Exactly. Just like any good player does. He doesn't go home and lie in a fetal position under his bed with his thumb in his mouth. Some of you guys aren't giving Yao enough credit as a MAN. Well, you just answered your own question with that last sentence. Yao has been on fire as we all know. Don't you think that may have something to do with coaching? Somehow, I think I know what your answer will be... Look, I'm not the biggest JVG fan either. I wouldn't be too upset if he were gone next season. I'm just saying that I think it's SILLY that so many people think Yao is afraid of him or something. Or that he can't handle JVG telling him what he can do better. Someone in this thread actually suggested that the reason we missed so many jumpers last night was because all the players were stressed about playing for JVG. That's just silly.
You see, coaches do these things after games called "press conferences." What happens is the media asks the coach questions about his team's performance, and the coach answers them. Usually question are asked about specific players, and the coach is again obliged to answer. Let me ask you: if someone asked JVG to evaluate Juwan's or Stro's performance, do you think he should keep it all positive regardless of what he actually thinks? And if not, then isn't that a double standard?
No one except some poor sap named Yao Ming. But what would he know... Back to today, I asked Yao "This season you improved a lot, what kind of role do you think JVG played in your improvement?" After a pause, Yao carefully said "He designed a stage for me." After this sentence, Yao paused again before he continued "As a player, no matter how hard you practice, without such a stage, without the coach designing a game plan to allow you to perform, you can not accomplish anything. It is the coach's game plan that requires the other players to put the ball in my hand, only then can I show what I can do." Today Yao's stat joined the elite group of players with 20 pt 10 reb per game, he can now carry his team to victory by himself, which validated JVG's farsightedness and his success at rebuilding Yao. Are these judgements premature? Yao Ming would not comment on this, he says "this can not be explained by one of two sentences and it can not be explained in a short period of time. To completely explain this might take ten years or more, at that time I will completely understand this. Now all I need to do is trying my best to follow the coaches instructions." Back to today, I asked Yao "This season you improved a lot, what kind of role do you think JVG played in your improvement?" After a pause, Yao carefully said "He designed a stage for me." After this sentence, Yao paused again before he continued "As a player, no matter how hard you practice, without such a stage, without the coach designing a game plan to allow you to perform, you can not accomplish anything. It is the coach's game plan that requires the other players to put the ball in my hand, only then can I show what I can do." Yao Ming said "At that time, I can understand the coach's designs, but he lacked the strength to accomplish them. Today, I can not say that I have all the strength required, but it is getting closer, thus everyone can see the results." Yao have slowly raised himself during the JVG rebuilding project, and both of them could accept the building process. Yao made the following comparison "Like the economic reform in China, when the concept was first introduced in China decades ago, if you asked people back then what is the good points of reform, no one would be able to tell you. But now, after many years, everyone can see the prosperity brought by the reform. JVG's rebuilding of me is the same way, as time went on, everything is slowly changed."
No kidding, esp. considering the thread starter mis represented the quote, which, I think a, larger chunk of the people who posted in this thread didn't even read
I admit, I initially ripped into JVG about it also, but he's right about Yao kinda loafing it on the other aspects of his game. As a coach, he needs to point that out to Yao, can't let him get satisfied with what he's doing right now. Always gotta try to improve, the great ones always do it. I tend to think Yao has that inner fire and desire to improve also, but maybe JVG saw something developing that he didn't like (Yao slacking off). Then again, qith what we have out there, I kinda think that I can't blame yao for saving his energy for the offensive end since theres noone else doing the scoring. I can see how this could become a bad habit down the road though when we get TMac back, so JVG is probably just looking out for that.
No, the coach is not obliged to answer. He can reply with vague generalities, dodge the question by answering a slightly different one, or flat out say, "no comment". Come on, you know the drill: "I think Vince Young is part of our nucleus. We're not as bad as our record says, but we're not a playoff team." Etc. (I am not making fun of Vince, I am just paraphrasing a recent statement, one very typical of managements everywhere.) What a coach does not do, if he has any other alternative, is to cut up a player in public, by name. The fact that JVG is resorting to it is enough proof, to me at least, that he has lost the team.
