I honestly don't care about what could have been with V-Span. I think the most important thing we learned about him is that he had a certain sense of entitlement when it came to playing time, regardless of the fact he was a rookie. Moreover, when he didn't enjoy the situation he was placed in, he took the matter to the media instead of keeping it "inside the family". To me, that shows a significant lack of character and only spelled trouble for the future when something else didn't go his way (e.g., more playing time, contract negotiations, etc.). Whether he was talented or not, he turned out to not be worth the trouble. The Rockets wanted to try and bring him back under Adelman, but he insisted that he needed to go back to Greece. The Rockets did a great job of turning lemons into lemonade and we have Scola now. End of story. V-Span got what he wanted, the Rockets got what they needed.
The story of JVG and V-Span's relationship told by Whitney Houston..... <object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/S2jn6PAEq70"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/S2jn6PAEq70" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object>
Van Gundy's offense was predictable, slow and unimaginative. Vspan was unpredictable, fast and imaginative. Like mixing water and gasoline. Vspan lighting up the French team with Parker playing was of course, an anomoly (sarcasm). We don't have to worry about the Greek National Team ever hiring Van Gundy to coach. Between Stern, the refs, lots of players and many of the Rockets staff I have talked to, I think a lot of people are very happy to see JVG in the broadcast booth. I think the Rockets will be called a lot more fairly by the refs this year - just a hunch.
My guess it people will still b**** about refs being unfair to the Rockets. Kings fans couldn't stop b****ing about refs during their Adelman era, nothing is likely to change. And people won't stop b****ing about the coach, either... Adelman has endured plenty of fan criticism, just like JVG. Hell, his last owners dislike him as much as Les does JVG, it seems. Certain things are just realities about fans in this league, a coaching change can alter the style of the team, and may even bring better (or worse) results, but it won't stop fans b****ing.
Owners and League Presidents act like dictators. Coaches push their own style and try to get the best players to match their style. Players carp about playing time and systems being adapted to fit them. Some fans carp about coaches who don't fit their style preferences - I admit, and get happy when a new guy shows up. And other fans who like the original style and the coach carp about fans who disagree with them. Some people spend hours of time on sports boards posting witty and intelligent messages. And everybody likes wins and trophies and the Power Dancers. Alcohol makes it all go down easier. Then we get up in the morning and go to work one more time. Does that just about summarize it?
Very true. They only control that people have in sports is to voice their opinion by not watching, not buying tickets, not buying merchandise, boycotting companies like Coca Cola, shoe companies, GM, Ford, Toyota, for all of the added marketing price add on's for everyone Even pople who don't like sports. But, we love sports because it's a way to bring communiteis together. In thei society where none of us belong, we can all root for the good guys. And we take anything they do because as fans we can connect, we can come out here and know what houston is all about. It's modern day religious type devotion.
But let it not be said I'm not appreciative of brushing up on my typing skills. I guess I'm at about 60 to 70 words per minute.
I'm not claiming that V Span was the second coming of Magic, BUT... Some of you people who like to call Span the suckiest piece of suck who ever sucked, based on his limited time in garbage minutes and preseason are the same people who every stinking year cry about players like Dan Langhi not getting enough time, or Jason Collier, or Rhodes, or Badine, or Novak. Its absolutely crazy to watch one person not be good enough to earn it based on sh!tty play on limited garbage minutes, but another one is the second coming of Larry Bird, based on sh!tty play in limited minutes? Its like the circle of stupidity. "V Span sucks...look at him suck in the time given him" "PLAY Novak already!!!! He deserves some time damn it.!!!" Gah... OH and PS. If you dare be one to claim that Alston deserves to play 40 mins a game, then you should NOT ever claim that another player doesnt deserve time. Worst shooter in the NBA. Worst...dead last....terrible. Defense sucks, and makes bone headed decisions on the break. Bout the only thing Alston does is protect the ball. Not too hard when the offense starts through TMac pretty much every possesion.
I believe it's the same people who said all that and I doubt anyone has ever said Rafer deserves to play 40 minutes a night.
when you're bored, a v-span/jvg thread is good to pass the time with... First, this would have been useful information 5 months ago - why'd it take so long to mention it? Almost the next preseason to mention this, if this was indeed valid communication Absolutely. Can't forget John Lucas played several games that season, made an excellent showing in Summer Leagues, and was familiar with the system and Van Gundy already. Thats tough for any coach to overlook let alone Van Gundy. To make it in the NBA it takes a bit of PROGRESSION, which was a route Spanoulis apparently (questionably) did not want to take. Spanoulis valued adoration, love and respect from peers first, then long term NBA success. He needed to explain to his family and to his boys why Vassili wasnt cutting it, and when the love and respect wasnt there in the NBa he had to go back to the comfortable source of it. Which is fine I guess...but pretty weak way of making it in the NBA. Along with Van Gundy needing to adapt, the SAME applies to the players. If he'da gotten 20 minutes a game though I think he'd still be in the NBA though...But oooh well, Scola Time!
I think your last comments speaks volumes of why people think so little of VSpan ( his attitude didn't endear him to anyone either). We had Rafer playing all those minutes and that shows just how weak we were at the pg position. Lucas got some time too but he was largely ineffective. So to suggest that JVG didn't play VSpan because of some personal vendetta just doesn't fly with me. VSpan supporters keep using rafer, JVG, whatever they can grasp to make their argument. Nobody still wants JCG here, nobody think that Rafer should have played all those minutes, everyone thinks pg was one of if not the weakest position (pf being the other), everyone is excited about Adelman and our new team. Just the majority don't buy into this "conspiracy thing." We feel that VSpan looked crappy when he played, had a bad attitude (those are facts) and didn't earn any pt in practice (being as though he was breought in to be our backup and barely played). That's the likely scenario. We are glad JVG is gone along with VSpan.
