This team is has Van Gundy's Imprint all over IT!!!

As I said I was an early JVG skeptic but he's won me over some with turning the offense loose. Still I'm not sure that you can say that under JVG the 94-97 Rockets would've been much better than under Rudy T. The 94-95 Rox were dealing with a ton of adversity including injuries and lack or fire. Rudy T got them to believe in themselves and overcome all of those difficulties to beat the teams with the 4 best records including utter domination of San Antonio and Orlando. Its hard to say that any coach could've done that. Likewise one of the reasons Barkely came here was because he liked Rudy T's coaching style and its uncertain if he would've come if JVG was here. I don't think that given the same situations any coach could've done what Rudy T did those years.

 

"Hello, I have no sense of humor"

 

There is no way Hakeem could've been any better on offense under anyone - Rudy's offense revolved COMPLETELY around him. Defensively, the only thing I can tell that JVG does differently is have his big men out chasing guards on picks - this definitely doesn't help your blocked shot numbers.

 

Ha ha.

 

blazer_ben went off the rails in his post. I too am a fan of JVG, but to insinuate anyone would have dissuaded Dream from doing what he wanted to do on the court was not going to happen.

Defensively, Dream was usually out of position half of the time and I still think he was the best defensive player of his era. As much as JVG might hate that, he probably wouldn't have appreciated Dream getting him fired because of one single remark about it either.

Hakeem threw down the gauntlet on this franchise, he was determined that he could lead a team to a championship and left management with a situation most of us then hated: get rid of him or acquiesce.

At the behest of CD, Patterson interviews Rudy and he says let's do what he wants. Dream had to put up or shut up. Can you imagine JVG in that situation? He'd resign based on high-school 101 coaching beliefs if management even considered it.

If this were the "official JVG appreciation thread" I wouldn't be quite as disagreeable, but the JVG deification among some here is ridiculous. And I know bringing up Dream around here is always dicey because too many of us here followed every step of his basketball career, but the inference that JVG could have done anything for Olajuwon's career is insulting and nauseating.

blazer_ben in case you don't know, the only pro coach Dream credits with improving his game was CD. Which leads me to...

JVG's imprint on this team is important because he does have a style, a philosophy and because Yao would still try to carry teammates' luggage if JVG told him to - until T-Mac punched Yao in the face, that is.

It amazes me that people here feel the need to take backhanded swipes at Rudy. Dream? Yikes.

Sorry about the rant, it's just that I can smell the real season and want to try to round into form.