comment makes sense. You play to your strengths, as Pat Riley stated in 1994 during the Finals. With the Knicks, Riley had a bruising, physical, defense-oriented team; his Lakers teams were fun to watch because they had Magic, Kareem, Worthy, et al. Putting together a lot of film for JVG is great, but what will he see? What will he determine about the roster? Does anyone foresee a problem between JVG and our primary guards, or isn't this the reason we went out and got such a coach? (I would have posted this in the other thread that cited a bad website's article about Steve not liking the JVG hire, but since the website is bogus, and this article at least merits a little conversation; and that other thread is probably locked by now...)
Playing a walk-it-up-the-court-game was the only way JVG could win with the guys he had. There is no way he could've taken the Knicks anywhere near as far as they got having Allan Houston, Charlie Ward, and Larry Johnson run the break for 48 minutes a game. I think that given our talent and athleticism, JVG will create a system that benefits and plays to the abilities of our team.
Has anyone ever seen Kobe and Shaq play basketball together? Why do people believe that Yao and Francis can't coexist. Majority of laker games, Shaq gets the ball in, and does whatever he sees best with it, when shaq sits kobe takes over. we can take their tyle of play and succeed, Francis doesn't have to be a genius like you guys want him to, to get the ball in to yao, cut or just pull-up for the jumper. he can play a mike bibby style of ball.
I have to admit the thought of JVG as the Rockets coach had me squirming in my nightmares. The new and now reality is I think he'll bring some discipline, chemistry, and cohesion to a rather talented, but unruly bunch. As far as coaching and playing away from SF and CM strengths we'll just have too wait and see. I reluctantly agree it was time for a change and JVG seems to be the best fit. He’ll teach them something by god even if they don’t like it. They will all be better players and make the playoffs, so in the end we all win.
Francis still doesn't have Kobe's winner mentality, that's why. Oh, and also, Ming isn't even close to what Shaq (the healthy and in-shape on) is. So right now, we need to mix and match better with our players.
"Francis still doesn't have Kobe's winner mentality, that's why" What winner's mentalilty does it take when you're playing with one of, if not the most dominating player in the game. Steve works as hard as Kobe. In fact, in life Steve has had to overcome a lot more than Kobe. What more of a winner's mentality is there than to come from a bad situation to where Steve is right now?
Francis is much shorter than Kobe so he will never be as effective. He also lacks the killer instinct that Kobe possesses. Yao Ming is not and never will be the physical specimen that Shaq is (not that I think he has to be to reach his full potential). People should not compare Yao and Steve to Shaq and Kobe. It's just never going to happen.
I don't like Kobe. However, he sounds like the hardest working player in basketball. His off-season training is supposed to be grueling and the guy studies film relentlessly. I'm not saying Steve doesn't work hard, but I think the consensus around the league is that Kobe is the biggest competitor in the league since MJ and it's evidenced in his dedication to improving his game. Last year he put on 15 lbs. of muscle and this is after he had an amazing season. I don't like the guy, but I have to admit he's focused.
Well Jeff Van Gundy has already stated that our team will not play like the Knicks. Different team...different players.....different strengths...and weaknesses. He said that he hopes we can have a balanced game with offense and defense and running and isolation and pick and rolls and all types of offenses. And we won't be a .500 team. We should be more than 4 games above .500. We have enough talent to win games already.....with any coach..... But hopefully Jeff Van Gundy can make our team consistent and confident and try to play their best every game....even against the Nuggets or Bulls or whoever.
