Since Hakeem doesn't want a statue of himself outside the Toyota Center, maybe the Rockets should build a statue of Jeff Van Godley...
I hope the same rules apply to all players including Yao. I do not believe he will cause problems but the same standards should apply.
Personally, I agree with the article in the Chronicle yesterday where it was mentioned that JVG can use the trade exception as a Sword of Damocles, hanging over the heads of anyone who does not toe the line and get with the program. Don't like JVG, Cat? We can get an all-star in return for you! Don't like the system, Steve? We could damn near cover KG's salary with yours and the exception. I like that JVG has a serious threat he can use to get our troops to march the way he wants and shoot the way he wants. I think it is great that he has the power and they know it.
Fantastic post Macbeth! JVG is completely different in terms of coaching demeanor from what these guys are used to. They have not been forced to deal with the accountability for their actions on the court. The previous coaching regime along with the organization devoted most of its energy toward providing a coccoon-like atmosphere to insulate the team from the having to deal with the consequences of their abysmal level of play on the court. This simply will not work with someone like JVG who's coming out of the Pat Riley school. You can already sense the tone of accountability from his comments in the Chronicle - specifically when he spoke about the bottom line being about wins and losses, period. Consequently, you can also begin to pick up on the rumblings from the chief beneficiaries of the previous lax environment. How this plays out will determine the state of team chemistry for this season. As for management, they have little choice but to back JVG to the hilt. Remember, they had the opportunity to select a less hardass coach in Mike Dunleavy and they deliberately passed him over for JVG. I personally believe that in the end, this was Uncle Les' call - that it had become obvious to him that this franchise had fallen behind its peers in the conference and was losing ground. Even with a sparkling new arena, he could see that there was no buzz - no genuine excitement surrounding this team. All he needed to do was to look northward 250 miles to Dallas to see how it's done. So I take the arrival of JVG as a sign that a fundamental shift in the Rocket's organizational philosophy has taken place. They are now FIRMLY committed to winning a championship and will no longer accept simply to go through the motions. When push comes to shove (and it will) it will be the players who cannot (or will not) adjust who will find themselves shipping out and not JVG.
1. The fact that Steve did not want the Rockets to draft Yao Ming in the first place. 2. At the begining of last season that he snickered at the fact that he was playing with "the Chinese guy" 3. The fact that others on the team embraced Yao Ming before Steve would. 4. The fact that he doesn't play well alongside Yao Ming. Steve did not start running give and goes with Yao untill Moochie started running the baseline give and go. And don't act like I am blowing Moochie out of proportion. The simple fact is that Moochie played a better 2 man game with Yao than Steve. 5. An our local idiot's recent comments of how the offense should be focus around him because he's earned it. What have you done Steve? These comments basically saying that he doesn't agree with JVG when saying Yao will get more touches.
I agree with most everyone who thinks JVG will be backed by management. But I still think the real high noon scenario includes attendance at the new arena. Can you imagine 11- 12,000 attendance, the team struggling, and players and staff on edge at each other. That is my worse case scenario. We would be done and there will be big time pressure on Van Gundy. OK my pie in the sky scenario- Yao takes off dominating avg. 22pts, 12 rb and 2.8 blocks Steve becomes the Franchise avg. 26 pts, 5 rb, 7.5 assists Everyone else spells sweet chemistry And the Rockets go past the first round in the playoffs. Let the good times roll.
Great response. Problem I have with your conclusions is that is pro-rates a sentiment currently expressed over an imaginary period, which may or may not be the case. Owners and GM's always back the coach...in theory, before the fact. Almost every hard ass coach in history has been hired with the idea that the players needed shaking up, disciplin, etc. And at the time, I'm sure all of those doing the hiring mean it. But if three months or a year and a half down the line one of your star players is demanding a trade ( in which case you will never get market value), or the players aren't responding, or what have you, well. that's when the options become very limited. Again, in theory, every gm in the league backs his coach at this point, right? Back up the truck...if the players won't respond, get rid of 'em...can't have inmates running the asylum, etc. But in reality, how often have we seen this done? And further, when done, how often have we seen the GM survive this process. Rarely if ever. That;s because it's easy to say, much harder to do...in the end, most owners don't have the long term moral courage to put what they said was right a few months back ahead of what's the easiest, least costly answer...and thereare plenty of ways to rationalize it when you need them; If he lost this team, maybe it's his problem, and not all of them...who;se to say he won't lose the next bunch?... And when you're the GM, and say your primary assets are Francis and Yao...and you know that a Francis demanding a trade because of the coach makes his trade value plummet, and so you've got to be happy with 5 cents on the dollar in that situation, in which case you're back to a 1 star team...and in that your job security is directly tied to the success of the team...well, suddenly bitting the bullet isn't as appeakling, in that it's likely to be the one in your back a month or so down the road. So my point isn't that if you asked them today, would CD and Les say that they're gonna back the coach, or that they didn't hre him with tough love in mind. My point is, if the reaction is extreme, and the options are losing ou on the talent, which equals fewer wins, fewer highlights, fewer tickets sold, etc...well, will they do what almost every other team who hired a tough love coach does when a mutiny happens, or will they stick to their guns? I don't think you can say what their answer is based on what they're saying now, or what they were thinking when they hired Van Gundy, as much as I hope they would. But what will happen in the cold light of morning...
