Do the Spurs or Detroit rebuild their roster every year? No! You'll never get anywhere starting over all the time. You make small changes and adjustments but if things aren't working the only common denominator in all this is JVG and his coaching staff. Ultimately they are the reason the rotation and mix are not bearing fruit and they have to be held accountable. This team should be more competitve even without T-Mac.
San Antonio added Mohammed last year, and Finley/NVE this offseason. Those aren't exactly "small changes". The Pistons didn't make a "small change" when they traded for Rasheed. Other than that, you named two teams out of the NBA who have kept core players for a few years together. Only two. Look at the Heat -- they're supposed to be contenders, and they almost have a brand new roster this year. I agree, without Tmac we shouldn't go 0-8. Hopefully JVG can bring in some guys who make us more competitive. That's my point.
The only two teams I named happen to be the two most successful. If you look at the Spurs adding Mohammed, Finely, and NVE the changes aren't that big because these guys just give them more dept. Trade for Rasheed, sure he's a major piece and a good fit so I'll give you that one, but did they loose anything to get him?
To be a successful team, you have to find the right mix of players, like SA has had for years, and Detroit got after the Rasheed trade. Houston thought they had this mix going into the offseason - but the results thus far show otherwise. In other words, we need to look for other personel either via FA (spree) or trade. JVG and the Rockets have gotten off to a terrible start without one of the best players in the NBA playing for them. I agree JVG deserves some blame, and he's admitted as much. But firing him? The Rockets have improved every year since JVG took over. All I'm arguing is that if he feels he needs to make a change to our current roster, why would anyone bash him for this? I think it's obvious this team needs a little shakeup. And for the record, I PRAY we pickup Sprewell. I thought all offseason he would make our team complete. No one on this team seems to give a damn on the court save for McGrady in the playoffs and Sura. Sprewell could light a fire under us, and get us going right.
I agree with you to a degree. Firing JVG at this point is, let's face it, starting over again. He needs more time to see if he can pull the team together. If you need to add a player or two by all means do it, but how many times should we retool the roster? Ming and Moochie are the only hold outs from Rudy T's old Rocket team. Sooner or later the team that's not working is the one you created and that's where we find ourselves currently with JVG. When do we finally say enough is enough the coach has to go? T-Mac getting hurt has clouded this question. What if we go say 2 and 4 on this road trip even with T-Mac? How much time will JVG have to prove he can turn things around? Maybe we tank this season the same one that started with us contending with the Spurs and end up in the lottery. Maybe we get our Tim Duncan in the draft and JVG comes out smelling like a rose.
we need to try something and shake things up. we have one of the worst records in the league. maybe Spree won't help things but we do need to try something at this point.
OK, maybe "whining" is a bit strong. But it is clear that his way of fixing the team is to change players. You would think that after 2 full seasons and 3 offseasons, after changing ALL the players, except Yao, on the team, you should have your core rotation down. But no, the only core rotation we have is TMac and Yao. If last year's deals were so successful, why are we making changes again? The only excuse I grant is Sura's injury. He needed to find a replacement for Sura and we got Alston. Alston is hurt. But we have Head, a decent replacement. The other 2 new guys, Anderson and Swift, are supposed to improve the team. "Improve" means that if you don't have them, you should be as good as before. So if they are not good, you can bench them and still be as good as last year. What's wrong? Either last year's success was a fluke, and so JVG shouldn't get the credit he got, or last year's success was a quick fix and could not last for very long. What make him think another mid-season quick fix can give us long term success?
Nothing. What makes you think a new coach could? Look at Larry Brown and Phil Jackson, the two coaches Rocket fans begged for us to get. Both are on the outside looking in -- and haven't had NEAR the impact of injuries as we have. I wanted Swift and Anderson to be our key pieces too -- but if they're not working, you ship them out for something that can. Like last year with Lue/JJ. Will it be a quick fix? Who knows? You play to win the championship THIS year*, so worrying about how old a player is gonna be 5 years from now seems pretty pointless to me. *Unless you suck for eternity like the Hawks, etc.
Nice to see Gundy agrees with me we need someone to play point - and that could be ALston if the relationship isn't on its way to divorce. Nice to see he wants a real PF, he agrees with me again. And finally he wants a wingman - I hope about 6'9" tall to replace rybo and play the 2/3. Gundy is so smart when he agrees with me! Gundy inherited a personnel mess here lacking depth, we had been hunting for a monster 4 and a real PG since the end of the Hakeem era in '96-'97 and Barkley leaving. So we have the same holes we have had for a long time and we plugged one by drafting Head. We just don't seem like we can acquire all of the key pieces at the same time and fast enough to make us all happy! In hindsight it seems like a few million of cap tax would have been easily paid for with Damon Stoudamire playing PG and selling some more parking spaces, tickets and hot dogs. But that would still only be one hole plugged and 2 more to go.
Did I say I wanted a new coach? Changing coaches is as devastating as changing players. I am saying that constantly using trade as quick fix is not a good sign. I want JVG to try to coach this bunch of players and see what he can do.
I was under the impression that "getting the right mix" was part of coaching! Last year Sura was down to start the season. He came back, got into playing shape & we started to improve. After some trades, we started to gel & made our run to the playoffs. Then JH went down & in mho that cost us the 1st round of the playoffs. Now Sura is out again. JH is trying to get back into his groove after his injury. DW is trying to get his shooting touch back after knee surgery(you need your legs for your shooting touch & knee surgery will hamper that). So basically we're trying to do the same thing this year that we did last year. I hope it turns out as well this time around, with the possible exception of game 7 in the 1st round.
I don't really understand you.. you either: a) Like JVG, and believe in our offseason additions. You don't want JVG to make a trade because you think these players can win a championship. b) You don't like JVG, and eventually want him fired. You think his trades last year were just an excuse, and feel like if he trades anyone this year it's more excuses.
I don't like or dislike JVG. I think he is a good (not great) coach. I don't object trading to improve the team. But I believe that a team that keeps changing coaches or players is not going to be very good. I think that there must be something wrong with the coaching decisions if after 3 offseasons and 2 full seasons we are still looking for the "right mix" of players. He either picked the wrong players or he is unable to coach the right players. My opinion is that he mostly picked the right players. These players are good enough to win championship if they are motivated and used efficiently. Trading is not JVG's excuses. He's not the kind of guy who makes excuses. It's more like his obsession. There seems to have a voice in his mind that keeps telling him, "Only one kind of players can win. They are not on your team. They are out there. You got to find them."
Solid, DaDakota... If this is what it took for you to lose support for our coach then I question what the hell took you so long to jump off the bandwagon? Make up a better excuse. By the way, I have the ductape ready for them old ankles in a few months.
