1. Does coach Van Gundy spend some private time with any of his players like some other coaches ? Avery Johnson for example takes a player or players out to eat and talk not only about bball suff but non bball stuff as well. thus making players know he care for them not only for being a baller but also as a person. All this while still being a demanding coach who gets his players to do things the way he likes it on the coart. In short he has control/ respect and friendship of his players. As for JVG, he certainly has control , to a certain extent respect (or is it fear and not respect from some players ) but friendship I certainly doubt it. He always appear depressed ( someone pls slip him some anti-deppresant) and does not give that aura of being an approachable guy , that players on their own initiative will seek him out to talk about their bbal and non bball problems ? 2 Have you ever seen JVG elated over any win in his coaching career in NY or Houston ? Ever seen him joking around (even just a little bit ) with his players ? 3 Other than lunch/dinner and playing video games with some teamates, what other offcoart/ private time activities does Yao join his teammates in . Golf ? Billiards ?........Who is he closest to in the team
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Thats my desktop background now. LOL. But seriously, I'm not worried about this. Everyone on their team says they love the coach. The coach isn't the cancer on you are making him out to be. In an interview I remember Rafer talking about how he is a much different person in practice.
Not sure whether you watch soccer. Ottma Hitzfeld, the head coach of Borussia Dortmund in the 90's, who led Dortmund to Bundesliga Champion and European Championsleague Championship, he was as polite as one can get. He was never close to his players, and never interacted with them besides practice and games. He even sometimes talked to his players with "Sie" instead of "Du", which is a polite form of "you". Different coach has different style, but it doesn't stop him winning with Dortmund and later on with Bayern Muenchen. Besides, I don't think PJ ever has any personal relationship with those guys either. JVG was called a player's coach with reasons. I don't think he needs to hang out with those guys to be a good coach.
I seem to recall the players saying he takes them out to eat sometimes. I think they even had a team trip to a bowling alley. He took them on a gambling trip to Las Vegas, last season, in the middle of a road trip.
I'm not sure its fair to compare Avery Johnson to JVG since Johnson was a player not that long ago I'm sure he still enjoys the camraderie with players whereas JVG was never an NBA player and has always been on the sidelines rather than in team huddles on the court or in the locker room.
By all reports, the Rockets players like their coach (and each other) more than most teams in this league. I don't think JVG's relationship with the players is a problem for anyone on this team, save maybe for Bonzi. Even Snyder, who has gotten chided a few times, seems to enjoy being a Rocket just fine.
Like a lot of sports teams - what you see via the media and what is reality are two different things. I'll just note two things: 1. Van Gundy is hilarious. He rips people in that sarcastic New Yorker way. Everyone is subject to it on the team - from Yao on down to Jay Namoc and the broadcasters. He'll get the entire bus laughing. 2. You notice how every player when interviewed sounds like a programmed Van Gundy robot? "Efficent" "Cut down turnovers" "Defend the paint" "effective possessions" "inside out" - they've all bought in. Now that I'm no longer with the Rox, I notice it a lot more looking at it from far away - every single interview response that comes from players could easily have come from JVG.
Every worthwhile player on the Rockets is a JVG fan. There have been quotes-a-plenty of how much TMac, Yao, Deke, etc., love JVG. Also, there have been plenty of times when JVG has extended personal commitments to his players. JVG has a reputation for putting his butt on the line for his players (remember the ref controversy last year..?).
I think this is true. The players have consistently sung Van Gundy's praises. He is not a " player's coach" like rudy - but that is good. He is respected by his players. I recall the league office gave him grief about taking the players on the Las Vegas side trip....
I think it's very presumptive to assume JVG is the way you say he is. Just because most of the time he comes off as morose and pessimistic doesn't mean he isn't close with his players. Surely he isn't a "player's" coach but as everyone else has mentioned, every player on the Rockets team (save for Bonzi) seem to really like JVG. And aside from smoking weed and playing dice, I hear Yao also likes to murder fans of rival clubs with team mates in their spare time.
