Yao was not a rookie under JVG. Yao would have developed just fine under any coach because of his work ethic. Also, any coach in the NBA would play and develop Yao, a 7-6 center with skills. With Yao as a rookie, Rudy was about to take the Rockets in the playoffs, had he not been ill for last few games of the season. As for Chuck Hayes, may I remind you that Gundy was very hesitant to play Chuck as a rookie despite his performance. He had trust issues and kept going to Juwan Howard. Chuck Hayes was played a year late. It took that long for Gundy to realize that Hayes could produce. Any other examples?
4: Adelman who developed no one but won 22 in a row in his first season with Rockets. Also his team played Jackson's squad very well in 2nd round playoffs.
Correct. Also, Adelman is the main reason Brooks is on the Rockets. Adelman had his eyes on Aron Brooks before he became a coach of the Rockets. He was quoted in an interview saying how the best teams are not only good defensive teams but they also put a lot of pressure on you by scoring, and he talked about Tony Parker while mentioning Aron Brooks. Adelman developed Aron Brooks and Carl Landry and his team did better against the Jazz in playoffs than Gundy's team did a year before. The team under Gundy put up some pathetic and horrendous performances against the Jazz while setting some embarrassing records. If you want to go beyond the Rockets, Adelman did an amazing job with the Sacramento Kings. He took a team which no one cared for and turned them into contenders. Most of the players on that team had the best part of their career while playing for Adelman. He pretty much developed that team from the ground up while getting them in playoffs year after year. Hedo was developed as a rookie on the fly. Hedo, under Adelman and as a rookie, had a brilliant playoff performance against the Lakers.
Seriously disagree with the former... damn I probably disagree with the latter too. I think JVG is a highly skilled basketball coach that saw the NBA legislate away most of his hard-wired philosphy. It's impossible to guess how Yao would have naturally progressed with anyone else but I really wish those formative years had been with just about anyone else (I have exceptions in mind). I guess I'm cool with giving JVG credit for developing Chuck, but you have to admit he was always going to be the player he is. Luther? Well I will say JVG got everything out of him that anyone could.
you would not have wanted him to develop his 25 and 10 game? that is just silly...he became a dominant force under van gundy. man the lack of appreciation here is nauseating.
A 7-6 center with skills was going to get his 25,10 only under Gundy? So, Adelman, Rudy, or other coaches would have inhibited him from getting his 25,10? Should Cleveland coach take credit for Lebron's development? Should the coach get credit for Hakeem's development? Franchise type players will get their numbers no matter who the coach is. Can we get a better example here, please?
I seem to remember Landry getting a fair amount of playing time before Yao went down. Anyway Yao's replacement was Chuck Hayes not Landry.
with regard to yao, when did he get put into the lebron, hakeem company. he is not a franchise player...he is a very good player. are you saying that brooks only would develop for rick?
Since when did Brooks get into Yao company? Yao - #1 pick in the draft. A skilled 7-6 center in an era where centers are pretty much non-existant. Picked as someone around wich a franchise could be built. Yao's development started under Rudy. He was in race for ROY award along with Amare. Yao had already shown in his rookie year that he would be a 25 10 player one day. Brooks - Not even a lottery pick. A late pick. A midget guard who most teams passed on. Adelman gets credit for Brooks on two levels. One, on actually watching him play in Orgeon, predicting that he will be a tough guard in the NBA, and bringing himto Houston. Two, on brining him along where he was a difference maker in playoffs by the second year in the league and a favourite canditate for MIP by third year. The chances of Yao succedding under any/most coaches are much higher than a late pick like Brooks. And I can say with absolute certainty that Brooks would have been shiped out of Houston long time ago if Gundy was still on board. That is if he was even here in the first place.
Or Von Wafer for that matter, or Lowry, unless you think he "developed" in Memphis as the 3rd string point guard, or Jordan Hill. But most of the "developing" talk is kind of silly IMO.
so you guys are really saying that yao from year one to van gundy's last year would have developed the same? you are really saying that no credit should go to thibodeau or van gundy...that just seems like an axe to grind. just tell me what players here (novak, lucas, spanoulis, snyder, griffin, francis,norris, taylor, cato) that were relatively young when they were traded or let go went on and played well? if thats the case, then maybe it was good decisions by van gundy and his staff not to either play those guys or keep them. why do so many here have such trouble giving van gundy any credit for turning around the disastourous situation he took over (four straight lottery years with a bunch of bad or knucklehead players)
lowry was the back up in memphis. wafer did not start to play until mcgrady went into the tank in toronto. hill did not play regularly here. gerald wallace rotted on sac's bench...all coaches have tough decisions when it comes to playing time...i say rick gets most right and so did van gundy.
As a No.1 pick, what had Yao won under JVG individually or team wise? Absolutely nothing except a max contract. As a professional basketball player, Yao still has problems catching the ball, sealing his man, or grabbing a rebound. How is that developing Yao? Yao's progress was more like impeded by JVG and luckily he has Rick as his coach. Without Rick, Yao is still a first round virgin like TMAC the loser.
Gundy was great for players like Mobley and Francis who lacked discipline. He got them to get with the program. But giving him credit for turning around a disastrous situation? Let's go over this again. Rockets under Rudy and a year before Gundy was hired - Fighting for playoff spot. Were right there till the end until Rudy got ill and Rockets lost games late. Safe to say, if Rudy had not been ill, Rockets would have made the playoffs. Also safe to say, that had they made it to playoffs, they would have been kicked out in the first round. Rockets under Gundy a year later - Rockets make the playoffs as a low seed and get kicked out in the first round. Now, how is that a "turning around a disastrous sitatuion"? Rockets went from 1st round fodder material once Yao got on board under Rudy to 1st round fodder material for YEARS to come under GUndy....even after they got Tracy McGrady on-board. In fact, what was disastrous was his failure to take this team past the 1st round in multiple tries and that horrendous performance against the Jazz in the playoffs. Had it been different, he would have still been here, coaching the Rockets.
I wouldn't quite say that... Bibby Christie (DPOY) Stojackovic Webber Divac with Turkoglu, Gerald Wallace, Pollard, and Bobby Jackson (6th man) coming off the bench... that's a pretty stacked line up.
