I don't know basketball like I know politics, but I do know this. If the national Democratic Party is getting its *** kicked by the GOP, and a Democrat wins the governorship of Georgia by running against the national Democratic Party's positions on guns or prayer or whatever, the chairman of the national Democratic Party has ZERO ability to punish the guy who just won Georgia. The chairman has no political juice, because everybody can see his way is a losing way. The governor has tons of political juice because everybody can see his way is a winning way. I bet it's pretty similar in sports. Van Gundy has tried his way, and the results have disappointed nearly everyone. The more McGrady wins games by playing McGrady's way, the more the political power shifts to him. Van Gundy will not have the credibility to crack down on McGrady. A losing coach who benches a winning player will lose his job in no time. And yes, Francis could have done the same thing, if he had won games consistently by playing his way. He didn't. I'm betting that McGrady can do what Francis couldn't -- and that Van Gundy will have to suck it up and bend to McGrady's way.
Francis could have never gotten off that many shots in the last :35 seconds. He would have dribbled the clock down for most of that. I'm dead serious.
Interesting comments. It is just so blatently obvious that these guys need to be turned loose offensively.
Absolutely, with Yao added to the Orlando Magic of last season with the same play style, this team can win 30 games this season.
-..T-MAC!!!!!! I think Yao enjoys playing Tmac offense too..they just need to expect some passes..Barrett and Sura and Tmac can create...heh too bad our power forwards brick everything Last night Juwan shot 20%..those open shots should be like 50% at least. I am glad that they hustle and try to rebound though..they will do for now on this 10 game stretch. And if we set up plays for Howard or Mo..simple iso or post up..they do pretty well..Howard has a nice jump hook..he isn't doing well at all from outside..he's good at setting picks though..he has good fundamentals..besides shooting. Jackson and Nachbar will probably look good in TMAC'S offense! Gaines is quick but can't shoot so he will remain a 11th man.. I really don't have a point. But I just hate to see us struggle to score when Tmac can easily score lol.
That's what ultimately happened in Orlando, coming to a head last year. It is not something that ends with the playing style. McGrady got comfortable having things his way over time and gained enough clout to the point that it affected the rest of the team. He started taking practices off, taking ill-advised shots, and influencing the other players on the team to do the same. Be wary what you ask for, Rockets fans, because it can happen again.
McGrady Offense + JVGs defense would be amazing. Imagine the defense that we played in the 1st half of san antonio along with a more uptempo T-mac style of offense... We'd be a very exciting team offensively and defensively. To everyone that says if T-mac gets things his way offensively that we will be Orlando + Yao... last years orlando team wasn't among "the best defensive teams in the nba" as we are labelled now with JVG. I expect to see T-mac slowly doing the offense his way like a few times a quarter and gradually take over toward the end. Watch the game against Dallas and see if you notice this.
yeah i forgot to say.. JVG's defensive scheme is good..continue that and then the offense will be improved..
A JVG Defense and TMac offense can't work together. It's like trying to have Don Nelson and JVG coach the same team. A JVG defense limits posessions, meaning, slowing it down and using the clock TMac is able to do his thing when he has the greenlight to basically do whatever he wants, including pulling up for 3 with 21 seconds on the clock. Its what we saw in Dallas and the last minute in SA, and they both turned into one of the most memorable performances in Rocket history. We'll see if JVG can adjust to suit this team, but I think most of us know that JVG is stubborn enough not to do so. As Will put it, it really is TMac vs. JVG.
T-mac has had 3 years of doing his stuff in Orlando. If people still have memory, his team won 19 games last year. JVG certainly needs to make adjustment. But T-mac would have to adjust more, he has to fit into a system which can control the tempo of the game, like a Kobe on the Lakers team with Shaq. JVG is a very good coach. He knows his stuff. His style can win lots of games and get deep into playoffs, but he needs better players on the 1, 3, 4 positions. Pistons, Pacers, Spurs play similar style and they are all successful.
If you still have your memory of last year you would also point out that last years team excluded Grant Hill, Hedo Turkoglu, Jameer Nelson, Dwight Howard, and Tony Battie from this years team. Take away those people from the team this year and they would be lucky to win 10 games. If your going to present an argument please state the entire truth.
Come on, a starting lineup of Cato Gooden Stevenson Cat Francis with the bench of Bogans (playing well for the bobcats so far) Declerque Augman should easily be atleast a .500 team in the east. They wouldn't have traded gooden if they didn't get Howard and they wouldn't have traded Bogan if they didn't sign Hedo and draft Nelson. That is still a solid team anyway you look at it.
I personally don't believe that team would have done any better. Last years Orlando team looked good on paper too. Some predicted them to go the 2nd round of the playoffs at least before the season started. DeClerque Howard Gooden McGrady Lue (Not totally sure that was how the starting lineup looked) With the bench of DeShawn Stevenson (averaged 12/2/3 last year) Pat Garrity Reece Gaines But anyway, my point was that he didn't tell the entire truth of why the Magic lost so many games last year. Give all the details if making an argument.
Run and gun? Can JVG teach how to run fast break? Give him credit, we improve from last season's offensive foul + turnover to this season's turnover only. That's quite an achievement.
well. .. . that was my thought to in that TIME meant TMac could go OFF the JVG program and we see the results In the 48 pt explosion . . . . [I missed the game *cry*] I can beleive that Tmac probably broke more than his share of plays My friend said something when we traded for T-mac He said "T-mac is a proven Coach Killer" Rivers was successful and got run out by T-mac [his words not mine] So JVG better watch his step i guess Rocket River and yes. . . JVG will go before YAO or TMAC
I think your talking about former U.S. Senator and Former Georgia Governor Zell Miller, a Democrat who came out against Kerry and in support of Bush. Which is funny since Miller, could be considered the most flip-floppin' Senator of the last decade. He was the man who gave the keynote speech as well as the introduction for Bill Clinton in 92'. The guy is a total douche and shining example of one dirty political hand washing the other. He just knew Kerry didn't have it in him to win. At least he no longer holds office. The current Governor of Georgia is Sonny Perdue a stalwart and career Republican. I understand your comparison, but I figure you might appreciate the correction since you seem to have an interest in politics. As far as the topic at hand, JVG can see the writing on the wall. He is going to take whatever measures to win, because that is his damn job. If that means letting T-Mac run amuck, sh$t that is better than losing and not crackin' 75 points. After the "Comeback" I have more faith that things will just pan out, and hopefully like I read Hubie said, "they'll be a handful in the second half of the season".
I hope JVG does see the writing Folx would rather and EXCITING 47 win season and playoffs than 50 wins boring *ss season . . . with playoffs Rocket River
