I don't think he sucks, I just think he needs to loosen up for the team to reach it's potential. He is a funny guy but he gets worked up at the wrong times...like getting mad at a team that won a game by 28 points...I mean...COME ON !! DD
I disagree 1. JVG's defense does have some qualities of a zone. There is a lot of helping involved, and Yao more or less stays down low on defense. 2. The 2nd penetrator thing is nice, but what is your suggestion? If it's V-Span, then I disagree due to his tendency to commit too many TOs. 1. Every team loses games. Every time we lose, you say it's because JVG didn't adjust. But every time we win, is it because we adjusted? There were a lot of reasons why we lost to Dallas. The main reason is they were a better team. Putting Padget/Novak in against Minnesota would have been idiotic, as they would have been shredded on defense. 2. What makes you think JVG doesn't see what you see live? Just because he doesn't put in Novak every time we are losing, doesn't mean he's not making adjustments. 1. I think others have thuroughly refuted this notion. 2. Do you really think this determines whether or not JVG is a "championship coach?" 12-6 I respect your opinions on JVG's strategy, I just think you lose credibility when you make bs claims like "JVG is not a championship coach." There isn't a championship coach gene. We win or lose based on JVG's strategy and management, not on whether or not you think he can lead us to a championship.
Minnesota was forcing Yao out of the paint to guard his man as he was shooting face up jumpers from 12-15 feet. I would play V-Span, yes he commits some turnovers, but whether he commits a lot of turnovers is yet to be seen, he has had one game where he committed 5, do we sit Yao because he committed 7 against the T-pups? V-span has the same turnover per minute ratio as Yao and Tmac, yet 3 of his were in garbage time when he was horsing around. IMHO, the sample size is too small to discern whether it is a trend with V-Span or not. How would they have been shredded exactly? You don't put them on KG, you put them on Minnesotas weakest offensive player.....one without a post game....or you play a zone to mask their deficiencies....the point is when plan A is not working you try plan B...Popovich did it when his starters were getting owned he put in an entire new unit and they came back on the Rockets, do you think JVG would have the stones to do something like this? I don't. I don't want Novak in there because we are losing, I want JVG to realize what the other coaches are trying to do (when it is working) and counter it with substitutions, with play calling, and with adjustments. Well, I don't think that.
I think the post game comments after GS was mostly meant to guard against complacency after two lopsided wins for the upcoming Minny game (which is a concern that proved to be well-founded). It's just about maintaining readiness. I doubt any of the Rockets player really took it for any more than that. The Rockets are a hard-working bunch, and generally are good character guys, but being too satisfied some moderate success seems to be a problem (as it is with other teams.... happened to Detroit last season after a fast start). As for his "adjustment" issues, DD, some of them are legitimate, others, I think not so much. Should he have adopted a zone? I think so, but overall, his D was good without a zone so it's not like the man D was broken, even with slower players. When Dallas went small in 05, the Rockets simply did not have the personnell to make adjustments with... he tried going small with them, but the fact is guys like Barry, Welsey, and an injured Sura just can't matchup with guys like Josh Howard and Stack. Developing young guys? He developed all the young guys who are worth developing-- Camby did well after underachieving in Toronto, Charlie Ward became a solid player after sitting all season as a rook, Yao's game is significantly better as his career went on. Chuck and Luther also eventually got their chances. Van Gundy typicall doesn't hand a bunch of minutes out to young guys right away, but as they earn it, they will get their burn as they get better. There really hasn't been any young kids he didn't develop that later prove themselves ready to be developed. Guys he gave up on (John Wallace, for one) all pretty much showed they deserved being given up on. He is stubborn, maybe too stubborn. He has faith in his players and game plan and would keep going to them sometimes even when they have bad games. Sometimes, it doesn't work (last night), other times, guys who are cold all night show up at the end of games (Rafer and Luther that one game).
Thanks. I appreciate your posts as well. It's good to be able to have a reasonable discussion (and I know... sometimes I lose it when I get pissed at some posts that I think are plain unreasonable personal attacks). About him being "championship coach." I think there are multiple ways to be a championship coach.. I don't think he makes his team too "tight", either. For example, do you really think the team looks any more "tight" than, say, guys who play for Larry Brown? Larry Brown was not a "championship coach" for 20+ years, and didn't even make it to the finasl for 17 seasons. People thought his style isn't "championship coaching" for years, too...
