Jeff, your comments about Bobby Knight screaming and moaning give yourself away as a Rudy apologist. Major's point in bringing up Tech and Knight were about the way that team now plays: team basketball (versus the painful, stand around, 1 or 2 option Rocket offense), not about the temperament with which Knight coaches, yelling and screaming (versus Rudy's more player-friendly style). I have nothing personal against Rudy. I think he's a great guy, honest for the most part, trying to do well. However, he isn't half as skilled at coaching the game of basketball as the upper-echelon coaches in the league. At the same time, Knight is a total *******, but his whole is greater than the sum of his parts. And I think it's ludicrous to say that this team isn't talented enough to compete. Obviously, they are: see the Minnesota game. The problem is they keep making the same mistakes over and over and over. And at the end of the day, that is the coach's fault.
My comments about Bobby Knight have nothing to do with Rudy T. I freaking can't stand Bob Knight. Period. He is, plain and simple, an *******. I don't care what he does as a coach. Anyone who is that sorry of a human being doesn't deserve the praise he gets as a coach. So, my complaints about Knight have little to do with my comments about Rudy. The problem, for me, is that I have no way of proving my point until next season. It is easy to complain about the system as is and the coach or the players. I don't know how many of you remember, but there was a time when everyone said Hakeem would never grow up and that he was a loser. Unfortunately, I have to suffer through "You just love Rudy T and want to kiss his ass" because I have more patience than most. If this team is just as horrible next year and we are healthy, I'll be the first to call for a change. But, I can't damn any coach when he doesn't have a team on the floor that is capable of winning on a consistent basis and this team, on most nights that Francis is out, just doesn't.
I would love to see a John Thompson come in and try his hand at coaching should Rudy T. ever get fired. I think he would bring discipline and structure into this organization as well as getting the big men to play BIG.
Rudy will never be fired but maybe a Van Gundy could come in and be a consultant or something because I do think some fresh ideas would help the team, we could start working on a philosophy this year and come out strong next because we are basically out of it this year. I do think when Griffin bulks up and becomes an offensive presence down low, Rudy's system will work a whole lot better.. ________________________________________ Milo
