ok, Kenny Atkinson is in FBI witness protection due to his turning state’s evidence on Les Alexander’s PETA assassinations. Repeat: just a rumor. As yet.
I'm guessing all you guys who want JVG coaching us again are remembering the cool, funny JVG we've been seeing on broadcasts since his retirement. On the other hand, some of us remember the dour guy who seemed pissed off at his players even when they were up by 30 in the 4th quarter, and whose teams were so defense-oriented they almost became inept on the offensive end. My big memory of JVG is standing on the sideline waving his arm in a circle to implore his teams to get down-court after a rebound. The problem is they were so focused on D that they let offense take a backseat. I'd rather bring in someone with a more balanced approach to things. No JBG, no Thibs.
Pablo prigioni fan right here. Why even mention Atkinson in a basketball forum. God speed to nba, rockets, worldwide!
I guess Rockets should no longer play as Harden likes since it won't win them a chip and playstyle is hated world-wide with no longer China support
And yet there hasn't been a player in JVG's coaching tenure who's come out and claimed they hated playing for him... plenty have with Thibs. Would Harden also hate playing for Phil Jackson, Pat Riley, Greg Poppovich, Steve Kerr, Rick Carlisle, Hubie Brown, Mike Budenholzer, Brad Stevens, Frank Vogel... basically list every coach who's not just a laid-back "players can do whatever they want" type. Hell, McHale was very much a players coach and Harden ran him off.
I think you're jaded by Steve Francis' one-and-only year with him. Francis/Mobely wanted to walk the ball up the court, and isolate. JVG didn't. Had nothing to do with defense hindering the offense... unless players were out of shape that they couldn't give effort on both ends. With Yao/T-mac/Barry/Sura/Wesley/Battier... the offense was actually a pretty good mix of half-court execution, ball-movement, and stout defense that forced turnovers and fast-break opportunities. In the end, they lacked personnel to contain Dirk and Boozer of all people. It was also getting harder and harder to force the ball into Yao... a precursor of how the game has fully changed now with no post-ups whatsoever.
So it's been said, so it has happened: https://sports.yahoo.com/rumor-jeff-van-gundy-could-160046693.html
This makes me laugh....NBA Finals is the standard...might while, he forces Morey to duck the Luxury Tax every year: "Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta has set the NBA Finals as a bar, and D’Antoni hasn’t guided Houston past the conference finals."
Hell no, game 7 Jazz vs Rockets at home we lose to Boozer & shitty Williams. Yao could not cover Boozer no adjustments were made. We should have won that game!
McHale benching harden in clippers series was a drastic measure. McHale saved face by joining the sports reporters and basically McHale was seen to take the high ground.
I love the guy and would be happy for him if he gets the gig, but I wouldn't hold out much hope that he's the guy who'll get the most out of Harden and lead us to the finals.
not sure what offense you’re talking about, but it’s not the one under JVG our offense was T-Mac high PNR, T-Mac isolation, and dumping it into Yao while slowing the game down to a crawl...the offense was hideous and often hard to watch They also did not force turnovers or get out on the break at all. They were 25th, 25th, and 24th in opponent turnover percentage, and 27th, 29th, and 29th in fastbreak points/100 possessions In the playoffs, the offense was even more atrocious. Thankfully we have Harden who is several tiers above T-Mac when it comes to offensive production, so even the most inept of offensive coaches can have an offense that’s at least top 10 in the league. Steve Francis wanted a free-flowing offense where he could do whatever he wanted while it was JVG who wanted to walk the ball up the court every possession and dictate play calling with an emphasis on inside-out ball featuring Yao. That is why they clashed.
People evolve and change. JVG is a smart guy and knows it's not the hard nosed 90's anymore. Today's game is more player oriented coach, and know what phillosphy and system Rockets is currently running. The GM and coach candidate would discuss about things like that and see if it fits. Coaches can evolve in their tenure. Even MDA, while some stuff is core to his DNA, his system did vary from Nash, to Lin, to Lakers, to Harden.
God speed for nba, rockets worldwide. Jvg can resurrect Austin Rivers as a starter in league for sure. Jvg would take rockets job on strength of Austin Rivers for sure.
revisionist history... Francis was encouraged to get out faster... he refused. His career soon tanked at all stops, not because he was being held down by coaching. Being able to have a competent offense with the likes of Scott Padgett/Barry/Sura all on the floor at the same time is often forgotten.... "welcome to the machine" was Barry's exact quote at the height of their offensive efficiency. Regardless, the NBA isn't the same game now as it was then... which has been universally recognized by all parties, including JVG... so why compare anything to a different era?
