Rockets aren't buying Van Gundy's system BY ISRAEL GUTIERREZ Knight Ridder Newspapers MIAMI - (KRT) - Before the season started, Heat president Pat Riley joked that he didn't want Stan Van Gundy to confide in his brother Jeff too often because the two could be playing each other for an NBA title. Based on the talent on both rosters, it was fair to assume that both teams were NBA Finals material. But what Riley didn't know then, and no one else could have recognized at the time, is just what kind of commitment those Rockets players would make. Would the group of individuals so desperate to win fully commit to Jeff Van Gundy's style of basketball and reap the benefits, like Stan Van Gundy's Heat players have for the past two seasons? Or would they simply resort back to the losing ways most of them are used to? ROCKETS' DOWNTURN So far, it has become apparent that Jeff Van Gundy hasn't been as lucky as his brother. And the Rockets are the league's biggest disappointment so far because of it. "What's puzzling to me about our team and our players is we've been through many, many ugly seasons, and why they would choose to go there again instead of pay the price to win makes no sense to me," Van Gundy said. "It's not like we've had many super-successful seasons, and they've sort of become satisfied with success like Detroit trying to muster up that energy to do it again. We're different. We've had very few successful seasons. Dikembe Mutombo's had some, Charlie Ward's had some, Jim Jackson one in Sacramento, Juwan Howard one in Dallas. "On the whole, why they would choose to keep doing what loses is puzzling to me. I can't figure out a good reason why you'd want to go down that path again." McGRADY'S ROLE The fact is, it is easier to choose losing than work toward winning. And when your team's superstar only seems interested in a game when he is scoring boatloads, it is easy for his teammates to follow in his footsteps, sulking instead of performing. Tracy McGrady asked to be traded because he didn't want to be part of a rebuilding process with the Magic. What he got in the Rockets was a team with a post presence, but he also got a coach with a history of playing conservative basketball. For McGrady, that meant his days of leading the league in scoring were done, whether he liked it or not. And now that he's losing, it's convenient to say it's because McGrady is being handcuffed. But Riley coached teams to championships without any of his players even sniffing a scoring title. And if the Rockets are going to recover this season, it will be McGrady who will have to adjust to Van Gundy, a Riley disciple, and not the other way around. NO `GROUP HUG' "You know what? I've changed enough," Jeff Van Gundy said. "I am who I am. We're not going to sit there and get in a group hug today. We're not going to sing Christmas carols. "We're 12-14, 56 games left. To have a chance to make the playoffs, we probably need to win 32 of those. That will be very difficult. It will be impossible without change, major change in how we go about our business. "It could get ugly because I'm not the type of personality to let go of the rope and accept this is how it's going to be. I will fight with every fiber of my body the mediocrity and the lack of intensity." It probably doesn't help Jeff Van Gundy's cause that his former backcourt of Steve Francis and Cuttino Mobley are playing a wide-open style and winning in Orlando. McGrady has to be wondering why he can't be a part of a similar style and win as well. But as he is wondering, another season is passing him by. And he has to decide what is more important to him, winning or scoring, before he is considered a bust and the Rockets an afterthought. http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/sports/10498622.htm The link was posted in the game thread but who wants to look in there.
Don't make me post the "inconsistent star, finicky star, and three mediocre point guards" link again.
I think it may be a foregone conclusion by now DD, when you have articles that are titled, "Rockets not buying into Van Gundy's System." you know it's over...
I don't know about that. The fact that we are looking to trade the whole team says that Les is giving VG more time. At least to me it does.
Like Van Gundy always said, "If I have to motivate my guys, I've got the wrong guys." Oh, wait -- that was Rudy T.
Looks like the team has quit. Just go ahead and can him. Hey, we all make mistakes, Les. We know you tried. It's not getting any better. It's only getting worse. FINISH HIM.
Is the take on TMac about as wrong as can be? If anybody has bought into the system and become willing to take a backseat, it's been TMac. Weird. As for JVG losing control of the team... yeah, that's all fine and good. So did Rudy, right? That's why we let him go, too. Who's next to "lose control of the team"? I'm starting to think that it just doesn't matter until you can find some decent players and not bench warmers getting overpaid and handcuffing you for potential trades.
Excuse me, but what exactly will firing Van Gundy solve? Will it make Yao rebound like he cares? Will it put power in our "power" forwards? Will it make our shooters able to hit the broad side of a barn? Will it take the double teams off McGrady? I just don't see it. I don't like our offseason or in-season acquisitions, with the no-brainer exception of McGrady. But that strikes me as a better reason to get rid of Dawson than to get rid of Van Gundy. Hell, I bet Les Alexander has more to do with the limits of our offseason pickups than Van Gundy does.
I was going to post on this stupid article...but DoD pretty much said what needed to be said. Thanks!
Van Gundy is not putting Yao or T-Mac in the best position to use their skills. They are frustrated because they are square pegs in round holes. At the very least, a new coach would (re)build a system centered on THEIR SKILLS. As to the "scrubs," same thing. Remember what RT did with a bunch of CBA players around Olajuwon.
RudyT did nothing with CBA scrubs until Otis Thorpe, Sam Cassell, Kenny Smith, and Robert Horry were acquired. Add Drexler for Thorpe the next season. Hakeem and a really good supporting cast did all that.
a bunch of CBA players???? Elie. who else??? Chucky Brown...but only after Clyde Drexler was added to the mix. sam casselll and robert horry were difference makers. kenny was a helluva spot up shooter. that's what's needed. as will pointed out, our guards can't hit open shots unless they have mcgrady on their jersey. our center has no fire to get loose balls. and our power forwards are quite unpowerful. i'm not saying JVG is the long-term answer. but if you believe firing him transforms this team into a contender, you're just wrong.
OK, fair enough. Just tell me who in the post-Van Gundy system is going to (a) score points for us and (b) grab boards. You want to put Yao in his square hole? Guess where his square hole is: 15 feet from the basket. He'll be a lot more comfortable out there shooting over people, away from all the pushing and shoving. There goes our post presence and 7 feet 6 inches of height. Now tell me who's inside fighting to score and crash the boards. Taylor? Howard? Spoon? McGrady's square hole? Pulling up for jumpers and occasionally going in for a highlight-reel jam while his teammates stand around. At best, that's last year's Rockets, minus Mobley and Cato. At worst, it's last year's Magic. Mo's square hole? Same as Yao's. Uh oh. I hear what you're saying about going with the talent you've got. Maybe these guys can't win when they're put in round holes. But there's even less reason to believe they can win if they're put in their square holes.
We've had very few successful seasons. Dikembe Mutombo's had some, Charlie Ward's had some, Jim Jackson one in Sacramento, Juwan Howard one in Dallas. "On the whole, why they would choose to keep doing what loses is puzzling to me. I can't figure out a good reason why you'd want to go down that path again." ******** I agree the talent is thin except for Yao and Tracy. Yao is being used wrongly or perhaps more likely Yao has quit on Van Gundy. That being said, Van Gundy is pretty arrogant for a guy who hasn't done much except win a bit with the talent Reilly assembled. Dissing his players, practically the whole team, over and over again publicly is not helpful. Can anyone give me an example of a coach who has reached this low and recovered to be successful with that team? I agree with the old saw: ""you can't fire the whole team, so you have to fire the coach". It is very disheartening to be in the rebuilding stage again..