1) True. 2) When did this happen? If it did I'm sure it was light hearted. 3) See this I strongly disagree with. Stevie went out of his way to embrace Yao, repeatedly, and often defended/praised him with the press. Granted Steve often didn't translate that voiced and emoted affection into sharing the ball with enthusiasm, but I strongly believe that has little to do with Steve's feelings about Yao, and much more his feelings about himself and how he envisions his role with the team. I think he'd have been reluctant to share the ball in that situation with his mother. 4) Kind of addressed this with 3, but to expand, I also think that Steve was in his defense, being taught a new offensvie system and role in that system on the run, and Yao progressed more quickly than most anticipated. Now Steve didn't do much to ease this process, but I think it's too early to write him off as mutually exclusive with Yao, let alone to read that difficulty to mean a persoanl antipathy. 5) Again, this has much more to do with Steve's self-image, what he's been told since coming into the league, IMO, than anything about Yao. Yao is merely a threat to his self-perception and reality coinciding.I think when Steve says focus it on me, I've proven it..he hasn't yet, he's honestly saying what he thinks is right, for both players, not speaking out of malice or dislike for Yao. I think he thinks A) He's earned it. B) He can do it. and C) Both of these are unknown with Yao. Now whether you agree with him or not ( I don't) shouldn't affect what you think the motivation for his statement is...but in my opinion, both Steve and Yao should shoot more, everyone else less. But that's an aside.
Well...I think Mo Taylor has been motivated to lose weight or get more fit...I don't think it's because of JVG though. Mo was going to become a future star when he was a Clipper. Then he got his big fat contract and got big and fat after his injury...but he returned and played very well. I think that he knows that he can be a good player...even better if he is in better shape! And I agree about Yao. Yao will not complain at all. Just comply passively and do his best..too humble...THROW IT DOWN!!! Too nice...
It's a must for JVG to instill authority among the players, regardless of their preferred coaching style. If JVG senses that his words have no effect in private, he goes public. If that fails, he'll cut player's minutes, if that still fails, he'll trade their a$$es. We're currently in stage 2, and hopefully we won't go into stage 3. The timing of public rebuke is well calculated. It should be done before the season starts, and give the players a period of time to digest before the season starts. Let's see, public rebuke after a regular season loss will have two negative effects. For one, it'll LOOK like the coach is making excuses and trying to shift blame. Two, it'll create distraction among players because nobody can focus on playing basketball when he gets stung in the a$$. JVG is doing the right thing to make things clear from the beginning. What JVG is demanding here, is to do things professionally and not personally. Altough it helps, it's not essential for players to love him because he coddles them. That's the personal way. It's essential for both sides to conduct business professionally. The players provide sound mind and body, the coach provides sound plans. After both sides do their jobs, they'll have a firm basis to develop love and respect for each other's professionalism. Regardless of outcome, we seem to be on the right track.
