Jeff Van Gundy to be on ESPN 790 with Charlie today (6/16/2006)

Um I never said he said he didn't like them?

Maybe I misread some posts and posted wrong or whatever.

This is what I heard on the radio.

He was asked about Luther and Hayes his two tookies and how they did.

He said something like Luther was too small to play SG, but he is a SG, and he doesn't have PG skills unless he develops them. He won't be a rotational player in the league unless he addresses that. He didn't want to take him at 24 because he wanted either more size or a true PG or something like that.

He said Lindsey was the one that suggested they draft Head. Dawson watched the workout conducted by Lindsey and agreed. JVG said he was in disagreement but that Luther was athletic and could hit the outside shot and at #24 it's hard to get much anyway so he hoped maybe Head could give something.

He said he was surprised by Luther's year and that in retrospect Lindsey was right it was a good value pick at 24, he also said as of right now Head will not be a rotational player unless he gets better PG skills, he won't make it in the league, but he has the potential to if he gets better at playing the one.

On Hayes he said something like,

Lindsey wanted him, he would have used a 2nd round pick on him but we didn't have one. So he wanted to sign him as a FA and have gim all year. I disagreed I wanted nothing at all to do with him. I didn't want anything to do with a 6-6 PF and basically just totally wrote him off.

But Lindsey persisted he insisted Hayes was a winner and could help a team. He insisted he brought a winning something and had potential.

We brought him into summer league on Lindsey's insistence and he played well. I still didn't want him even though Lindsey did so he was not signed.

He played well so we kept him on, he still played well at camp, Lindsey wanted to sign him, I didn't I felt he had nowhere to play in the league at that size. We cut him.

In retrospect that was a mistake, we should have had him all year, Lindsey was right, I was wrong, he's got a chance perhaps to be a 3rd string PF in this league, we will probably keep him around a year and see what happens, who knows he might actually stay in the league.


He then was asked about this years draft pick and he said he has no say anymore in the draft picks, that basically Lindsey makes the suggestions, those suggested players are worked out for Lindsey and Dawson, Lindsey runs the workouts, Lindsey makes a suggestion to Dawson along with Dawson's suggestion on who to pick, Dawson has final say. He also hinted that Moery has no say in it at least this year.

His tone of voice seemed to indicate that he was overriden totally on Head and Hayes and is now out of the loop, it seemed like there is a dispute with what Lindsey and Dawson want and what JVG wants.

 

Dude, I don't believe any of that crap. Get a mp3 link cause you sound like you're making this crap up.

 

If Van Gundy really said that, that explains a lot. Van Gundy needs to open up his damned mind and just evaluate the players based on how they play.

With JVG running things, it looks like Hayes will never be given a legitimate shot to show what he can do with consistent minutes.

3rd string PF -- with Juwan and Swift ahead of him? F*** that.

 

Look that isn't exactly, I can't remember word for word how he said it, but that is as close to what I can remember, that is basically what he said, but I can't remember exactly how he worded it.

 

Was it discussed on this board? Maybe there's a thread where we can get more information.

 

Yes, because he DID say 3 or 4 times that Chuck played well, in fact now that I think about it, he said he played well during the year too, but he said he just never wanted a 6-6 PF so he just didn't consider him, and he did say 3rd strong PF, but with Stro and Juwan what else woud he be?

Even if he plays better than Juwan you can't just bench Juwan with that contract, you would never be able to deal him and you would probably have to eat a huge boyout too and Les just seems to cheap to do it.

So I'm not sure if he really meant 3rd string PF in the league on any team or just the Rockets.

I will say this he sounded more positive in tone when talking about hayes than when talking about Luther.

but then again guys keep in mind Dawson really thinks Spanoulis is good, JVG then said he doubts he could even play in the NBA, which he followed up with a comment on barely having seen him play.

He also just made the remark about seriously doubting it was possible to get a player at #8 that would ever be able to start in the league.

So either he's purposely trying to be an a$$ or he just is the most pessimistic a person could be.

I disagree that Head won't make it in the league or be a rotational player in the league unless he becomes a PG, come on he's good enough now to be a 9th man on most teams.

 

Calm down. JVG is just stating his opinion on the acquired players BEFORE seeing them play in the nba. AFTER he saw them play...he acknowledged his pre-nba (initial) assessment was wrong.

 

If my memory serves me correctly, the only reason Hayes was cut was because of an ankle injury at the time. I remember JVG saying they should have kept him regardless of the injury.

 

There are two past threads that paint a better picture of Hayes situation then. One thread was re: his legal issues that continued during his SL participation and the other was a thread about the SL team by a poster who attended the event.

If Les was dead serious about the background checks the Rockets wouldn't have even have considered giving Hayes an opportunity to begin with.

 

Well JVG claimed Lindsey and Dawson are making those decisions not JVG.

I think that's really the issue. In all honesty that's the key, it doesn't really matter what JVg thinks of the players because he has to work with what they give him, but it makes it seem like they are not so happy with JVG as they let on.

 

Lindsey and Dawson pick JVG players. So it doesn't matter either way.

 

Na, JVG and Morey have a very strong relationship. With someone like Morey, you need the right guy coaching the team so the GM (or to be GM) and coach are on the same page. Very few coaches in the league would defer to Morey like JVG has done. He has been quoted as saying that he enjoys learning totally knew techniques and ways to scout and evaluate players. I don't see a Larry Brown or Pat Riley doing that. It's these younger coaches who are more concerned with winning and the finished product that would defer to this. Just look at Avery and Dallas.

 

How are Head and Hayes JVG type players?

To me it's guys like Sura, Oakley, Ewing, Yao, Barry, Wesley, Spreewel..............

to me that type of player is the so-called "JVG-type player"

I don't see how Hayes or Head is even remotely in the mold of the so-called "JVG-type" player.

 

Not Morey, Dawson and Lindsey.

Is JVg liying then when he said as of now only Dawson and Lindsey are really deciding things like draft picks rookie FA's and so forth?

He also said he has input on veteran NBA players but that still Dawson and Lindsey will make that decision and that as of now Morey doesn't have any say in it.

Why would JVG make something like that up?

 

I've seen a link asked for several times and it hasn't been given. I'd like to add to that request.

I'd imagine there was a thread on this, at least? I must have missed it and would like to get these details. Thanks.

 

Trust me, there was alot of free agents last year that we didn't pick up and many said we didn't get them because they weren't JVG-type players.

Hayes and Head ARE JVG-type players.

 

I have no idea, but I do believe it was discussed either on this board or another one.

I remember talking to a couple of my friends about it not on the net just normally.


There probably are several members here who heard it.

 

This is what JVG said, according to Rocket Dynasty:

He perhaps has a chance to be a 3rd string PF. Wow, how generous of him.

 

Exactly, it's according to RD, not actually JVG.

 

This is now my favorite off-season thread of all-time because I don't know what anyone's talking about.

I'm skeptical though.