JVG is probably a champion coach if Yao/McGrady could’ve stayed healthy. I’ll never forget driving home from work and hearing “Yao our for the year”. That said, anyone in the world can coach this offense. Unless Morey thinks JVG has the stones to install some motion for and around James Harden’s ISO game, literally any coach coming through that door is likely to just hand the ball to James.
During an interview with Lance Z. 4-6 years or so ago, he said the game has changed a lot and he'd have someone else collaborate on the offensive scheme. To assume he's locked into the same style he was over a decade ago is simple minded. It'd be like saying Bill Gates' knowledge of personal computing is limited to MS DOS. The truth is. We don't know exactly what his approach will be. But we do know he comes from the same coaching tree as that guy in Miami whose team is playing in the finals right now... and implementing signature offenses isn't exactly that guys calling card.
JVG didn't know any other ways to use Yao than force feeding him in the post. I remember there was a time when we were win-less without TMac. Adelman took over and we could win some games without TMac creating the offense. I love JVG the guy. But as a coach, he just didn't have any offensive vision. We had two of the best offensive players in the league and our offense still sucked.
Here you go @Rocket River JVG in a nice interview, in his own words recently during the season......prior to looking for a coaching job. Or trying to impress and land a future coaching gig? https://poddtoppen.se/podcast/13982...sode-103-jeff-van-gundy-teaching-and-coaching [The Basketball Podcast episode 103 with Chris Oliver] 3:00 Nick Nurse * Starts by saying he likes a 1-3-1 Zone with a big center. *Hall of Fame coaches require Hall of Fame players.....HOF players don’t require HOF coaches. *Always about the players 9:00 Credit to Coaches *Half-time adjustments.....how about, “whole game adjustments?” 11:00 Improvisation - 13:00 Time in Practice *Practice time is good. NBA players are mentally quicker so improv during a game can be achieved with greater success because of practice participation. “Allows for better Plan B options.” 17:00 Perception and Reps of the Game *JVG believes 5-on-5 is greater than individual drills. 3-on-3 or 4-on-4 as well. *He is not a fan of 1-on-1. Says you don’t see 1-on-1 anymore; like after practice. I don’t know....seems like I see videos pop up all the time, like when Melo, Harden, Paul George (I think) we’re playing 1-on-1. Other stars. 1-on-1 is good for iso penetration.........Harden/Westbrook. Just saying. 20:00 Challenging is Good for Players * Would coach college team like a pro team (mostly 5-on-5) *Players need to do the hard things. Practice Hard. 24:00 Playing 1-on-1 *Questions if today’s players want to compete? Including practice? Jokes about players maybe putting on yoga pants (looking good in front of the camera over grinding on the basketball court hustling.....my interpretation). 26:30 Practice Less * Get to the point allows for less time needed in practice; But practice hard. 35:30 Learning From International coaches *JVG likes ball movement *Stress offensive rebounding for extra possessions 37:30 Bring Back team in short time * “Conflict Clears the Air.” * Direct and Honest *”Play Best Players more.” A philosophy I disagreed with D’Antoni on. Fails player development of your younger players. Injury to your “best players” and you are screwed because they get no on the job training vs pro talent. Watching from bench is not enough. There are plenty of bad teams to give marginal players 5 minutes in each half. IMO. Doesn’t sound like he will be much on “Load Management.” 40:00 Best Methods in Basketball Today * Communication 1-on-1 * “Film Does Not Lie.” * Criticism in a group * Open door policy with understanding coach makes the decisions. Stresses players need to understand coaches do what’s best for the team. Team.....team......”The Team” nowadays he hears too much that teams are player centric. He would buck that trend, supposedly. 43:30 Perspective on Coaching the Best Players * Call people out by name. So there is no mistake or misunderstanding as to who is being discussed about. * No star gets a pass 45:00 Receiving Feedback * Too much Smoke being blown up players *****. 49:00 Load Management * Pace Team * Wants players to practice.....sets tone for the upcoming game. Claims if you practice hard, he will consider giving a player less reps in the game. How do you keep this promise while saying play the best players “More?” * Believes in practicing more than opponents. His words not mine. 51:00 Early Specialzation - 53:30 Words to the Parents * Why play summer basketball and then be unavailable during the season. Give your body rest. 55:00 Summer League * Against summer league.....would rather team practiced together. * Doesn’t care for team meetings/practice in the Bahamas or anywhere else. I feel it helps the players bond. It’s not all about basketball. 56:30 Weight Room * Wants players to be leanest, fastest and strongest they can be. 58:00 Sports Science *Analytics * Mid Range Shots * Geeks want coaches to adhere to rigid numbers.....can’t always be done. Conclusion: I feel like Harden likes some of the things being said; but doesn’t care for others. I’m not sold JVG believes much of what he said here. I give this relationship 2 years before Harden demands a trade to California or Arizona. It’s one thing to have free reign and stay in Houston (small market) and another to be in Houston without it.
