I hate to see my thread without any replies, so I normally don't want to start a new thread. However, with the current atmosphere, I would like to share some of my thoughts. Please bear with me. I always think JVG is a smart person, he does things with clear purpose. I would never even remotely dare to challenge a NBA coach's basketball IQ. So, if I see something I don't get it, before I jump to the "fire XX" bandwagon, I will think about it carefully. Looking at the past couple of games. Yao Ming started ok, or pretty well, then he almost disappeared in the second half. Obviously, JVG knows what Yao's comfortable zone is, what his stamina is, what his strength and shortcoming is. Sometimes, we all ask why, why didn't he play his strength? My answer is tha although JVG knows Yao is a star player now, he still sees him as a project, which means he believes Yao can get better. In retrospect, if JVG didn't force Yao to bang low in the last two years, just let him to shoot some jump shots and fully utilize his shooting and passing skills. We might have a Wang Zhizhi now, or best case scenario, we have another Divac. But I think JVG knows Yao can do better. That's how Yao becomes much better in the post, in getting positions etc etc. Looking at the current situation, with TMac out, new players learning new systems. I believe deep inside, JVG almost wrote off these couple of games. He wanted to experiment, to push, not necessary for the win only, but to use this opportunity to train Yao, to play more minutes, to play through fouls, to handle the pressure to carry the team. Yao didn't come through successfully last night, but I wouldn't say that the experiment is a total failure. Yao didn't bit his teeth through the whole game, like their OT win against Atlanta, but he did manage more minutes, shot a lot more despite the missing, and he had more offensive fouls which indicates that he's more aggressive. We all want to see that, but just losses covered all those positives. TMac's back problem, is a very tough loss for the team to swallow. But meanwhile, it's an opportunity to prepare the team. Why they played better and better? Because I saw the urgency, which I didn't see in earlier games. Everyone thought or hoped that TMac will be back in one or two games, including us. So, they just hang on, didn't really put up a fight. Now, they realize that they have to put their act together to absorb the loss of TMac, and it will very likely happen again as the season progresses. I would like to believe, that JVG is using the current situation to motivate the team, push them to the next level, especially Yao Ming. I hope I am right, and I hope he's successful. Just imagine, with a healthy TMac back, JVG actually frees Yao Ming, combining his post game and PnRs with TMac to pop up those mid-range jumpers, we will all love JVG, TMac, and Yao again. The guy is bold for a reason, must be very smart
I think you'e got a point here. Did anyone see Van Gundy's post game interview? One reporter asked him what he thought of Head's performance that night. His response was "average." He said he was more concerned about the performance of the team. I saw flashes of a really really good team last night. I think when T-Mac gets back we can really start to evaluate how Van Gundy's plans are coming along...
i agree with the fact that we should just wait and see what happens. i hate the fact that i have gotten soo many rocket fans telling me that our team might not make the playoffs this year. i mean ... are you out of your mind?? it pisses me off how ppl jus give up.....its only been 11 games, we have 71 more games to go and ppl have a nerve to think that a 5th seed team last year, wont be able to make the playoffs this year. for the ppl who think that.... please stop watching basketball, especially the rockets!!
Thats what I've been saying to people. Maybe something good can come out of this to make our other guys stronger (especially Yao).
Awesome Post, I see a lot of what he is trying to do as well....the one thing I didn't understand was leaving him in at the end of the first to pick up a cheap foul with 7 secs left...that didn't make sense, that and the whole Stromile's going to shoot a three issue....
Some of us with ideas have not given up. But we would like Gundy to be a little more creative offensively, and a lot less predictable. Yes, Yao needed to improve his low post game, but at the total expense of the skills he had when he showed up? This is woody hayes 4 yards and a cloud of dust basketball. This is using Paul Warfield and Jerry Rice to block on the line every play. Maybe Gundy is just waiting for the new guys to catch up before he turns into the next Flip Saunders.
The only thing That needs explaining is starting Ryan Bowen. Yeah. He can run around. Energy as up. But if the shooting sucks then why is Ryan Bowen in there. He makes it worse. He makes it harder on everyone.
Last year, we portraited him as Dirk Stopper But seriously, SF position is just so thin, when TMac is out, we have nothing.
he has one of the best +/- averages on the team. JVG goes by stats. i would hope that since da is shooting better he might earn a starting spot again, this time replacing bowen at the 3.
I actually tried to begin a new thread of "does anyone understand JVG?". Because it seems everyone got lost in his system. Yao is playing in wrong way( He doesn't know how to play effectively). Wesley is back (This is JVG's credit. He has patience). Head is rising (But I don't think that's JVG's plan. He just had to find someone to score). DA is better. But how about other guys? Barry got lost. Alston got lost. And the most important is, Swift is totally lost. We didn't utilize his potential. He is in a very embarrasing condition now. And mostly he is not so useful. He is responsible for part of it. But the coach didn't find a way for him. I would rather to believe JVG is training everyone to become a champion team player, especially a independent player who doesn't depend on superstar like a deperate baby. I hope he is training Yao to be leader, force Yao to be mentally tough, to know himself better, to yell at his teammates when they didn't play smart, to encourage teammates when we are down. If that's true (although I don't quite believe it), he will be another champion coach. But forgive me. I just see a desperate coach who has no solution for offense and is too stubbon to adjust himself. I hope you are right. I hope later I can start a thread"sorry coach. We are idiots and we couldn't understand you". I desperately am waiting for that day to come.
It is a lot easier for Yao to be clutch when he has Tracy at his side. He is discovering how much harder he has to work w/o his partner. Some of us seem to forget that not everyone, when doing something for the first time, can get positive results at the first shot. Sometimes it takes repetition of the situation, not giving up, determination and drive to be good at that something. Right now he is not a very good clutch player w/o Tracy but with resolve he can get better.
Lets talk a little bit about a "predictable" offense. Do Karl Malone and John Stockton come to mind? EVERYONE in the freaking world knew they were going to run the PnR ALL DAY LONG, but yet no one could stop it. WHY? When everyone knew that was exactly what they were going to do...why couldnt anyone stop it? Its all about execution.....not whether an offense is "predictable" or not. We arent executing right now plain and simple. But Im sick of hearing the "our offense is way too predictable" BS!!!!!
I have a theory on Ryan Bowen starting: JVG wants the other players to focus on learning their long term roles. If he switches everyone around to make up for Tracy, it confuses things. Leaving everyone where they will be playing when Tracy comes back minimizes the adjustment period when he DOES come back. We still have a long season ahead of us. If this was the playoffs, Ryan Bowen would not be starting. Just a theory and I don't necessarily agree with the idea.
I think he started Ryan because of his amazing play versus the Mavs in Game 1 last year. We needed someone to try and stop dirk, didn't really goes as planned, but he still had to try it out.
As long as JVG can get this team to play hard, i'm fine with the losses we incur with TMAC out. I am actually more optimistic after last night's Dallas game. The thing that really pisses me off is when this team come out flat with no effort. (Boston, New Orleans, Orlando). It appears, however, that we have fixed that problem somewhat. If we continue to play hard, when TMAC comes back, the rest will take care of itself.
I thought Ryan Bowen should have played more, especially in the 4th quarter. He was frustrating Dirk, getting his hands on tough rebounds, and moving the ball around. The guy even made a 3 last nite. I would have rather seen him in there than Barry at the end of the game. Barry gave us nothing last night other than a littany of fouls.