I hated Larry Brown when I covered the Spurs for Ksat 12, he was a small man with a massive chip on his shoulder, and I think JVG is exactly like him. I think Larry is a good coach....especially in college, but in the pros I think ultimatly his teams play to tight and he does not develop players.....sound familiar? He got into the right situation in Detroit and took advantage, but coaches like Rudy and Popovich build the right situation rather than hope they fall into it. DD
May I suggest: "Who was the first person to say, 'Next thing that comes out that chicken's butt, I'm eatin' it'?"
Both Rudy and Pop's championship teams were much better than the current Rockets in terms of depth. I think JVG is doing damm well so far with what he's got, and if the Rockets win it all this season, it would arguably be a far greater accomplishment as far as coaching goes than those of the Spurs and former Rockets. The truth is, nobody is a "championship coach" until they win one. There aren't many coaches out there with rings, but that doesn't mean that there are only a handfull of guys who are CAPABLE or even more likely to win 'em. As far as most of us know (me included), JVG could be a way above average coach, a way below average coach, or, more likely, shomewhere in between. That doesn't mean he's above criticism, but it does mean that any criticism should be well grounded in fact. It is on the critics to prove their claims. There's too much "I think this" here and not enough "I think this because" and even when you do get the latter, the evidense is usually nothing more than more "I think this."
what are you talking about? plan A can't fail. assistant coach Gundy has prepared his team too well for them to fail. if plan A isn't working, try plan A even harder. hmmm...
I loved this clip. It's never enough with JVG. There's always something you could do better. That's how you improve. He sounds like a coach trying to build a championship team. Twenty one turnovers is horrible. You can't win a playoff game like that. Gundy knows that hot shooting comes and goes and you can look real good on paper if you shoot well. The problem is the next game, when your players feel good about themselves, they get sloppy and loose and they lose. JVG is worried about those times where you don't shoot well. If you play good D (which we do) and if you don't turn the ball over too much, then you are in every game.. regardless if you are shooting well or not. JVG sees potential with this team. That's what it's about and he's not going to waste it. This may be his only shot at the big one and he wants to get this team there. Bring on the negativity. If we see JVG with a smile on his face, we'll all be jumping up and down like idiots and his coaching style will start to make sense.
Well, this has been a pretty good thread so far, lots of good comments and even a few concessions or partial concessions back & forth. As far as OMR i mostly agree with his logic, and his style of expressing it doesn't really bother me much - but then he may not follow me around and "destroy" my threads like some of you others. Besides, I've seen some ranting on the part of many many people on all sides. And we all live on. Van Gundier - yes he is stubborn. And all I can do is remember his words and actions over time and see someone who had to be talked to by Les about being more positive - and now makes wise cracks about his directive at press conferences. I just really don't get going after Hayes with an 8pt 15 rb night, etc. He reminds me "live" of an ex-brother-in-law who is certifiable and should be locked up (I've felt this way since day 1 with JVG). So I guess as long as it is just words and he doesn't start throwing chairs or choking people then we live with it and judge him on his personally styled coaching - which is not always mainstream - nor does it play well with freelance style players. We all lived thru the aged Knicks a coupla years ago. Supposedly Morey has a lot more clout in personnel selection now. As far as the TO's I want them to improve as well - and we lived thru this as well with new players the last coupla years - and by Jan 1 the TO's started coming down and staying down. I still don't get the comments about not playing Padge or Novak because they can't defend. Padge's D is as good or better than Juwan's, and Novak's I think will quickly improve with experience way beyond Jho's with the plus of actually being able to properly shoot a field goal - tired of the line drives. I think Jho is good for about 5-10 min in the 1st half then he is a 2nd half shell of his 1st half self. I love the picture from the Twolf game of Jho watching his man blow by to the rim where Yao ends up fouling 30 to try to stop the shot. Typical - oh did he get by me???? movie quotes: playing off of As Good as it Gets: Why can't I get a normal coach like everyone else? It's not possible dear. It doesn't exist in reality.
