JVG slipped on the stairs 2 weeks ago and broke his 2-year-old daughter's leg lol. EDIT: Faos beat me to it. Anyway, he also said that he's going to try and be a bit less harsh during press conferences and other media sessions, so that he doesn't come off so grumpy to fans and whatnot. Interesting to hear him say that.
This is awesome, he is ragging on himself something fierce. Sharing how he broke his 2 year old daughter's leg by falling on the stairs as he was carrying her walking in socks. Call CPS !! (just kidding). Saying how his wife is one of the callers asking for him to be fired ! Classic ! JVG on this show is very engaging, and hilarious. I agree with a lot of what he is saying, except that he only points out the negatives, and I believe some players (cough Swift) respond better to positive reinforcement. DD
Finally! I don't have to go to work today so I can stream some Rockets talk radio.... I feel like a smoker who just had his first cigarette after quitting for years.
On Spanoullis - "He's not a cross between Kobe and Tony Parker. He can penetrate the ball, he's not a great shooter, he's a poor rebounder, he's a poor defender, but he's a great competitor. He might be able to be an NBA player someday. I'm not sure we want to use the MLE on him."
- Says he thinks Spanoulis CAN be an NBA rotation player, but that he's not amazed by him. Says he's a great competitor and penetrator but a very poor rebounder and defender. - Says he wants a PG close to Rafer's ability level so there's not so much drop off when Rafer sits. JVG said "IF Rafer is to be the starter". I found that interesting. - They will work on Rafer's 3-point shooting. - Admits to missing Mike James, but that the trade was a sound one because they weren't sure what Mike would do when his contract was up. Says that they needed Rafer's distributing style but also needed Mike's mentality as well. "We really need BOTH" were his exact words. - JVG is personally buying 50 season tickets behind the basket for next year and they will be given away outside before games to rowdy fans. Sounds a lot like what was done last season, but different because JVG is doing it out of his own pocket. - Says he might have not been in his seat during games this last season either. Would have been eating in the Red & White bar instead.
He's going to buy 50 season tickets next season with seats behind the basket. He wan't LOUD AND VOCAL fans. Has no idea who will get the seats.
I think he was talking about how Rafer doesn't shoot the 3 well but they were going to work on it in the off-season. They sound familiar though, so who knows?
"If you buy season tickets right now, you are betting on the right horse... If you like the lottery, this is the last time you are going to see if for a long time.... I hate that stuff, it is for losers." -Jeff Van Gundy
Says this team is the team to bet on to come back strong this year. They won't settle for losing. They don't plan on going to the lottery for a long time. If they don't improve, he says they will have to make changes and "they can start with me".
LOL@JVG "If I was a fan last season and had the chance to either eat at the Red, White Bistro (the restaurant in Toyota Center) or watch the us stumble on a 2-on-1 break, I would've probably done the same thing" JVG commentating on the fact that the TC was a "dead arena" last season and that it might be too nice or more like a lounge. Classic BTW, he said he will buy 50 season tickets and give them away to Rockets' fans next season, and will try to get some of our players to chip in more free season tickets. JVG said "Bet on us" next season, said if you like the lottery then enjoy this one because there won't be many more and he absolutely hates it. Says the Rockets will be back, and he needs the city to get behind them next year.
Man, JVG has got to be the best interview in the game - that was just great. He also mentioned what a bad decision he made in not keeping Padgett - how they missed the spacing that Padgett gave Yao and Tracy to operate in.
For some reason it didn't make me feel all that great when he said "Tracy will be fine". Made it sound like when someone gets bit by a snake and you try to keep everyone calm by saying "they'll be fine" but beneath the surface you're just hoping their face doesn't swell up like a watermelon.
JVG also commented that he wants no more "short" backcourt players and wants some size back there, not to mention good shooters to feed off Yao and McGrady. Said the biggest mistake he made was "letting Padgett go" in hindsight. Says they could've used Mike James' offensive firepower but that they also need to have a guy like Rafer on the team...basically that the team needs to have a guy like Rafer AND a guy like MJ, not one or the other (need diversity on the team).
Anyone else find it ironic that he did not mention Sura? I think Sura is toast, too bad, we needed more of his type of competitiveness. DD
Might have helped if the "interviewers" would have asked about him. I'm sure he would have answered. No questions about Juwan either. <----the emoticon for Juwan.
