Dude...did Rudy bang your girlfriend or something? Whats all the hostility towards Rudy for? I happen to think Rudy had a lot to do with us winning 2 championships. We had a team with ONE superstar (2 when clyde came) and the fact that he was able to get guys on the team to accept their roles shows that he knows what he is doing. There is only one guy who has meant more to this organization that Rudy over the last 15 years and that guy is coming back to town tonight.
How do you explain Hakeem's scoring average jumping from 21 to 26 ppg in the first season Rudy was a full-time coach? And if you want to be more subjective, just look at all the offensive weaponry Hakeem just seemed to acquire in that 92-93 season(when he should have won the MVP over Barkley). Where the hell did that fadeway-baseline-jumper-from- behind-the-backboard-shot-that-was-so-quick-that-noone-could-ever-stop-it come from? The first-year Rudy Coached was the year Hakeem really turned his career around and became an MVP-caliber player. I think Rudy had something to do with it.
NJ, DC, sorry you guys are just wrong. If Rudy is so good at getting guys to accept their role on the team, why couldn't he do that with Barkley and Pippen and a host of other players who simply don't fit into the scheme. And did Rudy teach Hakeem the fadeaway jumpshot from the baseline? No. Hakeem's average improved as he matured and became a better basketball player, which had little to do with Rudy T. I'm not upset because Rudy banged my girlfriend. I'm upset because the Rockets stink. And they seem no closer to making the playoffs now than they did three years ago. They have talent on the team. Rudy just doesn't know how to use it. At some point, you fire coaches when they fail to perform, even when they have demonstrated success. The Astros fired Larry Dierker this past season despite the fact that he has been with the organization longer than Rudy T. has been with the Rockets and despite the fact that Dierker brought the Astros into the playoffs four out of the last five years. It's time for the Rockets to do the same with Rudy.
John Wooden wouldnt have been able to get Pippen and Barkley to accept a role so I cant be upset that Rudy couldn't. You are talking about 2 35 year old guys who were completely set in their ways and who both believed that he was bigger than the team. On one hand, you had Pippen who felt like he had to shake the "I cant win without MJ" tag and Barkley who had the "I cant win the big one" tag. If anything, Rudy probably had a lot to do with Hakeem accepting a lesser role in the offense with those guys around. I think YOU are just wrong.
Don't yall ever get tired of making excuses for Rudy? Seeing the same slop basketball year after year and you think it's going to get better. Well it's not going to get better until a new coach is in place. What this team needs is discipline and a firm hand.
If everytime someone fired a coach, it meant he was a bad coach, then he wouldn't get a second chance. Rudy's not a bad coach. He's just not for us. He's for the Blazers. Warriors maybe. Utah possibly. The Raptors. What we need is Jeff Van Gundy. Rudy's a great coach, but we're not the right team for him. Happy now?
Jerry36, Who do you suggest would bring discipline and a firm hand to a bunch of egotistical millionaires( I mean that description to apply to pretty much 95% of NBA players)? Most college coaches don't work out in the NBA because the power situation with the players is different. The NBA coaches have to massage the sensitive psyches of their players and have to worry about the players getting the coach fired.
Uh huh, and that's why you're in here complaining about the coaching instead of doing it. Damn armchair coaches.........
Did any of you Rudy-Haters actually watch the Rockets last season? Did you see them end up with a respectable winning record, only missing the playoffs by a couple of games? Anyone, who thinks the Rockets would be doing this bad with a healthy team needs to use a little common sense. Call it an excuse if you want, but I call it a FACT! If the Rockets had Steve and Maurice the entire season, this would be a whole different story. You don't fire a long-time coach after an unfortunate season like this. If they still can't do any better next year with a healthy team, then I'll start agreeing that it's time for Rudy to go. As for the other thing. You can specualte and say the reason Dream improved was because "he matured." I can state fact and say, "The first full season Rudy coached the Rockets, Hakeem's game vastly improved." I think its a combination of the two things, but I don't think its as simple as someone just "maturing." Someone worked with Hakeem on his game and someone installed an offense that would exploit it.
Those franchise had a million coaches. At one point Dallas had an old, used up retired coach coaching them. That franchise didn't turn around until Mark Cuban took over. Same for Sacramento. And for the people saying if Rudy was a good coach why couldn't he get Pippen and Barkley to play together he must have did a pretty freaking good job because despite the discord that team had the 4th best record in the West despite starting a rookie backcourt, one of which was a 2nd round draft pick. Rudy gets talent on teams and doesn't know how to use, right. That's why he took a team with Barkley, Drexler and Dream, and without a true PG led them to the most wins in franchise history, and within a few wins of the Finals. That's why took a team last year that was injury prone, young and without a quality frontcourt to the most wins for a team not to make the playoffs. That team had no business winning 35 games let alone 45. He took a team in 1995 where everybody was injured, then key players were traded and got them to the playoffs and then knocked out the 3 best teams in the West, and the best team in the East to win a championship. Yeah Hakeem was dominant, he was dominant in the 80s, I didn't see a ring on his finger then. Maybe he has a championship because he got Dream to trust his teammates, something Dream had a hard time doing. People say it's because he matured, he was mature in 1993 when the Rockets lost in the 2nd round. Maybe the Rockets started winning because they had a quality PG (Sam Cassell) who could get him the ball and Rudy taught Sam the system and thus Dream believed in them. Rudy though Mario Elie would be a nice fit, Elie his a 3 in the corner that keeps their championship dynasty alive. You don't win a freaking championship without a PF without good coaching. WHo really thought Robert Horry and Chucky Brown could man that position. Obviously Rudy did that's why he'sa GREAT COACH! But you're right, lets fire Rudy T because a hall-of-fame PF blew out his knee, a hall-of-fame center was on his last leg. It's Rudy's fault he had to break in a brand new backcourt with people dropping around him like flies. It's Rudy's fault that the team started off 5-1 and then succumbed to injuries. It's all Rudy's fault. Lets get Lenny Wilkens he's doing a great job! Give Rudy this team at 100% and we're talking 45 to 50 wins and the playoffs. You don't think that this team wouldn't be rolling if they didn't have Glen Rice and Maurice Taylor at 100%? But you're right, I'm pretty sure we can get another coach in here to coach a team that loses like 80% of its core roster to injury.
