I totally agree with you. And I think that JVG's strategy finally worked against himself, by losing in the payoff. It was reported that he was still "undecided" about his future, but I think he just wanted to collect two more months of paycheck without looking too embarrassing. He knows now that he will not come back next year, even if he wants to.
I would "bet on it" wink wink I would also bet on Jake being resigned and Spanoulis being back and Hayes being resigned.
Does PF/C prospect Sean Williams ring a bell? Boston College should be on the board with pick 26. just saying
The whole management was kind of short-sighted, and was in a crazy "win it now" mode with lots of fans, JVG was driven to do this. We gambled, we lost. Face it.
Vspan - A rooki JVG didn't want to develop. Bonzi - A vet JVG never want to see. Bonzi is "crazy," that's what Rox needed in playoffs. But JVG killed him.
DD, you have said this so many times all year, it's nauseating. I think everyone values your opinions, but it SEEMS that you think if you say something over and over and over and over, it'll become persuasive, like a brainwashing preacher on a corner. And some do seem to believe you, but you irritate a lot of people through constant repitition. You've been refuted repeatedly, and the only difference, is that they don't keep posting over and over like you do. IMHO, (one of many to be considered) the playoffs pointed out 3 clear problems, which have to be solved in order to be championship contenders: 1) We don't have the talent yet. This is CD's responsibility, although JVG has some say in who he wants. But, the last few years, CD has failed to do what it takes to give us good players outside of Yao and McGrady. Usually, CD loses players because he underbids for them, like when we could have had McGrady from Toronto, but wouldn't sweeten the pot. I believe (but I'm not in the position to truly know) that we had a chance to pick up Chandler and Duhon from CHI, who would have been better fitting players for us. We would have had to trade Howard, Head, and a couple draft picks, but our team would be set with those 2 guys. Most of the time, CD is too loyal and values our players too highly in negotiations. But, this summer, he did the opposite. We gave away 2 pieces for 1 with Battier, when in my opinion, we could have gotten two pieces instead. That cost us in depth. I believe we could have had Battier without giving up Swift, and then packaged a draft pick or another player for someone who thought Swift still had potential. I'll bet Memphis trades him for someone this summer. Since we got Yao and McGrady, we've really not gotten the players we've needed to surround them. I like Hayes, Deke and even Rafer, but none of them are starters, except for spot duty, such as Deke did when Yao was out. We really need a starting 1 and 4. We had hoped that Battier could start at the 4, but he just wasn't durable enough, and JVG saw that wasn't going to work. DD's assertion that VSpan would magically go from a 2nd round pick into a star with playing time is just delusional. VSpan's problem isn't playing time, it's his attitude after his team did well in the World Championships against the US, (thx Alex) being able to fit on a humble team. He needs to follow Yao's example and work to get better each year. If he does, then he might turn into a decent player, just like Novak, and maybe even Snyder. But, you don't put players on the court to gain experience and develop, unless they are showing it in practice and have the right attitude. CD overpaid with Battier, then turned right around and underpaid with Mike, who we could have used. Bonzi was too good to be true ... foolsgold. I'm hoping that Morey makes the difference in getting 3 good players somehow this off-season ... starting PG, PF and an athletic backup who can go from 2-4, maybe 5. That's a lot with what he have to work with. I have ideas, but not sure what is available yet, so I won't start prognosticating yet. Lack of Leadership: This is a team of humble men, which I like. Great chemistry, no oversize egos from starters (not talking about Bonzi or MeSpan). Some really great players, but no leaders. The quiet types. What a difference Sura would have made. We need at least ONE of those type players, whom Yao and McGrady will respect, who can pick the team up, and get everyone going. This team just wasn't motivated during these playoffs. There wasn't anyone to get everyone's fire up. JVG's inability to motivate: When we got JVG, I was somewhat excited, thinking that perhaps he would train our team in defense and mental toughness, and perhaps Rudy would come back and lead us to the championship, but it looks like Rudy's health will keep him from coaching again. I didn't see that Rudy/Riley/Brown/Jackson/ motivational skill in JVG to take us all the way. I wondered if he would step up in the playoffs, and grow up himself, just as he wanted our team to grow up. He didn't. Rudy couldn't train younger guys, he didn't have the x's and o's, but he knew how to lead and motivate, getting our team to peak at just the right time, getting the most out of our guys. I think JVG got the most out of our guys during the season, constantly preparing us better than the other coach. I thought that this team was built for the playoffs, with defense and hustle. But, this team didn't win one for coach or for a leader on the team. That says everything. They didn't show up with defense or mental toughness. Rather shocking, actually. I don't know if they got timid, perfectionist, tired of constant negative, or needed a peptalk, but they didn't play a single great game in the playoffs. They didn't peak at the right time, and that's on JVG. JVG is a great analyst, but, not a great leader, not a motivator ... maybe it's because he never was a player. He just didn't get that part. (DD was right about the mental toughness ... ) The biggest advantage we have is for Yao to develop, as he always does. He just didn't return to the player he was before injury. He didn't step up in the playoffs at all. I hope he spends the summer with Dream, learning better footwork, positioning, lateral quickness, offensive rebounding, using the opponents weight against them, and mental toughness which Dream finally learned at the end of his career. But Yao needs a few more players around him who are mentally tough and bulldogs (as DD says ... but, I really don't see MeSpan as that guy, unless he totally changes his attitude). I'd love it if McGrady spent some time with the big O, and learned more team basketball. McGrady has developed into a team player, but he could get better. He needs to meet with a personal motivational coach, who can help him develop more mental toughness, and push him to the top, just like he used Patterson to get his back in shape. We need a Mario, a Thorpe, a SamIAm to surround our big 2 to be contenders. These playoffs revealed we just don't have what it takes, and that's good, since now we know what we have to do to get there. It's on Morey to get the players, and if JVG can't learn how to motivate and peak a team real quick, he needs to step aside for a guy who can.
