I was against JVG at the beginning of the season and also a part of the FIRE JVG! crew. But JVG did the unthinkable and.... changed. Yea, read all you want about JVG's system has never changed-- this looks like a completely new team running completely new sets, or atleast executing them differently. I give JVG a ton of respect and the players are too. (Bill Worrel stated that T-mac said "JVG is the best coach he has ever had, bar none." One thing that irked me about JVG was that he would criticize his players when his system was the one making it harder for them to succeed, take the pound-it-into-Yao phase for example. Now that JVG has found a system that everyone seems to flourish in, his criticism could be warranted. JVG is very smart and we are very lucky to have someone of his calibur on our side.
I agree with Rivaldo. To me its JVG willing to recognize that his plodding controlling style wasn't working and let the Rox open up. This was a process of evolution but one where he got more comfortable to what the players can do rather than the other way around. Just look at how slow the team was playing early on compared to now. This is something that I never thought I would see and I give JVG props for that. Also I think he has more trust in these players and is willing to let them play unlike the Francis - Mobley Rox who weren't his. This isn't to buy into the Francis bashing because I think if JVG had trusted Francis and Mobley a little more we might've seen better results last season also and inturn more trust by them in JVG. The best teams are always a compromise between coaches and players where the players work with the coach and where the coaches work to the players strengths.
Well, fwiw, Francis has free reign right now in Orlando... and I haven't really seen them ever function as the fully-cohesive-team unit that the Rockets are like right now (and this includes the games we directly played AGAINST them). Obviously, this system suits some players better than others... and T-Mac/Sura are clearly better at running it than Francis/Mobely ever were. It was never a case of JVG "not trusting them"... they just didn't make the simple pass, take and make the open shot, or make the "right" decision often enough to ever help that team get any better. There were always signs that they may have turned the corner, but they would always be squashed as the team would have an awful, TO-filled, no-effort blowout loss. We've gelled in less than 2 months... that team last year never gelled (and it wasn't because JVG wouldn't "let" them).
I think Van Gundy is a solid coach. He took the Knicks to the finals and his teams always play good fundamental defense.
But MrRolo... Think about the context of the start of the season. It was the start of Yao's 3rd year. McGrady comes to the team trying to shed his "selfish" image and not step on any toes; Yao's. Yao fans around the world expecting him to become the next coming of Wilt Chamberlain send in hate mail to JVG anytime he doesn't get the ball. JVG himself, as well as a lot of posters here, expected that Yao would be better in the post. JVG was doing what any coach would do. Experiment. That's the only way you can learn what you players can do and what they can't do. JVG's not going to learn this by watching TMac and Yao on ESPN. You have to coach them to *really* know. The pound-it-into-Yao plan was done because it was expected to work better. And partially because we HAD TO! Ward and Lue weren't really giving us any other options. And TMac wasn't comfortable taking more responsibility yet. And what about those guys named Sura (surgery), Barry and Westley (trades) that weren't on our team yet? So, considering all the obstacles that had to be overcome. JVG has learned how to fit the players together into one unit. I don't think this has anything to do with stubbornness. A coach has to experiment to find-out what works, and what doesn't. And there were just too many factors. It's a disservice just to say he was stubborn.
I like any coach that turns our Rockets into a winner and a contender. Hated his with the start that this team had...now we owe this winning streak mostly to him for adapting his coaching style.
I have to agree with this assesment. JVG seeing the writing on the wall FINALLY realized the thuggery east coast Knick way simply would not work and did what he should have been more willing to do MUCH earlier on. I also think his brother Stans' success gave him the final confidence to fit his game plan to his players strengths. Better late than never and I give him huge props for the job he has recently been doing. Way to go Gumby.
AHHHH the good ole days.... JVG is the man, I hope he gets some props for coach of the year for our big turn around...