Agreed, Yao's one of a kind. But seriously what NBA have you been watching for the last 25 years? When Dream got Chaney fired which side of the fence were you on? Among the people I was around the majority was against giving Dream carte blanche. To this day I believe the only reason management hired Rudy and told Dream to put up or shut up was that virtually any other superstar would have been more expensive and less productive. At that time Dream was a human b****ing machine and his Cougar heritage wasn't playing anymore among the Rockets fans I was around. Oh, and that was back in the day when both the Post and Chronicle were quite poised to let Hakeem's balls twist in the wind. How is it this relevant? JVG would be the first to tell you. NBA coaches are dog food to max players and if they have any loyalty at all their first responsibility is to the franchise and not the coach. Flip Saunders, Rick Carlisle and Paul Silas weren't fired for a shred of reason other than they stirred ***t uphill until management did what they always do - placate their players. JVG does know what he's doing. He's emotionally struggling through his first losing season and often doesn't worry about what he says - until the next day. Right now the only shred of light on Les' investment is Yao whipping up on double and triple-teams every night. Yao's still getting bashed nationally and JVG feels compelled to say "Yao's defense could have been better the last 3 games"? How about "I wish Yao had been better defensively tonight, but it's hard to really complain about his performance"? When JVG made truly dumbass remarks a couple of weeks ago I was not surprised Juwan contradicted him even though he and Bowen were the only ones doing things right. In subsequent days JVG suddenly says Yao approaches things probably better than anyone in the NBA. If this clown was still in New York he'd be skewered by now. The Chronicle yawns as does Houston. Rockets, injury-riddled, rough times and they suck. Someone in an office says: have you checked out Yao's game recently? Someone answers "yeah, but JVG's, right. Defensively Yao sucks and Rosen and ESPN still say he's Shawn Bradley." I'm sure Les can just feel those turnstiles flipping. Again Yao's been playing in JVG's defense for 2 & 3/4 seasons. Yao is not stupid. Sooner or later someone's going to grab him by the throat and say "Listen man 36 & 11 with 2,3 guys hanging on you is a great game. On most teams filled with scrubs getting 36 is easy, if that 36 was easy let me just escort your big ass to the Hall of Fame." Somewhere Moses, Dream and PJ are still laughing their heads off. Les is measuring a few million vs. abject depression. Well, you just answered your own question with that last sentence. Yao has been on fire as we all know. Don't you think that may have something to do with coaching? Somehow, I think I know what your answer will be... Look, I'm not the biggest JVG fan either. I wouldn't be too upset if he were gone next season. I'm just saying that I think it's SILLY that so many people think Yao is afraid of him or something. Or that he can't handle JVG telling him what he can do better. Someone in this thread actually suggested that the reason we missed so many jumpers last night was because all the players were stressed about playing for JVG. That's just silly.[/QUOTE]
Nah, JVG was not blasting Yao, just that he felt the rockets lost the game because of poor defense and rebounds! By the way, Jeff, why did you leave Juwan Howard on the floor for so long since he couldnt defend and rebounds????
How dare tHe coach say that a player has to put out on both ends. What a concept! Granted Yao IS out of his mind offensively , I hope it's just the beginning. But is it possible the defensive intensity to match is his offensive output can be upgraded a little? yeah it can. I noticed it, a dip on the defensive end, and I understand Yao's human. JVG is talking about a super superstar. Plays both ends always. Yao is completely capable. And I bet he even agrees with coach about this. Reaching for greatness.
You're completely right. But when Dream was in his prime, 1st-team defensive honors and all, the guy took plays off. For wind, or just a mental break, or sometimes in disgust and you could see it all. Every great player I've ever seen did. JVG's blow-up two weeks ago about effort on this team came back at him publically through Juwan and Rafer. And our guys are flying around most of the time and JVG actually says it's our pick'n'roll defense that leaves guys open on the perimeter. 7'6 guy has to switch perfectly and get out of the paint as far as necessary to make this defense work. In this defense 7'6 guy could do better than he has recently. Normally I'd be down with that. But 7'6 guy isn't just being asked to carry the offense, he just is the offense. 7'6 guy could be better offensively too and his coach was kind enough not to point that out. Defensively there is a problem. 7'6 guy is not 6'10 3/4s guy (Dream) or 6'8 3/4s guy (Russell) and even when he does make plays on the perimeter I think why, why, why? Even if Ewing ever really played in this defense there's no evidence in game 6 or game 7 in '94 (which I've watched umpteen times) he did under Riley. I still think Dream's fingertip block of Starks in game 6 warped JVG's brain. I'd be all for giving JVG a 5 year contract extension if he'd spend 10 minutes on camera showing any reason why Yao's defense on the p'n'r is ostensibly responsible for open 3s, or just the plays that Yao screws up. Instead there's this "Oh I'm pissed we lost and I want to share with you that defensively Yao has been lacking for 3 games, but offensively he's been brilliant". Healthy ego there, hates to lose. Now that everything is on Yao's shoulders I guess he doesn't hate to lose enough? No. JVG's mouth is just simply often idiotic. Dude still doesn't deserve to be fired, but in the absence of contrition for that mouth (reserved for lunch with Stern) I do want Les to rough him up a bit in public and we'll see how JVG likes it.
