we should also keep Deke in there when Yao returns since we are clearly a much better team with Yao out.
How tall is Vspan...like 6-6? If he shoots the ball low and almost in front of his face...he has made his jumper easier to defend. When someone has a low release point as he does and the defender puts a hand in front of him...it throws off his shot. I wish he had a normal, just-above-the head shot. Sometimes he even leans slightly forward on his jumper which makes it even worse. I think this is a small adjustment that can be made over time, but he doesnt have all the time an 18-yr old does. His greatest assets are his tenacity on defense (although his technique still needs some work) and his ability to penetrate (also a product of him being tenacious). I definitely think that if JVG would put him in at times just to penetrate, maybe not necessarily handle the ball, but simply take it to the rack, that would throw the opposing defenses off a bit. It is needed on this team as Rafer penetrates mildly since he hardly ever finishes. TMac takes to the rim too, but that is so harsh on him to be the only one to do this. VSpan taking it in would be nice since Luther can't seem to get it inside or shoot off the dribble, and teams have been a lot more careful about leaving him open for his three. I know it is kinda hard to work VSpan in though with Bonzi playing so well though.
V-Span is 6'4" - and he gets his shot off fine. He just needs to play, we need his creativity out there. DD
Remember that year these stats said Yao should have been benched for Mutombo? I am so sick of these Morey geek boy stats.
But Euro's are listed barefoot. I have tried to have this argument many times before and even though the listings clrealy show it no one "cares." Anyway yes he is 6-4 but overseas they list guys barefoot the league then uses the same height so they match (they round up if it is half an inch or more) Spanoulis is listed in old listings at 1.92m which is 6-3 1/2 barefoot in Europe and the recent one at 1.93 m which is 6-4 barefoot. So he is either 6-3 1/2 barefoot or 6-4 barefoot. Meaning by NBA standards he is about 6-5. Look up Alston and Head for draft measurement listings. Alston is 6-1 3/4 barefoot (he chooses barefoot listing rounded up) Head is 6-3 in shoes (he chooses shoe listing as most players do YES not all NBA players are two inches taller than listed like so many claim some are evn listed barefoot. Anyways point being Alston and Head are about 6-2 barefoot, now compare them to Spanoulis and there is no way he is just an inch taller, which he would only be if he was 6-4 in shoes which is what fans think he is. He's a good 2 inches taller if not more than either of them. He was also listed at 203 pounds in his last year in Europe and in the WC's so the 195 pounds is probably just an estimate by the Rockets. He's got legit size to play SG and legit skill to play PG.
Stop and consider what teams are doing to us recently. They are guarding us tight out high forcing us away from the pick and roll and forcing the ball out of McGrady's hands with the high double teams. Rafer is standing at the stripe. The defense is defending up on the shooters. That leaves the interior soft. But you've got Deke and Juwan down there. Now Juwan's shot is starting to clang out and every team in the league will be happy with Deke trying to catch and go to the basket all at the same time. Hence, we are starting to see Tsakalidis and Hayes slip into games. But the first key is how far out teams are doubling the ball away from McGrady and how they are guarding the perimeter on Rafer and Luther. Luther can't hardly get a shot off, and then he starts the dribble but has not idea what to do next, so he passes back out. Neither one of those guys is a finisher. So, last night Van Gundy brings in JLIII to try to match quickness defensively with Ford. To no avail. JLIII can't defend a fire hydrant. Yeah, he hit a 3 ball and a couple jumpers. But he didn't contribute positively. No defense. No distribution. All he did was play off McGrady and that is not enough. Rafer and JLIII did not even phase Ford and Calderon. We needed someone that would play hard (VSpan), penetrate (VSpan), finish (VSpan), distribute (VSpan), and finish. It was so obvious that they were outquicking, outhustling us. And we had nowhere to go but McGrady distributing to Juwan throwing bricks and guys like Alston, Head, and JLIII standing around for the jumper, which none of them were hitting effectively. In fact, the defense was so stout on the perimeter, Luther couldn't even get off his shot most of the time. And the defense is happy to let Rafer get off the shot, as long as they bother him a little bit and make him hurry it. We could have went double post with McGrady and Bonzi on the post, and VSpan out top. We could have went PnR with VSpan and Hayes or Juwan. VSpan was quick enough to get to the rim and finish. We shot a total of 7 free throws on a total of 11 fouls for 4 quarters. McGrady played 35 minutes and shot 1 free throw. (He was doubled out high. There was no way for him to get to the rim really.) Rafer played 38 minutes and shot 0 free throws. (He flat out ain't going to the rim.) Luther and JLIII played 17 and 11 minutes and never shot a free throw. (Luther cannot penetrate and finish and JLIII didn't penetrate.) It goes back to what McGrady said. When they are taking him out of the game from the perimeter, then somebody has to "attack, attack, attack". We have NO ONE with that particular makeup except VSPAN and Snyder. Say what you want. We needed someone to attack and finish and take the pressure off McGrady and force the defense to have to readjust. If................this is not dealt with, it will lead to our team losing a 7 game series against either Dallas, Phoenix, or San Antonio.