I really don't think there are going to be many problem players. -Eddie Griffin -He might slack off but he is seldom defiant. He's also young and impressionable. If the new coaching staff helps him improve his game and his role in the team in a contract year, he'll be on their side. B]Mo Taylor[/B] - I think he's a hard worker already. Yeah, he gained weight due to that injury but it was a very serious injury. Then he lost what? 40 pounds before the season? That shows serious dedication. I'm not always content on what he seems to be working on but I don't think he'll have a problem with working hard. He seems aware he's a role player. Shouldn't be a problem here. Cuttino Mobley - he's definitely confident, but at the same time he's a fitness freak who loves playing basketball constantly. He can be out of control on the court at times but again, I don't think this is due to a lack of work ethic. I also think he struggled last season trying to adjust to being the third option. I really think he was sincerely trying to adjust and find his new place on the team (and more than occasionally got frustrated and went straight back to acting like he is still the number 2). Bottom line though is if any former second round pick who isn't but the third option on a team that didn't even make the play offs thinks he's too special to bend to the will of JVG- ship him. I don't care how talented he is. I don't think he'll be a problem though. Actually, I think he'll flourish under JVG and his staff because they seem to be INCREDIBLY clear on what they want out of every player. I think they're going to make it alot easier on him to find his role on this team. Steve Francis - Obviously if there is going to be a problem, this is where it's going to come from. Like all great players, he genuinely feels he's the greatest. He's incredibly full of himself. I definitely think he knows what's best for the Rockets. However, I also remember going to the first game of the season his rookie year and knowing he was going to be good because on almost every play he was looking back to Rudy to make sure he was doing as Rudy wished. It's been some years, the ego is bigger, but down deep I don't think he's real head case. I really hope he hasn't fallen so far from reality that he thinks he has more understanding of the game than somebody like JVG. If he has become that kind of primadonna and there is nothing left to do but get rid of him (which I would hate to have to happen) I would hope JVG and CD recognize it before a trade can ever be demanded while he still has his full trade value. I really don't think it'll come to that though. Maybe that's just sheer wishful thinking though. I certainly agree that the butting of heads between these two is bound to take place. I just hope JVG has the bigger horns.
Mobley: I think that there are many players who are willing to put in the physical effort, or the fun effort, but who aren't willing to put in the mental effort it takes to learn to make the right decisions, understand your role in the offense, etc. I suspect that Cat might be one of those.
why. who has changed their role in the offense more than cuttino? in 5 seasons he's been nearly every different thing he could be. starting pg, 6th man, 2nd option to steve, main man when steve was injured (and even leading scorer when steve was around), and 3rd option last season, and he's done well in nearly every role. check the last month of the season. cuttino shot 12.5 shots/42 minutes (his mpg) and yao was shooting 15/42 minutes. cuttino already made himself the 3rd option. and he was doing it by mostly being a spot up shooter on 3's (he was shooting almost 50% 3's/50% 2's) and he was playing excellent defense (and he's been playing good D for 2 years). he was basically everything we want out of our 3rd option but no one wants to acknowledge it. cuttino is one of the LAST people on this team i expect to not attempt to understand his role in the offense.
If the Rockets do not immediately win, there will be a big trade. If they do win, they'll buy into the system. And if they buy into the system, they'll win (at least more). But if they don't, JVG is going to have to shake-up the team... both to get new blood in that will follow the rules, and to convince the rest of our players that he's serious. My guess, sadly, is Mobley. Mobley's more of a Rocket than any other player, including Francis or Yao. He was the last great draft move of the organization. Nobody expected much - but he's become a good NBA player. But he's important enough that trading him would get the attention of the team and a semi-valuable player in return. Francis and Yao are untouchable, at least for now. I don't think there's any danger of JVG being in trouble for at least this year. Coaches will usually get a free pass to make their mark on a team for 2 years. My guess, JVG only has 1 because Rudy was such an icon - and the roster is already pretty decent.
sorry didn't include this in the other post. but this thread is a point i've been trying to make for a long time. yeah it's nice for jvg to talk tough, and fans eat it up, but putting it into practice isn't cake. and being a hardass just to be a hardass in the guise of "it's the right thing to do" may not always endear you to your employees in any line of work. just b/c you say well "i'll ship him out" doesn't mean you did anything great. hey, we shipped out quitten when he decided to be disgruntled and look what we got. anyone here want the same rate of return on steve? or anyone for that matter. being tough but reasonable and at least acknowledging a player's/employee's grievances and attempting to work them out instead of just saying "my way or the highway" is much better in the long run. if you can pull it off, you'll have players who will do anything for you b/c they believe you're doing what is best for them and the team, not just whatever the hell you want. jvg seemed to get that out of his nyk players, i hope the same holds true here.
Early for what? I said I didn't think it would happen...I was just saying it could, and asking what people thought iwould happen if it did...and what I was asking was why did you say that I had to bethe one to bring this up? Do I have a propensity for forecasting doom for the Rockets? Not that I'm aware of... And I've never been married...engaged once for 2 1/2 years...but never sealed the deal.
