"There are little pockets of resistance." JVG Comments

"I have been playing like this for the past 5 years" - Steve Francis

"The last time we made the playoffs, you were not on this team. Make a change or plan on permanant change of scenery" - RocketsPimp

 

It seems to work for Phil Jackson and Larry Brown.

 

I jumped out of my chair on that PnR when EG took the feed from Steve and slam it down hard!
It must have been .... forever ... since I last saw a completion of a PnR!!

 

I agree that Boki and Griffin were hustling, Rockets Pimp.

Neither one could get their shots to fall. Boki was making hustle plays everywhere. Boki seems to be pressing when he shoots and Griffin just doesn't seem to have much touch around the basket. I got there early last night and Eddie worked for a good while on his post up game. I think he will improve at some point.

 

Thumbs up!

Give me the max for playing basketball, flying around the country and my boss can air my faults to the media as much as he wants. He has a RIGHT to do it. Francis has, based on his own words, played the same the last five years. We have not made the playoffs once since he came to Houston. Does he have a right to resist change? Does he have a right to whine when the new coach does use media and fan pressure to make him change? No, and no.

 

Larry Brown that has to leave a job every few years because he wears his welcome out. Phil Jackson that surrounds himself with the best players in the game but really isn't that great a Coach.

Nice try.....

 

In fairness to Steve- He was told from day 1 here that he is the man. The next super duper star after Hakeem retires. He was given the torch.

Having said that unfortunately he probably already believed that about himself and still lives under the premise "I am the one" until proven otherwise. In Steve's mind he's still the best option on this team just like he plays.

Well the hard headed superstar meets the hard headed super coach.

2 hard heads only one team.

I like Van Gundy's approach. I think Steve should sit down with his coach, talk it out and make whatever sacrifice Van Gundy asks of him.

But I don't think there is any chance of that happening. I believe Van Gundy will take the approach, I will treat everyone the same.

No Franchises, I mean Favorites.

I hope this blows up for the best.

BTW - If some want to downplay this ... I think we are past that when the team starts talking about these issues during interviews.

 

Hey, when u r right, ... u r right ...

I agree with the assessment on Wilks and Mooch too.
Too bad we are stuck with Mooch's contract. Without it, he would certainly be cut and the job given to Wilks.

 

Jackie,

JVG does have a right to say what he wants, just like Francis has a right to say what he did. It's just stupid for either to do it in that particular manner. JVG is the Coach, he needs to set an example for his players. Airing your gripes to the media isn't the example he needs to be setting. I like to debate...so please give me a stronger argument than the one you just put up.

 

Van Gundy and Steve
will be no Iverson and Brown

Rocket River

 

I have nothing against Wilks. I just don't see anything special there. He's a Rice guy, I think that's his appeal right there for some (not saying that is your reason). Players like Wilks are a dime a dozen. I'd search the waiver wire for another point if I were the Rockets.

 

LOL. This is not getting you anywhere, rookie. You are making me laugh.

Anyway, Rudy has always been loyal to his players and almost never publically criticized Francis or Mobley. How did they pay him back? They never made the playoffs. They did not respond to his attempts to change the style of the team. Ultimately, this is why Rudy is not our coach anymore. But they are still having fun.

So is criticizing players in public something that should always be used as a motivational measure? Probably not. But nothing else has worked with Francis, as he himself said that he has not changed his style the past five years when almost every season, he PROMISED to change his style - I could dig up old Chronicle articles where he is explicitly quoted with things like saying he needs to change his style because he wants to get Yao Ming more involved, etc.. The new coach needs to set the tone. If he lets Francis get away with doing exactly the same things he did to Rudy, he will be DEAD because the result will be the same as the last five years with Francis - FAILURE. Again, JVG needs to set the tone, and he needs to do it from the start. He is doing EXACTLY the right thing.

And Francis does NOT have a right to basically imply that he will NOT change his style. He will have to do what the coach tells him to do.

Period.

 

Moochie does look awful but I'm still trying to see what everyone sees in Wilks. I don't see the assists that usually would come with being a pass first guy. I don't see a lot of stifling defense either.

 

It has already gotten ugly. Just wait until the SAC game tomorrow and you'll really have a chance to see what ugly looks like.

 

It is a refreshing change to hear this kind of criticism, but I don't think it's best way to get SF to change anything. Even if SF is trying to "get it" these kind of statements are going to cause problems.

Having said that our locker room has been too harmonious for the last few years and might prosper from a different dynamic. Van Gundy's off and running there.

 

I see him playing perfectly acceptable defense and giving up the ball to the big man immediately once he crosses the time line. He runs the system without question, without worrying about his stat line or his numbers. He is quick as lightning and gets people out of position.

When Wilks is in, you can see JVGs system being run and you can see him making it work.

 

its hard to defend a guy who makes boneheaded comments like this. i cant believe "franchise" said that! what a stubborn jack-ass. look where your playing has gotten us the last 5 years "franchise". maybe its time to make some adjustments on your game and actually try to do what your coach tells you?

this guy is living in a fantasy world where all he cares about is his stats and not winning and playing team ball and his statements make this perfectly clear.

 

Rookie??? Whatever dude. Those posts you have don't make you an expert.

You should be laughing, at your own weak argument. I never said Francis was right in what he said. You still haven't come close to making a good argument for shaming a player in to doing his job. Nice try...

 

Wilks is NOT Kidd or Parker ...
He is a nice backup guard ... handles the ball well, looks to set up people ... shoots only when absolutely necessary !

 

I agree with you.

You should have been around last season when everyone was b****ing because Rudy didn't air the faults in public.