Agreed. but 2 years is all we need before its time to trade harden and rebuild. however, I think there are better fits for HC, and I say that without discounting that JVG is a good coach. I don't think you need to practice that hard or that often. I don't think you need to grind your star players as much as the bench guys. one thing that Phil, pop, Riley, and the rest of the best do is listen to their stars. Jordan, pippen and Rodman said Phil never spoke to them at practice and only focused on everyone else because he knew they knew what to do. you have to give James and rus that respect, and in turn I think they will listen to the coach. in that regard I think lue would be the best fit. anyone who can manage lebron and kyrie can manage James and rus. I think Atkinson and JVG are great at getting a young team into the playoffs, but to get a veteran team over the hump you need to let go a bit and trust in your veteran stars. MDA was good at that but he had other flaws. its tricky because we're looking for: superstar management, in game adjustments, defense, and analytics offense. I'd say lue has superstar management and in game adjustments. if he's open to letting morey/harden run the offense then we just need a defensive coordinator for him. Atkinson has the analytics offense approach, the defense, and the in game adjustments, but hasn't proven to be able to manage superstars (although kyrie and KD are on another level). so he would possibly need an ex player as a lead assistant like Cassell who could help him in managing harden/rus. Silas has the analytic approach to offense, and from reports he's able to earn the respect of the star players. he's unproven with in game adjustments and with defense. a defensive coordinator could solve one of those, but a rookie HC will either get those adjustments right or not. no telling. JVG in this interview seems like he's not really open to the analytics offense, might not be great for veteran superstars, but can probably still bring the defense and in game adjustments. is he #3 or 4 on my list? yeah. but as I started this post by saying, that doesn't mean he's a bad coach or the wrong coach. maybe he is able to balance out morey and harden by providing a counterpoint. maybe that's what we need. if we can't afford lue and miss out on Atkinson and its between Silas or JVG I'd lean Silas but wouldn't blame morey for going with JVG who probably has the higher floor. all 4 options are a clear cut above any other candidate and with 4 vacancies in the NBA, we're sure to land one of them, which is a good thing.
Yeah, I hear you. I liked some things JVG was saying. Some things sound much like Thibs still. I wish I could be at the Rockets/JVG interview....to hear the answers to much the same questions. 1) Treatment of star player in the presence of teammates? Sure JVG will use his firm library voice. 2) Load Management? 3) Practice regiment? 4) If summer play is not so important compared to regular season games; why not see practice as less than regular? season games. Referring to when he says, “be at practice and I will lessen reps in the game.” 5) Best Players playing “Big Minutes” to win every game? Will his rotations be about 7 to 8 players (reg season)? Like Harden probably having an open mind on the hiring of JVG......I would keep an open mind observing. Hopefully they could meet halfway on differences. A happy median. But two years could also be Harden in limbo collecting $40+ million. Teams would still love to have Harden at 32 years of age. Some teams want CP3 at an older age. Harden probably would like Knicks as well as a destination. Hope it doesn’t come to that. Go Astros!!
