Sure this guy might have a horses butt of what he's talking about. But I like some of the things he says.. But I'll save MY comments for later. <a href="http://www.mercurynews.com...ww.mercurynews.com/mld/merc...10291268.htm?1c</a> Best cure for Rockets: Launch Van Gundy <div class="quote_poster">Quoting SAM SMITH:</div><div class="quote_post"> Chicago Tribune CHICAGO - (KRT) - There are just two words to explain what's wrong with the 6-9 Houston Rockets: Jeff Van Gundy. Or is that three words? This is not to say Van Gundy is a bad coach. He's just the wrong coach for the Rockets. The larger issue is more than the fate of a team many believed would be a power in the league with the union of Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming. The real question is Yao's future with the franchise_it doesn't seem as if he can grow and prosper under Van Gundy, and he could be lured away when he becomes a free agent. And don't you think the Lakers, with a big Asian population on the West Coast, have identified Yao as their future center? We see it more in college than in pro ball, but this is a classic case of a coach demanding his players adjust to him rather than him adjusting to them. And this is not one of those disciplinary, make-them-work, good-for-the-coach, teach-the-bums values things. The Rockets have a good group of players, by most accounts serious-minded and committed. But they're playing a slow game, mostly walking the ball up and running a halfcourt offense. It was a good tactic for Van Gundy with a team like his aging New York Knicks, a slower, possession game that can keep a less talented team in the game and steal some wins. Now he has young talent in Yao and McGrady, although Houston, to be fair, doesn't have that much overall talent after giving away three starters to get McGrady. But the Rockets need to run, or at least play more in transition. Defenses are setting up against them, turning them perimeter-oriented, thus limiting McGrady to jump shots and surrounding Yao and making him work too hard for baskets. It has tired him, and he has had trouble finishing games. The Rockets' statistics reflect their style, not their talent. They are 29th in scoring, 28th in rebounding, 27th in steals and 23rd in blocks even with Yao. Their field-goal attempts are 26th most, and they are 29th in free-throw attempts, showing a lack of penetration to the basket. McGrady, the league's leading scorer the last two seasons with a combined average of more than 30 points per game, has had only two games this season over 25 points. Yao, averaging 17.8, has been in single digits five times this season, twice in the last two games against teams without dominating centers. "My game right now, I'm hesitant on the offensive end and I can't get into a rhythm," McGrady said after Saturday's loss to the Jazz. "I really don't feel in sync on the court. I can't get into the flow at all. I don't know what it is." I do. McGrady needs to get easy baskets in transition to open up his perimeter game. Of course, better rebounding would help. Yao is one of the league's best running centers, but he's walking into the defense too much. "Neither of those guys has played like we need them to play to win down the stretch," Van Gundy said last week. The style Van Gundy favors wears out players. The Rockets aren't great, but they have too much talent to allow lesser teams to stay in the game with limited possessions. "Do we have enough personality? Do we have enough fight?" Van Gundy asked. "Every team follows a certain personality. Who are we following? I'm not sure. The coach should have a group playing with energy and passion, and obviously I don't have that right now. Certainly if the results don't change, we'll need to change either who plays or who's here."</div> Sorry, Trip -- link not working, so I posted whole thing. Remove if need be.
This guy really doesn't know too much about our team. I'd like to see the Rockets run more, sure, but he exaggerates the ability of our players to run. Yeah, our two stars are relatively young, but doesn't he know that we have the oldest team in the league? McGrady was never a great open-court player, his bread-and-butter has always been in the half-court. And he says Yao is "one of the league's best running centers," which is hogwash. Yao is probably the worst running center in the game.
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">McGrady was never a great open-court player, his bread-and-butter has always been in the half-court. And he says Yao is "one of the league's best running centers," which is hogwash. Yao is probably the worst running center in the game.</div> If you go to CF.net -- and read the thread about this.. They make a pretty good argument that Yao, indeed, can run. Compare him and Shaun Bradley. Yao would win in a foot race. Shaq? Maybe, but Shaq never runs the break. Think about it, Van Gundy wears out Yao during the game. Post, repost, rebound. Let Yao sit back, while they run the break. His arms wont be as tired, and stamina wise, he'll be ok also. We have one of the best shooters in the game, and 2 superb pushing guards in Lue and Barrett. Lue doesn't rack up 8 assists in some game on accident. Barrett doesn't start fast breaks by himself. Sura didn't assist himself when he had 6. The more you run the break, the more possesion you control. We need atleast 100 possesions a game, right around where the Spurs, and the Champ Lakers were. Just my 2 cents.
Actually, Shaq runs the breal better than any center. He doesn't just run the break, he actually brings the ball up on the break, something no other center would do nowadays. I think we need to model ourselves like the Spurs. They have a dominant inside player in Duncan, two quick guards in Parker and Ginobili, and a defensive player/three point threat in Bowen. We already have a post player in Yao, a stopper/three point threat in Jackson, but just one fast guard that's on the court all the time. The Spurs run a half-court set; and they get on the break when they need to. That's the way the Rockets should be.
I think Yao can run in a break. Now I don't mean that he can beat the guards and be one of the first to get to the hoop, but I've seen him running down the court in a semi-break and throw it down on people. This theory might not be right, but at 7'6, Yao is easy to get pushed around by other shorter players. Think about it, assuming the average centers are 7' tall, they all have at least a 6 inch disadvantage to Yao, BUT they have alot of leverage and it's easier to push out taller players when you're shorter and stronger. Picture this, you are 7' tall and you're decently built but kinda skinny. Maybe say a Jared Jeffries. Now you are a center, and a thick dude at 6'8 (let's say Elton Brand) plays C too and he pushes you around. You'll hold your ground for a little bit but after a while, due to the shorter player's lower center of gravity and mass, you get tired and get less and less rebounds. You combine the constant post, repost, rebound routine with the fact that you have never taken a time off away from basketball and yeah, you'd be tired alot. That is my theory on why Yao gets so little rebounds but still puts up decent offense. The other players in the league gets so much more leverage on Yao and it's easier to push away taller skinnier players. Now, that aside, I think JVG needs to experiment with different lineups / styles in the offensive end and find which one fits us best. Like most ppl, I truly believe that if we put in a defensive minded, rebouding, blocking PF next to Yao, we can be very dangerous. I wouldn't even be objected with playing Mutombo and Yao side by side, just to see how it goes..
