Everyone should be blamed when they lose, and everyone should get a slice of the praise juice when we win. This includes V-Span and Novak because sideline bench cheerleaders influence the game. Just look at what Jack Haley did for the Bulls. Did you think it was Michael? Pippen? Kerr? No...it was Jack Haley!
But see, you're not seeing this in terms of REAL LIFE. I guess that's fine in a season of NBA Live, but in REAL LIFE, a team's got to maintain a certain order and discipline and class, which is above winning. If some player acts like a dipsh_t in practice, preseason, postgame, whatever the case may be, a team or coach should punish them to send a message that it's not alright to do those thing. Even at the expense of wins. Sports isn't always about winning and losing...it can be an avenue for providing good ( or bad ) examples of how to do things right. I don't want us to be the Bengals.
It's like what JVG says, it's not the wins or losses but how we are winning or losing. And the lack of adjustments towards the defense of Yao is pissing me off. And the sloppy play in getting a lead and then letting it slip away then hold on to a win type of wins. Anything can happen in the playoffs, but at this point we are what we are, our playing style won't change, just more intensity, which doesn't guarantee wins. I *hope* that's not the case.
Once again your blind hatred of JVG gets in the way of the facts. He played in 26 games with an average of 21 minutes per game. Please explain to me how this ISN'T giving him a chance? You say "real chance" because he wasn't used correctly. Since JVG is so obviously wrong on everything...please, enlighten us, how SHOULD Bonzi have been played?
You know what, I just read that in a JVG voice and am certain that you're the real alias of JVG. You pretend to criticize yourself to throw us off, but we know it's you Jeff...
The nba isn't real life. As long as you have talent that helps winning, teams will put up with all sorts of stuff. It's the reason why terrell owens keeps getting teams wanting him and bonzi is nowhere near that level of malcontent, yet he wasn't even given a fair chance here. The rockets pursued bonzi knowing full well what his background was, so none of what he did should be a surprise to them. I hated bonzi when he was on the blazers and grizz and only put up with him cause he can help the rockets win a championship. Unfortunately, it may now be too late to reverse the damage jvg has done and that could cost the rockets the championship this year.
Usually that's all we need. More intensity, more energy, more passion, almost guarantees wins for the Rockets. Rebounding, closing out, switching on screens, the basics. Getting to the foul line, not making stupid mistakes, not turning the ball over. It's hard to beat this team when they're playing like that. Most teams play really well but all they need is energy on a nightly basis. Therein lies the problem. Can you get energy on a nightly basis? sometimes it's not there. In the playoffs, everyone is trying but sometimes the energy slips. I don't care who we play, if we lose to the Jazz it's because we deserve to. Who's the better team? Let the truth be told.
Iv'e listened to his postgame talks so much I guess all his Van Gundyisms are seeping into me subconsciously...but that's what pisses me off, he talks up like he has all the solutions but time and time again the same problems are there. I'm beginning to wonder if alot of the players are so use to him talk that way that they are beginning to zone him out when he talks to them and about them. Just like a parent that nags you constantly, you act like you're listening but you're not really, and it shows on the court.
Also hit our open shots when Yao and Tmac pass out, if we don't hit those then we better pray that the other team aren't hitting theirs. Otherwise it's a long ugly night. Yes we still have the same stupid mistakes against the better teams. More intensity doesn't necessarily mean smarter.
Here's a thought...what if...just maybe....perhaps possible..... that JVG has compiled a massive strategy to get Yao the ball and keep him moving so he can't get fronted, but he doesn't want to unveil it till the playoffs so Utah can't adjust to it yet. One can wish can't he?
The biggest issue I see for us heading into the playoffs is our lack of versatility. We only have one truly versatile offensive player -- Tracy McGrady. It seems that we're locked into playing a certain way on both ends, and we don't adjust well. I think this is reflected in our tendency to start each half strong and lose steam in the 2nd and 4th periods when the other team makes adjustments (for instance, in how they defend Yao). Also in our total inability to matchup against Phoenix, Dallas (when they go small), and even Golden State. Also, while we have a nice record, in fact we've been fattening up on the Eastern conference. We actually have a sub .500 record against the Western Conference when both T-Mac and Yao have been in the lineup. Our record against the WC teams we'd likely face in the playoffs is very poor. I don't think our defense is as good as the stats indicate when it really counts in the fourth quarter, and our offense is terribly inconsistent. If we don't get home court in the first round (which seems likely), then it will be very difficult for us to advance. Hopefully Utah's youth and inexperience will give us some sort of edge, but it's not like our team is filled with veterans with a history of winning in the playoffs.
When was the last time Rox got out of the first round? Championship is the ultimate goal. But its very very long process, you gotta take it one step at a time.
If the rockets didnt make it to the second round, i think JVG will be let go! If the rockets exit in the first round, i dont think is all JVG's fault is just that the rockets have too much weakness(basically a two men team) although i sometimes questioned jvg's decisions. The key to beat Utah is T-mac. Tmac must have a monster series in order for the rockets to move on. I m not a hater but by now the whole league has known yao's weakness. Fronting defense will let yao ineffective and physical defense will wear him off. Utah doesnt really have personnel for the fronting defense but their have enough tough, big defenders(Okur, Boozer, Collins, Millsap) to throw at yao. I hope yao can really prove me wrong. It wont be an easy series, utah match up rockets well. Boozer and Okur frontline will offset yao and hayes. Utah's bench(Harpring, Millsap, Griicek) is much better and reliable than the rockets'(Head, Juwan, Deke, Synder). Battier, so far is a career playoffs choker. Kirilenko maybe struggling this season but just dont underestimate and count him out yet. It will be a tough and exciting series most probably will go to game 7. I can see yao dominates one game and rockets win, t-mac dominates one and rockets win, 3pts is falling in one game and win ..... Go ROCKETS GO!!!!
If that's the case, then that tells me JVG doesn't have enough confidence in this team to win when given a gameplan. What's the difference in showing that now instead of later if he knows his team is good enough to win in later games? So what if Utah counters it? Then we counter it and trust Yao and Mac to carry us with their individual brilliance.
in our scheme, he isn't. The guy is basically a post up guard/sf and Yao is going to get post ups more and more in the playoffs. Actually i meant to say is the Bonzi argument is overrated. I'm not going to pine for a guy who really didn't look impressive when he was out there. We'll see.
