That's why coach JVG is so great! He had 2 stars and a bunch of nothing. But he made this team top 5-7 in NBA for years. Nothing wrong They lost to the best. Many NBA teams with much more talents keep lost nowaday!
If you recall, our offense with them at the end of the 04/05 season was just as potent as today under Adelman. Unfortunately, they were all already breaking down, disappeared in the playoffs, and really never played meanigful roles again. JVG had his problems, but I can't say we wouldn't have truly contended if he'd had a semblance of the young talent we have today.
Gundy's team did not lose to the best though. They lost to Mavs and Jazz who were both kicked out before they even made to the WCF. Adelman's Rockets did, however, lose to the best. Took Lakers to game 7 in the second round who were the eventual champs. The only team in the playoffs to push the Lakers to game 7.
I like JVG and noone can argue that the Rocket's defense under him was top notch. But anyone who went to the games live has to admit that they were some of the slowest and most boring games ever. I was falling asleep at times and I wasn't even drunk!
wow, people still miss JVG and think he's better than Adelman? Just see the results Adelman has pulled out of all these young rookies and second rounders. I doubt JVG has the patience to develop Brooks, Landry, Lowry like Adelman has.
When Adelman first got here and was playing similar personell, the games were just as boring. Like I said, when JVG had some talent with the Yao/Howard/Tmac/Wesley/Sura lineup and Mike James/Jon Barry off the bench, this team was pretty fun to watch.
JVG came from New York's system, where they had an extremely dominant C in Ewing. What's that saying? "Old dogs have old habits" or something like that? He maximized Yao's potential, because JVG still had an Empire State of Mind. (Pun intended) Adelman never really had a dominant C, with decent 4 other people on the floor. Adelman had a great passing PF and C in Webber and Divac, and 3 great wing players. It boils down to the system the coaches came from. Both coaches got results though, like JVG or not.
I agree. He overachieved in the preseasons that's why he was never able to pass the first round playoffs.
*We're. And those three player, although pretty darn good, were already in their 30's, with Barry and Wesley just north of 35. JVG definitely did more with less.
Losing in the first round year after year with a healthy TMac and Yao is not doing more with less. DD
He develop yao and hayes. Luther head was billed as the next big thing during his first 2 seasons until that playoff. Yeah, I doubt JVG have the patience to develop rookies.
I think it comes down to a little of everything. JVG didn't have Morey pulling the best talent at the time to fit the situation. And more importantly they weren't building talent so much as trying to stick it on the team and hope it carries them to the top. At the same time, JVG while great at developing defensive players, kind of sucked at developing a players' offensive games. Pretty much everyone he worked with he tried to mold into his system rather then take their strengths, build them and try to implement them. No really came out from under JVG as a better overall player offensively but they did either come out knowing how to do one or two things very well or in some cases crashing. To sum it up, JVG's influence is still being felt today in this team. Our defense when it is on, probably owes a lot to the guys that were on JVG's teams the first two years of Adelman's tenure who carried it over and thought enough to the younger guys to have them still use it. So in a way he is a great coach, although he is far from perfect. Meanwhile, ya damn skippy we are the hardest working team in the NBA. Most of the others, have given up, pretty much the only guys that come close to us in work ethic are New Jersey (young guys struggling, in a rotten slump and without a solid identity) and Portland (it is very hard for us to complain about injuries and say we are the worst up, when they lost both centers, and a couple key contributors so early in the season).
New Jersey has talent and I can't really point to why they have the worst record in the leauge. Portland, even though they lost Oden and Pryzbylla, still has Brandon Roy. So in essence, the Blazers still have more to work with than the Rockets.
your talking as if latrell sprewell was a scrub. sprewell was a beast in his prime for both golden state, as well as new york. its like his best years in the nba were easily forgotten after he wanted more money to feed his family.
I admit our offense suffered a bit with JVG, but we were always looked at as one of the best defensive teams in the league under him. And to be honest we still play the tough D he instilled in us when he coached. Man I dont blame him for the Dallas debacle. I blame a team who just couldnt score nothing. JVG had his bad moments but all in all he did wonders for turning the Rox around. Who was the coach before him? Honest question I dont remember
I said this when Adelman was hired and I still believe it is true that both Adelman and Van Gundy are pretty close to equal good coaches, each with their positives and negatives. It was the players on the court that were costing us games, much more so than the coaching moves. The knock that Van Gundy never played young players was completely false. He did play a rookie completely undrafted Chuck Hayes. We just didn't have any good young players to play, and CD was the gm then. The over turning of the roster that Morey has done since CD left is nothing short of a miracle. I'm sure Van Gundy had some input in what players were brought in, but ultimately the make up of the team is on the GM, not the coach.
Can someone please post the video of JVG statements about the Rockets and Carl Landry? Thanks in advance.
bjshot is a notorious Adelman hater. Too bad Adelman is going to be with us for a long long time so suck it up.