Most players don't play that well or even get much playing time. V-Span shouldn't have expected to be coddled in the NBA. Despite what someone has been saying on this thread, the NBA is MUCH more competitive and skilled than any foreign league. This fact will be reenforced when V-Span's team will play against us in October.
BBall Scientist's Theory of Spanoulisity V = MC2 Where V = Vassilis and M = McGrady and C = Greece Therefore, VSpan is TMac squared in Greece. Now, I understand everything...
That was after Spanoulis whined to the Greek press how Van Gundy doesnt understand anything. Two things can happen - A Van Gundy response with ego, or Van Gundy being more Battier-like and nice guying it. We saw what happened...I myself didnt think it was too appropriate but I have to admit I got a laugh out of him owning Spanoulis for a second Its obvious both of these prideful stubborn asses contributed to things, thats why they're always linked. Van Gundy should have been fair about his talents from the start and not responded that way. But also Spanoulis shoulda known he possibly had it coming to him by going to the media like that in the first place Sorry but, isnt that kind of the same thing? Not liking someone for some reason and having a personal issue with someone are closely linked. I'm assuming you mean Van Gundy doesnt have an agenda against rookies and euros, only against something Spanoulis particulary brought that was against this style. Either/or, both arent that good to deal with in basketball. Bonzi - yeah it is mostly Bonzi's fault. He was too fat and depressed to play. Van Gundy gave him NUMEROUS chances on. Behind the scenes, whatever . On-court Bonzi had oppurtunities. Bonzi disappointed himself and everyone else and he knows it. I'm not a Van Gundy supporter but Bonzi wasnt meant to fit directly into the 3 point shooting scheme anyways. Stromile/Snyder - Stromile was a big free agent pickup at the time and figured heavily into the plans. Snyder was an under-the-radar move. IIRC Stromile was very much Van Gundy doghouse material. Everyone wanted him to play even MORE and take away Juwan Howard's minutes even at his most injured/rocks for brains state. Snyder will agree could have gotten more looks with some different offensive sets (wait, WHAT different offensive sets under Van Gundy) So basically I'm adding Stromile into the should-have-played-more along with Snyder. That last sentence, you criticized people believing Van Gundy had a personal vendetta against Spanoulis and then say again Van Gundy didnt care at all for Spanoulis lol. Wish it'da worked for Spanoulis but oh well, good riddance to the both of those guys. Woulda been more trouble to get them both able to produce desired results than necessary
It's over..JVG's offense was just kicking it inside to Yao or letting T-Mac do his thing while all the other players positioned themselves to take the outside shot. Streaky offense that lead to live or die by the three pointer. If you're the opposing team, then all you have to do is double Yao front and back. Cover T-Mac and let the other players try to beat you from three point land. Ya, I'm looking forward to the new season to see what will happen with all these new players and new offensive sets. It'll be interesting that's for sure.
Whining is bad, but mocking one's OWN player in public is stooping to new low. And if what Span said was true, that he was promised minutes before he came to the Rockets, then I can see the point behind his "whining". You try to justify a coach mocking, embarrassing, and turns the fans as well as media against one of his own players in the public by saying such player deserves it because he wants more minutes? If JVG's gotta a problem, solve it like a man. Don't hide behind a newspaper and direct his media goons and blind fans making fun of others. No excuse for JVG. I wouldn't say JVG want Span to fail and conspire to do it out of personal reasons. I'm talking about the origin of things. Regardless of V-Span having NBA potential or not, he doesn't fit with JVG's style. He wouldn't prosper under JVG. He's a slasher, a creator, not a three point stand up shooter. I wouldn't call incompatibility vandetta or conspiracy. Regardless of being fat, Bonzi shot a higher percentage, grabbed more rebounds than Rafer Alston. He averaged nearly 8 points a game. His performance was disappointing compared to his career, but doesn't warrant him sitting on the bench, especially when our depth was RAZOR THIN. Bonzi could play but didn't get the chance to play. He, like Span, doesn't fit into JVG's little system. All three of them, V-Span, Snyder and Bonzi are the slasher type without a three point shot. JVG emphasizes too much on the one on one play of T-Mac and Yao. To ask him pulling Yao out of low block once in a while is like murdering his whole family. Such style asks for role players waiting outside hitting the long range shot on kickouts. Slashers without three point shots are sacrificed to maintain the monoplization of this style. Now, results would justify the sacrifice in variety and players. When JVG decided to go against the selections of "unfit" players of management and stick to his gameplan, he's going out on a limb to prove a point, that his holy grail way can work, which in turn, further firms his stance on not playing players who don't fit in as time passed by. JVG believed in one engine for a plane, and shoved back the auxiliary engine prepared back into the management face. When this engine fails, he crashes. Huh? What are you talking about? I said "Don't feed us this JVG likes Spanoulis crap". Yes, it's possible to not like somebody and not conspire to make him fail at the same time. Kobe and Shaq didn't like each other, doesn't mean they want each other to fail and set up things accordingly when they were playing together. Clear enough?
