"There are little pockets of resistance." JVG Comments

Bull****, as usual, but we have been through this.

 

Well when Rudy kept it inside, we failed four years in a row. I have to think that JVG is saying the obvious and I am sure he is telling all the players the same thing to their face. I cannot believe he singled out Cato. What a turnaround for Cato! My God! There is hope for EG and Boki if they are given time to develop and figure it out.

 

Let's say, hypothetically, that it's bad for a coach to air the club's dirty laundry. Fine. So then you'd have a point about JVG's comments to the media getting irritating. (This is not something I have a problem with, yet, but that's just me. I think our team needs it).

But . . . even if we all agree with you there, what makes you think that JVG is NOT saying the same thing in practice? By all accounts this guy is tougher than nine-inch roofing nails. That's the consensus of other league coaches and former players. His practices are brutal.

I see no reason to question his backbone.

 

wow,Jvg is really pissed. I actually suspected/predicted all of this in my eariler posts. I said either or cat/steve would be traded because they play the same exact game and wave off Ming.

In all seriousness,Jvg doesnt like short guards. He doesnt want Francis at the two,and so we are in a problem. I think we should trade him in now in all seriousness before he demands a trade. once he demands a trade publicly ala Pippen,his value will crash since teams will know we are desperate. I say go after either a star pf or sf or sg. Not a pg. IN our system ,the only thing the pg has to do is pass,not score. Kinda like Kenny Smith in 1994.

I would think Ainge will give us Paul Pierce. Maybe go after Brand. We better not trade him for 3 "role" players like in the Pippen trade however three guys I would do is Artest/Harrington/Tinsley for Steve/Mobley.

 

I would take Paul Pierce in a heart beat for Steve. But I would be sad to see it end that way...

Couldn't I just believe that the Rockets are all going to adjust, improve and become a contender?

 

I don't have a problem with SF going 1 on 1 and getting a shot off with the clock running down, but I do have a problem with him halfheartedly running the pick and roll, keeping the ball despite the double team (and the resulting open man), and dribbling the shot clock down to the point that he is FORCED to try to get off any shot he can. I think SF SHOULD get the ball when the clock runs down to 6 or 7 (much like Jordan did in Chi-town), but that should be AFTER the ball is passed 5 or 6 times in the first 17 seconds.

Steve REPEATEDLY missed EG, Cato, and Yao rolling to the basket OPEN while he dribbled, dribbled, and dribbled. There were a couple of times he gave a great lead pass, including one to EG for a slam, which is what SF is supposed to do in the system to give us easy buckets by open men. It seems simple to me that when you are double teamed, pass to the open man.

Basic basketball.

 

I think they will. We have 2 more games to play to give JVG video to show the Rox over the 5 day layoff between Thursday and the game on the 22nd. I do believe that we will start running the system much more effectively and that as our rotation firms up, we will start competing more. It looks like the second team runs the offense much more effectively than the first team and that is part of why we have seen so much of them on the floor.

We have also seen several people adjusting to new roles (like EG becoming a post player) and as they get more comfortable, we will see them making more of their shots.

We will be fine once the guys buy in and start really running JVGs system.

 

I agree with him...
Cato is playing hard, you can see it if you watch what he is doing with the ball and away from the ball.

I particularly like his attempts to act like he has offensive skills..he isnt real good at it yet, but when was the last time you saw Cato post up and drive to the middle and shoot? He may not make them all yet, but I'll be damned if it didnt look like he is learning.

Also, their shots may not be falling yet..but both Boki and Eggie are much more active and aggressive.
If they could just get their shots falling, I think most people would get off their backs.
Eggie was as active as I have seen him this year blocking and rebounding and Boki doesnt look near as lost out there as all his previous games combined.
I especially like how active he is going after rebounds and going after loose balls.
That was a big problem I had with the Rox last year, when there was a loose ball, none of the guys would scramble after the ball...no more of that this year.

