As I have come to grips with the possiblity of JVG or MD being the Rockets next coach, I keep reading articles about how Carisle was removed because he didn't develop young players. I did some research, but when looking into the LB recent tenure with Philly, who did he develop?Joe Smith,Jim Jackson,Stackhouse,Tim Thomas,Larry Hughes, and even Theo Ratliff were all under 25 when Brown traded them. Thomas,Hughes and even Stackhouse were 23 or younger, yet he develops young players. What was his return in those young players? Mutombo,Ty Hill,J Honeycutt, Toni Kukoc to name a couple. I would never call that recouping a good return. Why am I making this point? Take a long look at the rockets team and the coach who could possibly be our new coach in JVG. Look at his tenure with NY and ask yourself the same question, how did the young players develop under him? I can't think of 1 draft pick, despite having 3-1st rd picks in 96 that stayed,played or developed under him. Now maybe you can look at the picks and say they were trash,John Wallace (18),Walter Mcarty(19) and Dontea Jones(21). The next season all 3 were gone for basically scraps. What I want to know is JVG going to ride it out with the Glen Rice's of our team instead of the Morris,Posey,Nacbar types and also include Griffin? Looking through those yrs in NY, when he took over for Riley, it wasn't a player under 25 in his regular rotation. Why? He's said it before, he doesn't like playing young players period. Riley doesn't like to do it and neither does his protoge'. Is this good or bad for the Rockets? Thats the problem I'm having.
I have to say, I've never really sat back and thought about it all from the viewpoints you stated leebigez. When one looks at things from the items you present, I can surely understand your uneasy feeling.
I'd say if we are depending on Terence Morris then we are in big trouble no matter who our head coach is. What a waste of a first round pick. JVG is known more as a disciplinarian than Rudy at least. That is the style of coach that our immature team needs. Whether he can develop young talent is yet to be seen, seeing as how he was never give the opportunity, but I don't think he puts too much stock in Rice, since he traded him for Shandn Andersn (thanks verse).
I think you raise a good point, leebigez.. My only thought is that Van Gundy usually had one of the top records in the league (ok.. that's a stretch.. He had solid/good records) when he was with New York and therefore they never got a high draft pick. I can't find the actual numbers but the Knicks did go to the playoffs all 6 years he was their coach so they never had a lottery pick. Frederic Weis was his highest pick ever at #15 in the 1999 draft and Wallace and McCarty were his highest picks (#17,18) in the 1996 draft. Of these players, only McCarty has done anything positive in the league.. I'm not sure if you can blame that on JVG or not..
Who has Mike Dunleavy developed??? He had a bunch of young stars. Well....Rudy.... There aren't any other coaches! Who is the master of developing young players? Who is the best coach at teaching?
Clearly this Rockets team is a young team. Young with a lot of talent. Yao, Griffin, Nachbar, Morris plus Francis still has a lot of learning to do. I am sure one of the biggest questions Les and CD will ask Dunleavy, JVG, Carlisle (if he gets interviewed) is how those coaches will help those players improve. I am sure they will ask them what measures they will go through to help these players become better players. Ask them if they will have a committment to improving these players as well as winning. Winning IS important but I don't think winning is important at the expense of developing players. Look what happened to the Wizards. They got all these rag tag veterans and played them to get into the playoffs at the expense of their younger players and what do they have to show for it? Nothing! And that is the point! They didn't get better that year and the young players didn't get better because they were not out on the court. Whoever will be the Rockets coach will HAVE to have a committment to the young players both in practice time and game time.