Looking at what JVG actually said I'll say that I over-reacted. I don't think he "ripped" Yao. I think he has high standards for Yao for him to reach superstardom on both ends of the court. That's admirable. However I agree with declan's posts though. Admirable or not sometimes what JVG says is just plain stupid. This was one of those times. Great posts declan.
declan, you are right on. Les is no dummie, but I believe he believes that we can win with JVG, and his coaching style also matches the owners. of course jvg can be a total horses ass, but is that news? : )...go rockets!...I am down about TMAc, but we can't stop learning who can be here next year and who needs to go.
I cannot believe that there can be so many dumb people in one place. I do not mind b****ing but common guys - this nonsense has now come to puke inducing levels. C'mon if we are going to hate lets get the quotes and words right for Jesus Christ's sake people. I do not favor JVG much anymore - I could careless about him now but c'mon if I am going to hate him I'll at least do it right. We human being are really amazing creatures. I could not stop laughing going through some self proclaimed haters (like DD and Old Man Rock) use this wrong opportunity to profess what they already felt months before. More of you need to apologise to JVG especially the "moron" who started this madness by mis-quoting the coach. No one here has the monopoly of frustration - so that is not good enough excuse. I am a frustrated die hard Rox fan as well. Ahhhhhhhh
We all recognize that Yao's physical stature makes it immensely difficult for him to contest perimeter jumpers. I think Van Gundy knows this more than anyone. He's not that foolish. I don't think he expects Yao to jump out and contest guys 20 feet from the basket as effectively as Marcus Camby or Ben Wallace. But he HAS to do a better at it, or else he becomes a huge liability on defense. When Yao is focused and energetic, he's capable of being adequate, which is all we can ask. But to allow 3 or 4 possessions in a row break down defensively simply can not be excused.
Fergwu, I enjoy your posts but it's obvious you are not from a gigantic Irish-Catholic family. Regarding the frustration levels, I had to go back and reread the entire thread and mentally rehash the game to figure out why I was so sarcastic, acerbic and generally pissed off. Exact quotation of JVG's comments weren't accessible when I posted, and when guys here that I trust posted more of the gist of JVG's remarks I was still livid. Not because JVG "attacked Yao" but because after that particular loss I really felt that any coach (including Brown) would have had Yao's back. Yes, JVG was answering a question and he answered it honestly but the proper response is "Everyone made mistakes, we'll break down the film tomorrow but if I want to ask anything more of Yao I'll do it tomorrow." People here are getting called wimps, wooses and just ignorant etc. for suggesting that what JVG says is no indication of where there are serious problems with his schemes and our personnel. Many around the league believe specifically that Yao's limitations both limit JVG's effectiveness but also have hampered Yao's development. Neither may be true, but JVG's mouth fuels the fire. He knows Yao isn't going anywhere but even his praise makes Yao sound like an NBA version of a special-ed student, whose toughness, intelligence and stamina are clearly fair game for everyone - including himself. With the team that's surrounding him now and his recent performances that is just absurd. I do care about Yao's frame of mind in this train-wreck of a season, but I care a lot more about this franchise - and what Houstonians think about it. Specifically regarding DaDakota and Old Man Rock's posts, well I'm not ready to go as far as they often do, but I agree with many of their posts and sometimes mine probably read a lot like theirs. I don't think those guys are coming from anyplace near ignorance about the game or this team. And I'm all for venting occasionally (apparently ) so frustration posts don't really affect how I view people here. BTW, thanks to Deckard, ivananny200, tango and jsc media for the compliments. I hope I'm wrong about about some things right now that I truly believe. To better times....
Temporarily putting aside the issue of whether JVG has lost the team, I want to note another reason why his outburst on Yao was unwise. Does anytbody remember what happened after the loss to Philly? Van Gundy blasted the team for "a lack of intensity", saying that only Juwan and Rybo were playing hard. Yao had a 22/13/2 game and could not be blamed, so most people understood that JVG was taking a shot at T-Mac. It really seemed to fire up our SF: he grabbed 11 rebounds the next game, and we proceeded to win 4 in a row. Great coaching, right? Wrong. T-Mac got hurt, playing harder than he probably should have, and because of that, our season is going down the drain. JVG's job could follow soon. All this because the coach was being too pushy. Now recall that Yao sprained a foot not too long ago. And after a 36/12 game, JVG ripped him in public and by name for not playing hard enough. Leaving aside the gross unfairness of this attack -- even if true, it was grossly unfair -- we have to ask, Was it wise? Do we want Yao to join the ranks of the wounded? Do we want Yao to become another Kirilenko -- brilliant when healthy, but injured for half a year every year? It is possible to force Yao become a 30/15 player, but then his career would likely be short. I say he's playing hard enough. A 22/10 player who also plays defence the way Yao does is enough, when combined with T-Mac, to carry us to multiple championships. I want Yao to have a long and prosperous career, and I don't particularly care whether JVG will be around to enjoy it.