MDA was one of the best and most creative with ATO (after time out) sets. It was a different type of basketball during his last tenure with Rockets too, JVG just ignored the memo saying the 90's were done.
its just funny how (not you) people on here complain that morey only wants to hire a puppet to rus his offense and then when he wants to interview JVG the same people say he's a terrible fit for what we're trying to do lol. sometimes its good to have someone in the room who can provide a counter argument to balance things out. those are some great topics to question him about. I'm hoping to keep our stars minutes in the low 30s (pop was great at that with his big 3) all regular season and then raise them as you get closer to the playoffs. I know MDA wanted them to stay in shape to play 40mpg in the playoffs so he'd play them 38mpg all season. I just don't think that's necessary. save their legs, lower their minutes, ramp them up post all star break so they hit 36ish in the playoffs. saving the legs/load management means practice too. they don't have to go hard in every practice all year. again, ramp it up.
If you want longer rotations and shorter minutes how could you even contemplate hiring JVG. Thibs is notorious for running his best players into the ground, where do you think he learned this? JVG even states this unequivocally "play your best players" in the podcast that @ApacheWarrior linked above.
well because there are plenty of factors to consider, that being just one of them. I'm willing to concede on one or two things for a coach that brings most of the other things. that being said, he's not my top choice. I want lue then Atkinson. I think we can get either. as a fall back I'd decide between JVG or Silas. and I'd be ok with either being the choice over Vanterpool or Lucas.
Agreed JVG mentions big center. Do we need to acquire one? This first year we (Rockets) may not have the assets to acquire a quality center to his liking. If we do, it says a lot about who wanted to trade Capela. Points to D’Antoni predominantly, for Morey/Tilman to shift gears so soon after. Just things that make me wonder. Practice hard to be competitive; 5-on-5 sounds silly to me. Harden scores 35 pts a game. The second best scores what 30 points per game. Why push Harden? For 40 points per game? I get it, he saves energy for offense.....others pick up the effort on defense. But do we really need him diving for balls? Spraining an ankle? In Practice. Harden is one player that has proved himself in 5-on-5 during real game time. 82 game season provides plenty of real time action - practice. One thing I actually liked about D’Antoni; shoot arounds Instead of practice. Yes, throw in the occasional practice to go along with film study for focus on key points against necessary opponent situations. Old school may not cut it nowadays. Kawhi forced his way out of San Antoni claiming injury. Toronto allowed him to play every other game. Clippers allowed him to play every other game for a while as well. Kyrie forced out of Boston by cleaning out a knee......but Kyrie is always hurt. Who knows for sure. Easy for a player to claim arthroscopic surgery on one knee one year and then arthroscopic surgery needed on the other knee the next. BullDog coach might not get their way. Coach playing his best players to win every game may not win too many if his best player earning $40+M sits two months.
Exactly and it is why I am not excited about JVG. He wasn’t good at making adjustments, he didn’t develop young players and he was not a coach that was able to adapt to players to reach them. He coached the way he coached and if a player didn’t respond or understood, they were left behind. Everyone seems to believe that he is going to magically change his coaching personality... I think it silly to assume so.
This is a fair point, but I would counter that I saw zero substantive in game adjustments. He would literally say to play harder. While playing hard and having a coach that gets his players to play hard is important, it isn’t enough. Perhaps JVG would be more willing to make adjustments than when he was younger (and more arrogant) but he tends to want things done his way and put blinders on in the past.
Daryl Morey wanted to trade Capela for Covington (as did MDA). Covington is a better player than Capela (especially defensively). The deal was one the Rockets tried to pull off a year earlier as well.
No one should assume he would roll out the same offense because he wouldn’t. The issue I have is that he is very much like Tom Thibs, he is going to ultimately slow down the offense for increased focus on defense. He has certain principles he believes in and that saturates everything (for good and bad). He would have the Rockets ready to play and playing hard but he isn’t terribly creative or innovative. He also tends to get more dogmatic and rigid over the course of a year.
Not just lack of adjustments, but lack of ability to adjust. Our personnel is able to play one way and one way only. If we can have any versatility (i.e. a big who can shoot and catch lobs) in our roster, then we could have tried other things and pushed the Lakera a little bit harder. Instead, now we need to watch the Warriors and Lakers dominate the West...