here's another fact, DCKid: Rudy Tomjanovich has won 2 rings. That would be 2 more than steve francis, cuttino mobley, eddie griffin, kenny thomas, kelvin cato, oscar torres, tierre brown, moochie norris, walt williams, dan langhi, jason collier, and maurice taylor. combined. now, this statement of unimpeachable fact will fall on the deaf ears of all the "we didn't win the title this year; must be the coach" lemmings who have raided the board of late. apparently, these are poor souls who haven't the mental acumen [that means "smarts", rudy-haters] to understand complicated things like season-ending injuries. once again: it is a fact that Rudy Tomjanovich has been able to perform his role well enough to get the Rockets where we all want them. it's done. it is in the books. it is history. the skins are on the wall, so to speak. it is also a fact that francis, mobley, et al [much as I love them] have proven exactly NOTHING in this league. what makes all you Fire-Rudy simpletons so certain that there's a coach out there who could do a better job with this roster? what about the job that Jeff Van Gundy did in new york so mesmerized you? are the bags under Rudy's eyes not deep enough for you? does he demonstrate too much dignity and decorum by not latching onto opponent's legs like an unsatisfied puppy? is it really so hard to accept that the reason we're losing this season is not because of our coach but because of a sublime and ridiculous list of injuries that have plagued us since before the season began? anyway, I hope this post is of some benefit to those, like myself, who are not blindly attracted to the idea of blaming Rudy for everything as a dog is attracted to the idea of chasing after a bone. those who think Rudy is the problem have a lot to learn about basketball. my only hope is that those who know better can attempt to hang tough together through this rocky season.
Lot's of guys have rings and were successful, maybe Jordan is a prime example.He's good enough to keep you in the game, but he's just too old to get it done. So you say it's injuries, how exactly is MoT, Rice, and all the injuries going to affect the offense in the long run?Do you think when MoT comes back we are going to have a viable inside threat?On offense and defense? What about rebounds who exactly does Rudy think is going to get more rebounds? Will Rice be the guy to cure our stagnant offense?People will start moving when Rice comes back right? We have a youthful team that can't fast break better than a ymca team- will the injured players get us running with the big boys? I'm a fan of RudyT but the Rockets are the reason why! Sooner or later the time will be here to find another coach, i'll give him the benefit of the doubt for this year, but if nothing changes next year, and injuries kick our butts again, I wonder if you people will still be crying the same thing,I won't. Injuries or not his job is to use everyone he's got and win.
Both sides of this argument have valid points, but one of the things a successful coach has to be measured on is adjusting and correcting problems. 58 games into the season and we are still seeing the same mistakes being made game after game (poor fast break oppurtunities, lack of conistent defensive intensity, selfish one on one plays). I understand that we are not fully healthy but what does health have to do with correcting these issues. Either Rudy feels that there is nothing wrong with the way the Rockets are playing or he is not effectively solving the problems.
Dude: I would take Jeff Van Gundy as the Rockets coach any day of the year. He is an excellent Xs and Os coach and he really teaches team defense, something the Rockets desperately lack. Even players who aren't known for playing defense become good defenders with Van Gundy. My only knock on Van Gundy is that he tends to play veterans over young talent -- which is the Rockets' strength. This isn't necessarily a problem for the Rockets because they don't have a lot of veterans to play over the young talent. I would be very interested to see how Van Gundy would do with the Rockets.
I wonder if Jerry Sloan will hang it up in Utah when Stockton retires and they trade Malone. I'd love to see him draw plays for Steve and Cat. The Jazz play smart, fundamental basketball. They dissect their opponents, expose their weakness, punish and demoralize the other team. They are hardnosed and don't put up with a lot of crap. I respect that. They also whine, cheat, flop, hold, bite, crack, elbow, and get the kid glove treatment - which I hate. Still, I'd like to see that class in pick and roll, and mental toughness. I'd like to see the plays. I'd bet it's not iso. That guy has gotten about as much as you could hope for out of the "talent" they've given him, to go with Stockton/Malone.
How many rings does Van Gumby have? That would be zero. In fact I dont recall him taking any Knick team to the NBA finals, and he had loads of talent to boot.
You know what else Jerry Sloan has got out of them? Zero NBA Championships. You think the Rockets would really look at an ex Jazz-hole coach to fill the shoes of Rudy T? Over my dead body.
Man, I thought Caveman was banned. Why does one Caveman visit make us rehash something we've been rehashing everyday for the past 2 months?
Van Gundy took the injury-riddled Knicks to the 1999 NBA Finals as the eighth seed, where they lost in five games to the San Antonio Spurs.
