OK, just playing the rookies 5+ minutes a night does not equate to an automatic loss. I would give them a chance, and if they perform well, they play more minutes, if they are stinking it up, they sit until the next game. DD
you lost me on VSpan being by far the best creator on the team. how did you come to this conclusion? TMac and even Yao, Battier and Rafer are miles ahead in the real NBA world by my estimation. i'm sorry, but if not playing VSpan is the reason that the Rockets can't win, then the Rockets are in a pool of whale dung. if you ask me, VSpan should not even be a consideration as far as that loss was concerned. you can't expect a rookie that has only played a whole 5 minutes in the entire season to be a savior of the team. same goes for Novak too. heck, i've already written VSpan off simply for the reason that barring an injury (heaven forbid)to Rafer AND Luther, Van Gundy is not likely to play VSpan anything more than garbage minutes. if he plays any meaningful minutes this season, it's a bonus to me, but i'm not going to expect anything from him on a Gundy coached team. but i am degressing. plain and simple, VSpan or no VSpan, Gundy was unable for whatever reasons to get as much out of the players he used as Pop did out of his players during that critical quarter.
To me .. . the reality is these guys have to find SOME playing time you cannot micromanage every game in every aspect Like Red Aubach said. . SIT DOWN SOMETIMES Let them play . . . some time JVG reminds me of the FUN POLICE commercial with the kid who couldn't pass. . . he wants to just hold and control everything If the Rookies don't get any experience now. . how can you b*tch about Rookie Mistakes later? They gonna happen . . better early than later That is just my opinion Rocket River
Hey studiousdawg... I'm taking requests...care for a little "While my Guitar Gently Weeps"? Or since you're likely too young to remember it, how about Affro-man's " 'Cause I was High"? "High" is what someone would have to be to look at a starting 5 which included Battier, Hayes and Alston and think "deep playoff run". Interesting that you mentioned Adelman. Gives you an out in case the Adelman Rockets blow 20 point leads. Probably goes without saying that I don't think they will.
I guess the whole "olive branch" thing was just bull****. SA gets a win and it's down with JVG again.
But Carl, It is EERY how right I was so early in the season.......haters need to realize that visionaries are always blasted, but usually correct. DD
Bottom line: Pops had reliable guys on the bench, Van Gundy didn't. When Van Gundy tried to play guys out of the regular rotation due to injuries and what-not, the team sucked. So he went back to the regulars. It's really that simple. Pop's guys proved useful when given a chance. JVG's guys did not. Had Span, Novak, Lucas, Wells, etc gave the team a jolt while on the court, they would have earned more minutes.
Oh goody! Yet ANOTHER "JVG is to blame for the Rockets' shortcomings" thread. Our cups runneth over...
My apologies to all for dredging this up from NOVEMBER. It has nothing to do with VG, Pop, Beno, Boki, VSpan, olive branches or DaDakota. It has to do with early recognition that the Rockets did not have sufficient talent...athletes and players that can get their own shots and not stand at the arc...to compete with the WC elite. VG rightly or wrongly is gone and I'm cautiously optimistic $Ball will move down a notch or two in the evaluation of talent. Please, please, please Daryl...we need athletes. That's the point...not VG.
GATER, tabling the issue as to who made what player moves, if the team is as bad and untalented as you say than that makes JVG a fantastic coach by coaxing overachievement does it not?
let sleeping dogs lay. jesus man, stop trying to keep discrediting jvg after the fact. its ridiculous. you know what also helps spurs? manu off the bench. The BEST player in the league. finley, horry, barry on the bench instead of howard, luther and snyder. simple concept anyone can understand. rockets 3rd best player...battier spurs 3rd best player....manu or parker. Huge difference
Spurs and Rockets are two completely different pieces. With the Rockets you really had 1 offensive system with to start it. You also have 1 defensive system. So, your bench players have to be very similar to your starters, and provide the similar assets they have. Maybe not to the extent of the starters, but somewhat. Because our bench players cannot do this right now, they didn't play. Novak not strong enough to rebound in post (Hayes), not good enough defender to spell Battier. V-Span & JL3 not trusted to take care of ball. Neither shot well. (Not that Alston did amazingly better, but he was more consistent.) Head can only shoot, but not a good defender like t-mac or battier. Cannot take anyone of the dribble. Howard has little energy, not a good cutter, and doesn't play as well defensively as Hayes does. For the Spurs, their bench pieces match their starters. Vaughn is similar to Parker in driving ability & defense. Oberto & Elson are similar (yes i know Elson is a shot blocker and oberto is a cutter, but still similar). Ginobli is a better version of Finley. Only Horry doesn't equate to a starter, but he is a mismatch shooting 3-pt at 6-10, and is savy, tough and strong enough to play defense down low. Also when the spurs take out Duncan, the offense is not nearly the same. They still have spot up 3-pt shooters, but there is a lot more movement, 2 people put the ball on the floor, hard screens, etc. As opposed to when Yao sits, and everyone other than T-mac sits pat just like before and T-mac has to do everything.