I used to have a signature that kept track of the haters. There is still a lot of b-ball left but right now, I think these guys are wrong. I could be eating crow at the end of the year, but as of now we look good................................... Those that predicted Van Gundy wouldn't improve the Rockets: mingonly, ArtV, sjeev4, Joe Fan, edc, minniefield, Sleepy, VooDooPope, Sleepy, costashater2 The "I Hate Van Gundy" Fan Club: ROCKET RICH NYC, Roc Paint, Pizza_Da_Hut
I love Gundy.... not really but hey I'm in a good mood. I'm sorry JVG. I have been a hater all season even before it even really began. Sooooo I'm sorry.. Go JVG! Go Rockets!
this has less to do with jvg freeing the reigns and more to do with the quality of players we've aquired since the start of the season. sura(coming off injury), barry, wesley, the play of padgett, and now the monster play of howard who's bascially another player, has all led to this run. jvg has adapted to his players and he's got the guys he wants in there. it's hard to be patient and i'm not saying i was but jvg is a smart man, probably the best defensive coach in the league right now, and showing to be one of the best coaches period.
Great post Nick. I couldnt have put it any better. Like DD i too have resisted giving any props to JVG but when the team puts together 8 straight wins and the guy changes his whole game strategy during the season (with a totally new rotation than at the beginning of the season) then I have to give him some props. Good job JVG !!!
This is great. The Rockets are on fire. Baseball season has not started. and the NHL season never happened! GOOD TIMES!
This is true about this season but if experimentation is what makes a good coach why didn't he do it last year? I really think this comes down to he trust these players more than the others who he didn't have a hand in picking. Further I think after a season and a third he started to see the writing on the wall. If he didn't open up the offense more he was going to get run of out town. Consequently this team isn't playing "classic" JVG ball, strong defense, plodding offense, emphasis on ball control rather than fast scoring. This team doesn't play anything like his Knicks teams or the Rox of last year or even the Rox of two months ago. JVG deserves props for adaptation which I've always said is the mark of a good coach. I was wary of JVG and criticised him early because nothing in his previous career indicated to me that he would adapt.
But we never saw JVG ever trying to let the Rox play uptempo last year. At the same time as I said in my last post to DavidS. These Rox aren't playing the kind of slow stifling D "Classic" JVG ball. There playing uptempo offense with somewhat porous D. Anyway if you read my posts trust is a two way street. Francis had his faults which in many ways were magnified under JVG's offense which emphasized ball control. Therefore the impact of turnovers was much more magnified because overall there were much fewer scoring opportunties. As I've always said Francis is far from perfect and don't think a good team involves him having free reign to do whatever. That said part of being a good coach is recognize what your players strenghs and weaknesses are scheme to those and trust the players to execute when given that chance. In turn the players need to recognize that the coach is giving you the chance to perform to the best of your abilities and trust him and your teammates. We're seeing that now but we didn't see that last year because JVG was unwilling to scheme to his players strengths and in turn those players were never able to feel comfortable enough with their coach and teammates.
That's a fairly short-sided assumption to make. According to you, we're to believe that JVG completely changed everything he did for a team in less than 2 months, but refused to change anything for anybody in all of last year. Just... not... true. I do believe he tried his hardest to get as much as he could out of last year's team... but they never gave their full effort nor did they ever seem very receptive to adjusting at times, and there's a reason for that. The Francis/Mobely/Cato team was just coming off of 4 years of Rudy T, where h basically gave them a lot of liberties to do whatever on BOTH ends of the court. Rudy let the players play... that's for damn sure... and JVG obviously wanted things in his control. So, in other words, last year's team struggled because they weren't used to being "coached"... period. Frankly, I don't think any coach can actually "coach" Steve Francis... unless its a proven guy like Larry Brown or Phill Jackson, who would never put up with SF3's antics for a second. I just think this year's team is just more COACHABLE... guys know their roles, and are happy with it (esp. Sura and J. Howard). They all know who to defer to, and who to go to on any given play... and those were all problems last year. And frankly... the results speak for itself. Let JVG coach you, learn from him, and you will be a better player for it. (and if you're so quick to say JVG never adapted to last year's team, I will be quick to say that SF3 never fully bought into the system).