I did however see a most disturbing sight during the second half last night.
Steve and Moochie were falling into their normal mode of play, dribble,dribble,dribble...dont pass it, dribble some more..try to force a shot.
No ball movement, whenever the big men where posting...they ignored him(whoever was in there)...even if they feel like they couldnt depend him to score....falling back into the one on one style of play is no wasy to get used to playing team ball.

Combine that with the fact that the Hornets were freaking shooting lights out.....you get what we saw last night.

I see good things happening out there....but last night in particular, the guys were slipping back into old habits.

VG should be upset. I know I was.

 

I would like to recall previous posts in which I predicted that JVG and Francis would be in serious conflict before the All Star break. I may have to update to BEFORE THE REGULAR SEASON STARTS! As I have said before, for want of better terms, JVG is a basketball structuralist and Francis is a basketball free-styler. These are basically incompatiable views of the game though both may be appropriate at given times. Nevertheless, JVG is simply stating the obvious. I remain very interested in this unfolding drama. The best possible outcome is that Francis recognizes that JVG may be the bitter pill that allows him to realize his potential. Nobody likes discipline until they realize that it was in their best interest (and the best interest of the team).

 

JVG is our man. I couldn't be happier with our choice. At last someone who has the balls to tell it like it is.

Either Francis "GETS IT" once and for all, or he should be traded. Enough with this nonsense, he is clearly delusional if he thinks he can hold the franchise hostage like this.

"I have been playing like this for the past 5 years"!

He just dug his own grave with that line. EXACTLY. He HAS been playing like that and we have looked like a mess instead of a team.

Keep Cuttino. He may not be perfect, but he HAS adjusted. Francis just plain refuses to do so, and if he keeps being this stubborn. we'd be better surrounding Yao with the right pieces instead of worrying about accomodating Steve's wishes.

You wanna play like Iverson? Fine, prove you can be as good as him and prove you are a winner who can single handedely lead a team to the playoffs when we trade your sorry a$$ outta town.

ENOUGH of this nonsense. Either fit in or get the hell out!

 

Just got one thing to say. Dont forget i told yall so!!! Yao is more than ready, 20 points 15 points. Francis is afraid Yao will be the man, and therefore he is going to try to be better at all costs. Bye bye to the Franchise.

 

It sounds to me SF is always ready to offer excuses and get defensive whenever there's some criticism for him.

 

I agree. JVG has been around some special players before in a bigger pressure cooker that anything in Houston. SF has to understand that this is not a battle he can win. JVG has the moral high road on his arse and has what it takes to man-handle him in or out of the looker room. For once in his life he is going to be coached with a strong hand.

 

I just don't know why we hired an Eastern Conference grind it out style Coach, since we are in the Western Conference. Last time I checked, the Eastern Conference blows.

I don't see the "D" Van Gundy was supposed to be bringing either. Not a lot of backcourt pressure or half court traps. How many times were guys left wide open last night? Van Gundy could at least teach them one defensive tactic (possibly the jumping on a guys leg and holding on like a horny poodle trick, that Van Gundy is well known for.)

Steve's got his faults but Van Gundy hasn't shown me jack yet. The whining to the media is bs too.

 

It is not whining, it is stating the obvious, and as a coach, he has every right to do so.

 

This is right on all counts!

 

Why is everyone praising Wilks on this board so much? He looks like a journeyman. He may look better than Moochie but that isn't saying much. Wilks hasn't really done a damn thing when he's in the game.

 

Would you want your boss airing your faults to the media? Get real, JVG is trying to get the media and fan pressure to help him do his job. That's weak and you know it or least you should know it.

 

Oh ****!...the sky is falling.

I post one of my optomistic(for the most part) posts...and raginfire agrees with me?

Either Im slipping, or you are on drugs...

and on further edit...

Wilks is getting praised because he does the things that Moochie should do.
He looks to pass first, he is quick and he hustles.
He is not a star by any stretch of the imagination, but he looks to be a better backup than Mooch.
Just becasue he looks like a journeyman doesnt mean he isnt worthy of praise. Every team needs their role players.

I like him personally.