Even though I'm extremely disappointed that Rudy was forced out, I do feel that he was too loyal to his starters most of the time. Look at how long it took him to replace Walt in the lineup. How long will it take Van Gundy to pull a player that's not been producing? Does he share the same coaching philosophy that Rudy embraced, of letting the player play his way out of the starting position? Or, will he bench a player a few games, to get his attention, long before that? Will he have the guts to bench Francis, Mobley, or Yao if they're making bone-headed decisions? I'd like to hear from anyone that has watched Van Gundy's coaching style for a while.
I'm not an expert or anything, but I remember him benching Sprewell once and Camby once. Not because of health reasons, I'm sure it was disciplinary reasons. Anyway, so where's the trade proposal in that thread Hottodie? WHAT? You didn't propose A TRADE in a thread YOU started? lol.. Actually, I'd love to hear some more about Van Gundy too. Before the Knicks though. What was his job as Pat's assistant?
No, no trades this time, but I might try & work one up between NY & the Rockets later. Here's Van Gundy's BIO. http://www.nba.com/coachfile/jeff_van_gundy/index.html?nav=page Jeff Van Gundy College - Nazareth '85 Jeff Van Gundy always knew that one day he would be an NBA head coach. What he didn't know was that the opportunity would come as suddenly as it did. On March 8, 1996, 59 games into the 1995-96 season, Van Gundy replaced Don Nelson to become the 18th head coach in New York Knicks history. Over the next four-plus seasons, Van Gundy established himself as a solid tactician and a coach who holds the respect and loyalty of his players. He has guided the Knicks to winning records every year and a berth in the 1999 NBA Finals, where his injury-depleted squad was overpowered by San Antonio in five games. He entered the 2000-01 with a career record of 190-129, a winning percentage of .596. He's already the fourth-winningest coach in Knicks history, and should pass Pat Riley (223 wins) in 2000-01 to leave him behind only Red Holzman (613) and Joe Lapchick (326). Van Gundy, then 34 years old, stepped in for Nelson with the Knicks at 34-25. They finished the season at 47-35, going 13-10 under Van Gundy, then surprised many by sweeping Cleveland in the First Round of the playoffs and playing five tough games against the eventual champion Chicago Bulls in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. The Knicks were the only team to take a game from Chicago in the first three rounds of the playoffs. In his first full season as coach of the Knicks, Van Gundy led the team to a 57-25 record, a 10-game improvement over 1995-96. The Knicks' 57 wins matched the third-best total in franchise history, and their 10th straight playoff berth tied a team record. It was the best record ever posted by a coach in his first full season at the Knicks' helm. In two spirited playoff series, the Knicks swept Charlotte in the First Round but bowed to Miami in seven games in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. The Knicks had led Miami three games to one, but a bench-clearing fight in Game 5 led to the suspension of various Knicks players for Games 6 and 7, and the short-handed Knicks could not hold off the Heat. That series would prove to be the start of what has become the NBA's most intense rivalry. In 1997-98, an injury-riddled Knicks team limped into the playoffs at 43-39, and even though mainstay Patrick Ewing had suffered a season-ending wrist injury, New York managed to upset Miami in the first round of the playoffs. The Knicks did it again in 1998-99, when they came in as the No. 8 seed with a 27-23 record and beat Miami, then surged all the way to the NBA Finals where they were beaten by San Antonio. Van Gundy's elevation to the head coaching position came after 6 1/2 years as an assistant coach with the Knicks, where he learned the NBA game from some of the best coaches to ever stroll the sideline, such as Riley, John MacLeod and Nelson. As an assistant, Van Gundy gained a reputation as an excellent strategist and tireless worker. His dedication and love for the game earned him the respect of the players and the entire Knickerbockers organization. Coaching basketball has always been a way of life in the Van Gundy family. Jeff's father, Bill Van Gundy, has been coaching for four decades served for 15 seasons as the head coach at Genesee Community College in Batavia, N.Y. Jeff's brother Stan is an assistant coach under Riley with the Miami Heat, after a distinguished college coaching career at Canisius, Fordham, Lowell (Mass.) and Wisconsin. Jeff Van Gundy began his coaching career in 1985-86, when he was head coach at McQuaid Jesuit High School in Rochester, N.Y. Van Gundy was a graduate assistant under Rick Pitino at Providence as the Friars made their Final Four run in 1986-87. The following year, he served as an assistant at Providence under Gordon Chiesa, currently an assistant coach with the Utah Jazz. Van Gundy then moved to Rutgers as an assistant to Bob Wenzel for one season before joining the Knicks on July 28, 1989.