JVG wants an energy rotation well how about bringing in the following at 5 minutes before the end of the 1st and 3rd quarters and let them play the first 2 minutes of the 2nd and 4th quarters. Jake, VSpan, Snyder, Hayes, and Bonzi(this should be done for every game remaining in the season). I know it will not happen but I can dream.
Great post! I love the truth of the matter. Fact is though is that Assistant coach Gundy won't adjust simply becauase he doesn't believe he has to. He compares himself to Pop and Sloan and credits their success to sticking with the gameplan. While those guys are far and away more effective and more balanced, he doesn't realize that isn't a coach on that level and what you typed up is not apart of his gameplan. DA gets hammered alot, sometimes unjustly, but he's right, assistant coach has no plan B. Even Tmac said he hasn't taught him much about offense and I agree. We've heard that from enough players to know its true. At this point he's sitting a guy like Spanoulis just to save his own job. As much as people tout his stats and whatever propaganda that comes from assistant coach, Rafer, as many good games as he has had, he has had just as many or even more severely ineffective games yet he still gets a pass. It's enough to make you vomit in your mouth.
6'3" is too short for a PG!!?? He's a scoring point guard, extremely clutch, and not a turnover machine. Luther Head is a pure shooter. They don't compare in anything other than height. He isn't a kitchen when it comes to dishes, but he's adequate enough as a passer.
I think that at least some in Rockets management know they are in trouble on this one. They have been trying to reverse the Alston-James trade ever since they made it. It can't make Alston feel too good that bringing back James was the target of the offseason, and the target of the recent trade deadline. The Rockets surely know they screwed up on this one despite what CD says in the media. I thought VSpan was going to get much more of a look, but he hasn't really been given a chance. If you think Atlanta, Boston, and Toronto exposed our weakness at guard, the playoffs could be brutal on this positon. The bottomline, Alston's 8-10 good games a season are not going to get it done.
Your right. Pulling stuff out of your _ _ _ is much better than using silly things like statistics. Forget the stats then, what my eyes tell me is that we have PG issues in general and that V-span at this point in his career just is not ready for extended minutes. The occasional spectacular play is far outweighed by costly turnovers, very poor outside shooting and pourous defense. Trust me, I wish I was worng and look forward to the day when he can be a 25-30 minute guy. We need him. He just isn't ready for that.
I love how V-span is now the cure of all the problems now and if he were getting playing time, it'd be Novak and so on and so on...... V-span has just been tearing it up in practice and has been kept from playing because of mr mean.....
Is it just a co-incidence that no talented PG has ever flourished under JVG? I think not. VSpan has the goods to become a great PG in NBA, but it's not likely to happen if he plays in JVG's (offensive) system.
This current slump does not happen with vspan playing. It's a joke how he's not getting any playing time out of spite from JVG.
I think we might see Span play more minutes in future games watching the conference by JVG, it looks like he might change his stubborn version of playing the same guys over and over... to me it seems like he finally realized that the stats don't make up the plays we'll see
This guy was given two minutes of playing time, still played out of his natual position ( he played as 2 instead of 1). It won't get the job done. Sure, VSpan is NOT the solution for all. But I have no doubt that he can contribute more than JLIII ever could if he was given at least 10+ minutes' playing time early in the season. A poor-skilled, low-talented player simply can't tear up Team USA like he did in WC games. Too bad, I think it is already too little and too late even JVG changes his narrow mind now and give him playing time. VSpan is wasted for this season.
