He rarely gives any compliments to his star players, especially to Yao. I was surprised that he focused on Yao's TOs after last night's performance. And I don't remember he says nice things about Yao after huge games against Piston, Timbervolves, Lakers, and the Magic. He should learn from Jim O'brien et al to constantly give your star players props. I would be very pissed if I were SF3 or Yao. Is JVG just a depressed man or a jerk? I don't like his attitude, and not to mention that his offensive strategy is static and sucks.
Or maybe, just maybe, he sees how badly the team struggles to beat the dregs of the league like Atlanta because they can't beat a simple 2-3 zone defense. DD
it's like this... my physics teacher at dulles, mrs. phillips, didn't like the idea of curving grades if the majority of students didn't do well on a test. so instead, she curved the grades of the few students who did well. makes complete sense to me. 1. it was a close game that shouldn't have been (forget that "oh, but it's a nba team" or "any team can beat any team on any given night" garbage. 2. sure yao had a good game, but he did have five turnovers... and one of which that could have saved the game from lasting as long. sure the game situations can change if one of the turnovers wasn't committed, but they can stay the same as well. imo vandy wasn't being harsh. it was his way of saying, " yao played a good game, but..." there's improvement to be made.
By that standard, I am not sure whether you can find 10 great performances by all players in the league during a whole season.
Let's say you're a star student in class. You typically get As. Some of your friends in the class get Bs and Cs, a couple of them are on the brink of failing out. You're on good terms with the prof -- he's a little gruff but you know that he likes you. Stern but fair. Would you rather your professor: 1) Embarrasses you in front of the class by praising your tests? or 2) Gives you the occasional stern nod, a look of respect that's understanted and private?
sure you can, oliver. one of them was yao's performance yesterday. think about it. once you become completely satisfied... mindgames.
Can I get an "Amen"?!?! The Hawks are without a doubt the worst team in the NBA. And they managed to replicate a zone like the one that caused the debacle in 'allas on the previous night. And they managed to score almost at will with Rebraca, Sura, and Chris Crawford. What on earth is there to compliment?
nope... been long gone for a while now. class of '98. sure wish i still there. if i knew half of the stuff that i know now...
The reason is political of course. Jeff Van Gundy has a hard enough time maintaining control over the team. He constantly has to stroke the egoes of *cough* certain players. Jeff Van Gundy is always calling Steve Francis the best player. And he is always praising Cuttino Mobley. With Yao Ming, Jeff knows he doesn't need to do this. Whether he is praised or criticized, Yao Ming is mature enough to handle it. I can't say the same about his other teammates. Remember when Jeff Van Gundy questioned the heart of the team a month ago? It nearly created a riot and the team went on a major losing streak afterwards. It took the Super Bowl Gate to restore order. I think Jeff Van Gundy is a big fan of Yao Ming, but he won't publicly gush about him because he fears the consequences.
Because JVG doesn't compliment players. *shrug* He's just that kind of coach. Some coaches will hug you and tell you how well you did (Mack Brown), some will exercise tough love but give credit where it's due (John Gruden), and some are just bastards. JVG is obviously a b*stard. He's also a pretty good coach. If his being a b*stard somehow motivates the team, then that's fine imo. But sometimes coaches like that wear thin on a team - and when/if that happens, he'll get less sympathy from me than would a nice guy who wasn't effective.
JVG is a little bit different and yao is a little bit different also. But the general attitude of most players towards their coach makes me sick. I can't imagine the Coach is there to make plaers' life misarable, but when you look at how the players treat their Coach (no what they say to the media, but when the Coach is talking to them) - pay some attention and you would know what I mean. BTW, just check out the picture of JVG and Cat on Chronical.com..
JVG came out of retirement at his own choosing. He chosed Yao Ming. He brought in a coach only for Yao Ming. I'm guessing he wants to be the coach with the most NBA championships. Is he a fan of Yao Ming's???? you tell me. It would be untoward for him to praise Yao all the time. The record speaks for itself.
