"There are little pockets of resistance." JVG Comments

Didn't see the game, but hopefully the latter... which will change with practice.

 

Wow. It is starting early.

From the Chron article, expanding on your question what he could mean:

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/sports/bk/bkn/2153954

Without offering too many specifics -- Van Gundy apparently hoped to leave the arena before sunrise -- he singled out guard Steve Francis' tendency to try to hit too many "home runs," then said the team routinely botches its plays.

"Steve, offensively right now (is) trying to hit the home run every time down," Van Gundy said. "Steve is sometimes so great he can hit a home run. To shake somebody and take on another guy and take tough shots, the game's got to be easier. We're not playing team offense the right way. Blown play after play, assignment after assignment."

Francis said he only tries to take on a crowd of defenders when the shot clock is running down.

"I've been playing the same way for five years," Francis said. "The part of me going one-on-one when the shot clock is going down, that's what I got to do. I'm not going to throw the ball to a seven-foot guy on the 3-point line if I can do something at the end of the shot clock. If that's what it is, that's what it is. It's not going to be against the coach. We're together."

Van Gundy, however, has repeatedly said he would judge his team and players by what he sees, rather than hears. He said he saw no progress, little effort.

"I have a lot of things I have to get our team better at," Van Gundy said. "Resistance to changing, practice habits, game habits, stuff that every coach says, play hard, play right, pass the back to the open man.


-----------------------



If Francis remains STUPID, then I see this getting very ugly at some point in the future. "I've been playing the same way for five years," Francis said. This quote oozes hard-headedness and stupidity. WHERE EXACTLY HAS IT GOTTEN THE TEAM????

 

"I'm not going to throw the ball to a seven-foot guy on the 3-point line if I can do something at the end of the shot clock."

That guy is stubborn as hell. Why does he not just throw the ball wherever the coach tells him to throw the ball.

To be fair, he also said "We all have to sacrifice certain things, and I think it definitely starts with me moving the ball. We've only been together for 10 days, and we're learning a new offensive scheme and a new defensive scheme."

I think he said similar things almost every year, though, especially last year, and now he says "I HAVE BEEN PLAYING THE SAME WAY THE LAST FIVE YEARS". Telling.



---------------------------

Here is the whole article. A far cry from the sugar-coating that seems to have been prevalent in the articles of past years.

Oct. 13, 2003, 1:28AM

Debut a downer at Toyota Center
Same problems persist as Hornets roll to spoil Toyota Center debut
By JOHNATHAN FEIGEN
Copyright 2003 Houston Chronicle

Maybe the Rockets should go back to Compaq Center. At least when their former home becomes a church, they could stop by and have a prayer.

The Rockets' new digs, with all its bright lights and comfy seats, opened for basketball on Sunday but did nothing to improve the fixer-upper of a home team.

The Rockets' Toyota Center debut drew a few friends and family -- officially 10,068 -- who mostly ignored the cheerleader posing as an announcer as if waiting for something to cheer about. It was a long wait.

For a fourth consecutive preseason game, the Rockets never challenged, rarely competed and had their new coach upset far more than anyone in the shiny new uniforms.

It took a few rallies against the Hornets' reserves to keep the Rockets' latest loss from getting worse than the 89-71 final.


But if his players seemed to take their punishment as willingly as freshmen fraternity pledges, the Rockets' fourth preseason loss in six days seemed to exhaust coach Jeff Van Gundy's patience.

"Every area. There's not one area that's even close to good enough," Van Gundy said. "It starts with our effort. We don't play hard enough to win. We got our butts kicked once again because we deserved to.

"We're not adapting to change. There are a few pockets of resistance. I do know what a winning team looks like and what a losing team looks like. I've been fortunate to be part of winning teams for a long time."

Without offering too many specifics -- Van Gundy apparently hoped to leave the arena before sunrise -- he singled out guard Steve Francis' tendency to try to hit too many "home runs," then said the team routinely botches its plays.

"Steve, offensively right now (is) trying to hit the home run every time down," Van Gundy said. "Steve is sometimes so great he can hit a home run. To shake somebody and take on another guy and take tough shots, the game's got to be easier. We're not playing team offense the right way. Blown play after play, assignment after assignment."

Francis said he only tries to take on a crowd of defenders when the shot clock is running down.

"I've been playing the same way for five years," Francis said. "The part of me going one-on-one when the shot clock is going down, that's what I got to do. I'm not going to throw the ball to a seven-foot guy on the 3-point line if I can do something at the end of the shot clock. If that's what it is, that's what it is. It's not going to be against the coach. We're together."

Van Gundy, however, has repeatedly said he would judge his team and players by what he sees, rather than hears. He said he saw no progress, little effort.

"I have a lot of things I have to get our team better at," Van Gundy said. "Resistance to changing, practice habits, game habits, stuff that every coach says, play hard, play right, pass the back to the open man.

