DavidS, I don't know why you are debating this with me. The game plan on the offensive end is nothing like what we saw in the beginning of the season. There are more pick and rolls between Yao and Tmac, Howard flashes to the free throw line for a jumpshots instead of posting up, Tmac initiating the offense instead of Yao, Yao taking more wide open jumpshots, and most of all, a faster pace. These changes were adjustments that Gundy made. Obviously, Gundy is currently doing a good job since they are winning. The only difference of opinion between us that I see, is that I thought (past tense) that JVG was unable to make these adjustments from watching him the past. I've seen him coach for many years and all his teams, regardless of personnel, played the same way (slow down, grind it out) except for this current rocket sqauad. I also thought that was the wrong style for a team consisting of Tmac, Yao and crew even before the Barry/Wesley trades. I was obviously wrong about JVG since the rockets are running and gunning, adding new plays that don't involve Yao getting beat up in the paint, and Tmac is averaging over 20 points game. JVG made the proper adjustments in game plan and personnel and the rockets are rolling. Obviously you, Almu, and a few others thought otherwise and you were right and I 'm estatic that ya'll were, since the rockets are winning right now and more importantly to me, fun to watch. I still don't really care much for Gundy because he's kind of an ass, but I do think he is doing a good job right now. So all is good in rockets land until the next three game losing streak or loss to a bottom dweller.
No debate. Just discussing.... There are just as many pick and rolls except that they are more *successfully* executed pick and rolls; kick out to the 3pt line, Yao's front option plays, Yao's mid-range shot is falling again...and Barry, Westley, Padget and Sura are hitting them. They are more Howard jump-shots because he's *hitting them* and has more PT (remember MoT was starting?). Tmac is starting the offense because Yao was the focus. We all know why. That has been explained already (TMac was deferring). Our faster-breaks are mostly Sura, Barry and Westley. Tmac is involved sometimes. And so is Howard and Yao. But most of the time it's those other three. Think about all the chemistry that had to be built for the above to happen. But you forget to mention, that NONE of these things would matter with out Sura, Westley, and Barry. They gave us the extra scoring we needed to make our opponents honest on defense. Thus, Tmac and Yao have more freedom. I remember both Tmac and Yao doing pick and rolls all the time, except that our opponents would just close in on them, and leave our other guys OPEN! It was strangling our offense. They didn't have any help. You can't have one (success of TMac/Yao) without the other (Sura, Westley, Barry and Hoard hitting jumpers). Without those roster change and aqusistions, going to Tmac first and Yao second wouldn't have mattered much. Wouldn't have mattered. There would not be *more* fast-paced without the trades. The "wrong style" was our only option at *that* time. Yes, the Yao fronting/foul issue was more a problem than it was predicted. But later, option playes were created for Yao's fronting problem. But we'd still be going into Yao if he hadn't had such a bad foul problem. It was tiring him out. That was an expectation that was, well, asking Yao to do more than he was capable of. But merely shift the focuse to Tmac wasn't going to change much. So, "wrong style" or "right style" at that time. In the end, we'd still be shooting bad from outside until Barry/Westley/ trades. Padget hadn't come a live yet. And Sura was finding his place. Yes, that's true. What I'm doing is asking you WHY? Put aside your PERCEPTION of JVG's PAST for a second. Look at WHY we are seeing the improvement in our team play. We still play a half-court offense. It's still play controlled. We still walk it up the court (we are not the Suns; we're more Spurs-like). It's just suplemented by more running (a lot of it from Sura's steals on defense), and more outside shooting (Barry, Westley, Padget). I ask again. Why? At the start of the season we HAD to go to TMac/Yao. What? Should we have gone to Ward/Lue? Maybe JJ? Howard wasn't hitting as much. We had no one to break down our PG defender. So, who? Yes, there was as shift from Yao to Tmac. But those reasons have been explained time and time again. And that issue is separate from our roster changes and its effect. Don't let your perception of JVG past teams effect your answer of the "why" these things are happening. Next...ask why JVG coached a more hard-nosed-defense game in NY with an aging Ewing? Do you think a more up-tempo game was possible? Against other East teams? At the expense of defense? With that roster? Remember, Ewing was becoming less a factor. JVG was stuck in a bad situation with his NY roster. I was surprised he got as far as he did. It was just a bad mix. Too many iso-scorers, no leader and a PG controversy that was Ward/Childes. Defense was their safety valve. With no consistent inside post, it really hurt their outside shots; it wasn't that good in the first place (Allen Houston was their most consistent 3pt option). Not collectively. Now, ask yourself, how hard it was to put up more points, not having a post-presense, and NOT having very good outside shooters, and not having good PGs to run a faster-break? What do you do? It was a bad situation. RB, all I'm asking is for you to look a the situation a little more. That NY team just had too many players with similar skills; scorers/drivers (Spree, Childes, Johnson). Not enough shooters (A. Houston). Not enough creative passers (?). And missing their best post player (Ewing). I remember asking, "Can anyone hit an outside shot (consistently)?Allen Houston did, but then their defenders just closed out on him. Who was left? Ward? That team was lacking. Well, that's the perception that has been burned into a lot people heads because of his past. I think you need to rethink you use of "regardless of the personnel." It's not like he had every single type of player. He had Ward/Childes, Spree, Camby, Houston, Johnson and and an old Ewing on that team. It wasn't like those were super-duper scoring machines. Not Ewing. He was aging. They were good iso players. Defense was mandatory because playing to their iso strengths was not working. The PG squad, which has a huge effect on fast-breaking, was who? Ward and Childs. One conservative floor leader and one a slasher/scorer. Childs was decent at fast-breaking. But not consistent. I think what you've learned is that a coach has a philosophy, but the tempo can change depending on the players you have. Do not confuse our team with Ward/Childes Spree, Houston and Johnson. Take a look a the PGs that run the court. Do you honestly think we'd be running as much as we do w/out Sura? And I'd say that Barry and Westley are better at running and dishing than Spree and Houston were. They just play smarter. Think about it. Plus they both can hit the 3pt better than Spree. Do you think that the Suns would be running as much as they without Nash? Just take a look at Pat Riley's career without Magic. His PPG went from 118ppg - 85ppg depending on his team; LA, NY and Miami. Riley's PPG with the Knicks was 100ppg when he began and was PPG was 95 the last year he was w/the Knicks. He knew it was over for Ewing. Nelson/JVG took over the remainder. Look at Mike Fratello's career at Cleveland (100ppg to 86ppg, depending on what team he was coaching/or injuries; ALT, CLE and MEM). The decision on whether to be faster paced vs slower was depending on PG strengths and weakness OR post player strengths and weakness. It's not just about having "scorers." Think about it. Look at other coaches histories. One can get the idea that "so and so coach" can't coach offense, just because he's averaging 85ppg. Not true. Players matter. The right players. And smart PG really make a HUGE difference. Look at Nash's Suns when he's not playing. Again, Ward/Childes, Spree, Houston and Johnson are not the same as Magic and Worthy. They are not the same as Nash, Joe Johnson and Marrion. JVG had one group to work with. Just saying JVG did the same thing "regardless of players" isn't really looking at the situation completely.