Dont mistake confidence for arrogance. Span is confident but NEVER arrogant... He is still young and he knows very well where he was only a few years ago (greek 2nd division basketball)... BTW, I think you're referring to the WC rather than the olympics....And that would make more sense if it was a one-off lucky success, like they got lucky and suddenly thought they could play ball but the truth is Greece has been part of almost every major basketball tournament in the last 20 years... Apart from that it's a case of agree to disagree...Just difference of opinions and way of seeing things
I will wait and see what transpires in the next month but I have agreed with DD assessments on what was the lack of developing a bench is what cost the Rockets in the bitter end. JVG I wish him well but not with the Rockets. He has had his chances. This will be a long Summer but I can't wait for the changes that are sure to come.
Your entire thesis is based on lunacy, DD. There is no team in the league that can win 50 games that is going to pack it in at the beginning of the season to try to develop players for later seasons. It isn't about JVG trying to get a new contract, he was offered an extension already. It was about trying to put the team on the floor with the best chance of winning. This is the NBA, we don't just pick the best team at the beginning of the season and have everyone else not try to win but instead work on next year's roster. The Rox were good enough to have the 4th best record in the Western Conference. If your team is at that level, you take a shot at the title, you don't overplay clueless shooting guards that can't figure out the system, you don't give big minutes to a rookie point guard whose passes find the other team or the stands as often as they find his teammates (and can't shoot to boot), you don't give big minutes to a forward whose only talent is shooting threes (at a blistering 33% clip). V-SPAN can still develop, in the offseason, when all of the other NBA players work on their games and develop. That is where he can work on his shooting, where he can watch tape and see how successful PGs play, when his mistakes don't cost his team games. Snyder looks like a smaller Stro out there. Maybe over the offseason he can study the playbook, but I don't have high hopes. Novak shoot be a better shooter with more time, but he isn't likely to ever be a big part of the rotation, because he is so one dimensional. That doesn't mean he has no value, but he better get used to averaging 5-10 minutes per game.
lets say, god forbid, JVG stays, will he play Snyder, Span etc more? that would be really interesting to see...
Excellent post Sherlock but I'm afraid that it's a little too real and logical for DaD and those who would agree with him. I suppose that it's easier to blame JVG (while letting CD & the rest of the blind men who put this roster together off the hook) than to accept the fact that Utah was the better team. This love affair with Spanoulis is absolutely baffling to me as is the assertion that there was vast untapped potential in Novack, Spanoulis & Lucas that JVG was too stupid to harness. I wonder what was JVG supposed to do here? Lose games while watching Novack get beat on defense, Synder run around on the court trying to figure out where he should be and what he should be doing, JL3 jack up shot after shot and Spanoulis make a run at the SF3 turnover record book? Say we play these guys and lose and end back up in the lottery. Would that have made everyone happy? It is absolutely absurb to argue that they lost to Utah because these marginal players weren't properly "developed". You want to develop players? Put them in the NBADL.
OK- I sat down face to face with Van Gundy right before the season started and this is what he told me we needed. He said we needed a larger stronger 4 who was a good rebounder (not named Stromile) He said we needed a larger 2 guard who could start, score and keep TMac at the 3 (and he told me who he had in mind) He said we needed a veteran backup point guard because the only back up we had was a short 2 guard. (he mentioned one also) Is that what Battier brought us? Was Bonzi the answer for the 2 guard- maybe or was it a rookie from Greece? Who again was the veteran point guard we brought in? He then gave me a very good analysis of the type players that would really compliment Yao and Tracy and though he didn't say they weren't on the team, guess what? they weren't
i keep seeing an inconsistancy by most...that just b/c the younger guys didnt play a bunch that they didnt develop. thats not necessarily true. but i understand that people are butt hurt. it sucks when your team loses, but from an objective standpoint, it doesnt make much sense to put all your hopes and the teams success in the hands of a rookie combo guard from europe...a 2nd round shooter who cant do anything else, and an athletic beast who cant keep his head in the game. the best players that the rockets have played and lost. boo hoo. it sucks. get over it and stop grasping for straws and try to twist what happened.
let's not forget... Your savior Morey also built the Celtics... and they suck. Something to think about. Van Gundy goes and the Rockets will flounder for another decade.
well morey didnt really build the celtics. but i do agree. if jvg leaves and there isnt a significant increase in talent this team will be on a downslide
well morey didnt really build the celtics. but i do agree. if jvg leaves and there isnt a significant increase in talent this team will be on a downslide