"I think I've always been a believer you play well in the preseason to start the season right, particularly when you haven't won in a long time. You can start getting very comfortable losing, and you can get very comfortable winning.

"We should all be on the line. We should all be on the clock. Really, the clock is ticking for us to win and to show progress and improvement. I don't want to hear how long it will take to jell. Those are excuses. Those are for people not ready to win. I don't want the guys to be given that excuse or to take it."

Too late. They did. As they have throughout the preseason, the Rockets cited their difficult adjustment to the coaching change. That would not seem to explain their inability to get back defensively, of Eddie Griffin or Bostjan Nachbar to hit shots (they were a combined 5-of-21 on Sunday) or to show any halfcourt defensive intensity when the same players repeatedly burned them.

"We have a new system with new players. We have a new coaching philosophy," Rockets guard/forward Jim Jackson said. "You've got to break some old habits, and it's not an easy thing starting over. It takes time. Here guys have had the same system for the last five years and that's the system that they're used to. It can't be done overnight."

Said Francis: "We all have to sacrifice certain things, and I think it definitely starts with me moving the ball. We've only been together for 10 days, and we're learning a new offensive scheme and a new defensive scheme."

Francis did hit a few of those home runs on his way to 17 points in 27 minutes. Yao Ming had 15 points in just 23 minutes. But Van Gundy said the only positive he could find after a long search was the work ethic of backup center Kelvin Cato.

"The bottom line is we got to start winning and create the habits that go into winning," Van Gundy said. "You get out of the game what you put into it. You get what you deserve, too.

"When we start to deserve to win, we will win. That means playing the way you're supposed to win, playing hard and smart and together. We've had periods of time of that. But the difference between the great, the winning, the OK, the bad is the level of being able to sustain all those things needed to win."

 

I think the 7-foot guy Steve referred to is Eddie. Maybe I am wrong.

 

Hmm, then he might actually have a point. However, why does he not just say "we have to keep working and I will make sure we will do what the coach wants us to do". Instead of already saying what he will not do and that he has been doing the same things for five years. This does sound like resistance to change to me.

 

Time to re open the whats Francis worth thread. http://bbs.clutchcity.net/php3/showthread.php?s=&threadid=65987

 

Interesting. I see JVG wasted no time singling out Francis. Lets's talk about Francis being a 1 or 2, or Francis trade value...

 

"I've been playing the same way for five years," Francis said. "The part of me going one-on-one when the shot clock is going down, that's what I got to do. I'm not going to throw the ball to a seven-foot guy on the 3-point line if I can do something at the end of the shot clock. If that's what it is, that's what it is. It's not going to be against the coach. We're together."

Same way or SAD way for five years?

Francis, If you really want or CARE to LEAD this term to a higher level, please change something inside yourself! This term can only survive when they truely play like a TEAM!!!

 

damn pockets resistance



RESISTANCE IS FUTILE

 

are we in bizarro land or what Cato gets complimented and the coach wants Steve to make changes....

the sky is falling!!!!

 

The same way that has led to 4 lottery seasons?

-G'day-

 

Well, I guess JVG needs to tell Francis:



Resistance is Futile! Just ask Latrell Sprewell or Chris Childs.

 

this quote is both scary and great for the potential of the team if they can play as hard as JVG wants

unlike Rudy it appears JVG likes to air things out with the media, fran is going to love this guy

 

"I've been playing the same way for five years," Francis said.

SF hasn't changed at all. New coach, same SF.

It's going to get ugly.

Raven

 

Raven,

You beat me to it.

SF is proud that he has played the same way for five years.......

HE HAS NO CLUE THAT'S WHAT THE PROBLEM IS

And when your supposed leader is clueless, Houston we do have a problem. We're gonna see how good JVG really can be.

D R

 

I don't know whom Steve referred to?!
Both Yao and EG stayed close to the basket most of the time.

 

hhhmmmm I wonder how long before Stevie
will be critisize for Not taking over a game or something



Moving On

Rocket River
The second I heard the comment I just rolled my eyes
This new Era of trying to shame the players publically at every turn
will get tiresome soon.
Van GUNDY MAN UP .. . STOP WHINING TO THE PUBLIC TO TURN THEM
AGAINST THE PLAYERS AND BE A MAN AT PRACTICE AND SAY DO IT THIS WAY!!!
This sh*t is getting ridiculous

He is about Two more Media comments to from being JEFF VAN GEORGE KARL!!!

 

Jeff really tells it like it is.

1) Cato did play hard this game.

2) Steve did try to take on N.O. 1 on 1 more. (He did not do that much in the last game). Granted, Steve was fairly successful but Jeff was right in saying there is an easier way !!

 

I think he is challending Steve Francis to step up.

Cato must be bustin' his butt -- working hard. That's a good sign.

I think the people that have to worry are the "pockets of resistence" where the names went unmentioned. He didn't bother calling them out.