Unless Phil wants to come back early, I tend to think you are correct for the rest of this season. Fail to make the playoffs, or lose in the first round, and his future becomes very cloudy.
The Rockets are improving and are watchable again. Van Gundy has earned the right to coach the remander of the season and be evaluated then IMO.
It only going to get better. At this point last season we were 16-14. We ended up finishing strong with a respectable playoffs finish. If we (especially thread starter, R0cket03) could only do away with childishness and show some patience. To me this thread is utterly silly but I still like to see it in the first page everyday.
Seeing an opening, I will take advantage of the situation. Fromt he makers of the I hate Van Gundy Club, I now create a new club: Hire Pizza_Da_hut to replace Van Gundy! I feel, as many of you do, that anyone can do a better job coaching. Currently I coach Girl's Junior Varsity basketbal, its not that much of a step to the NBA, right? And anyone could help to improve this team, right? I thought so, so do the right thing, Fire Gundy, Hire Pizza, Pizza_da_Hut bringing a better America, or Houston Rockets team, whichever comes first...
So are they going to have to go away from the Big Mac promotion to a deal with Pizza hut if we hire you?
In any other thread in this forum, I would be convinced that PDH is being sarcastic. But apparently coaching a NBA team of two young stars and scraps is simple and anybody can do it. Players don't make shots? The coach is clearly to blame. The team doesn't have the athleticism necessary to board or defend against PFs? The coach is clearly to blame. Gut your team to get rid of an overpaid PG and pay the price of 3 starters for 1? If you don't have immediate success, the coach is clearly to blame. The anti-JVG club is a pathetic bunch of wankers with no patience. Do you really think that it's that easy to win in the NBA? Btw, does anybody have the balls to retract their comments about the horrible trade now that you see how much better we defend without a revolving door at the point guard? Someone made a comment about simplistic offensive schemes. I don't think we need fancy offensive schemes - we get plenty of open shots with Yao and TMac on the team. I dearly hope that the people running this organization have a little more patience and vision than the short-sighted, carping, hindsight is 20-20, bunch of malcontents that we have in this thread.
Do you remember last season? The Rockets finished 6-11, and were easily dismissed (despite a handful of close games) in one more game than the minimum by a Lakers team that sleepwalked to the NBA Finals.
Let me get this straight... you discount the fact that they were CLOSE games, and blame JVG for losing that playoff series... to what was said to be the most talented team in the league? If anything, JVG should be praised for having so many close games and having a chance to win the series I guess Pop over in Spur land should be fired as well
Yes. 0.500 through the easiest part of the schedule is merely...average. If there is to be improvement from here, not only will they have to play better than they did in December, but overcome a MUCH more difficult schedule.
Do you see "blame" anywhere? I'm just saying that, given the way the Lakers played the first couple of rounds last season, any average coach in the NBA (including Jeff Van Gundy) could've taken one game in a seven game series.
ok, let's stop this thread and start a new one. This is an obsolete covernsation cause JVG ain't going any where this year or next so forget about it. It would take amonumental collapse and that is not going to happen. (excluding injury.) That was perfectly demonstrated last night at home against the Bucks. The additions of JBand DW with the health of bobbie S now gives a very competive edge to the very place that was the whole problem. Even if we strand pat due to financial considerations, and gawd knows Les deserves a free pass or two on that note, we are going to finish this year maybe only a 6 or 7 but we will DEFINATELY be a force to be reconded with come playoff time. Also, not another word on Ole Mahn Dekembe..you people fess up and eat crow while you still can...the man has aheart as big as texas and the brass knuckles to go with it. Not in my neighborhood you don't !! man I love that guy..maybe HE should start...
Is Pop an average coach by your standards? He won 2 games, with what most people would agree a much better team talent wise and record wise than the Rockets that year. Using that as a basis to say JVG is mediocre is just plain dumb. JVG is the only reason we had a chance at knocking them out.
I agree, anyone that is coaching 40% of the Western Conference starters on the All-Star team should have a better record than .500. And save your breath, I know you we're being sarcastic, but I'M NOT, and how do you join this Fire JVG club anyway?"
The Rockets DIDN'T have a chance at knocking the Lakers out last season. They lost the series 4-1. "Close" only counts in horseshoes and hand grendades.
This is the first time i will say something bad about Van Gundy. But i really do think that Van gundy deserves to get his ass kick in our organization for letting Jackson go . For one reason, Jackson is more high percentage shooter than Wesley and second Jackson has more "D" than Wesley. I don't cae if that was personal between JVG and Boki, but this time he over did it! I'll say fire his ass!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
But that's exactly my point. And they weren't supposed to either. JVG gave them that chance with his coaching, they were within inches from taking the series lead 1-0, which obviously is a HUGE momentum boost. Lost a CLOSE one in Houston, that obviously couldve basically could've sealed it for us as far as momentum and confidence. The Lakers didn't sleep walk through the first two rounds, as you said. They beat the Rockets 4-1, and Spurs 4-2. On that note, if you indeed think they sleep walked through the first two rounds -- why the hell would you want Phil Jackson? He couldn't motivate his team in 2 rounds of the playoffs? Please. Try again. Actually, several members on this board have noted that Wesley is an even better defender than JJ. I like Wesley as a better fit -- JJ was too comfortable jacking up 6-10 three's a game, and shooting them horribly at that.
