Jeff Van Gundy's comments

[Jimcs50]

As much as the Spurs might miss Tim Duncan, out with a sprained ankle, Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy said the Spurs are so good and in such good shape heading into the postseason, these struggles might not matter in the end.

"They're locked into the playoffs," Van Gundy said. "It's not like an injury like ours (to Juwan Howard). They lost a better player, but we lost one trying to make the playoffs.

"At least they don't have to rush a guy back. They can take their time. Even if they didn't have home court throughout, when healthy anyone could see San Antonio still overcoming that and winning it. I don't believe any other team could beat San Antonio in a seven-game series without home court. San Antonio could win without home court."

Van Gundy said the key for the Spurs will be Duncan's condition.

"Losing Duncan, you don't know in four weeks if he is going to be totally healthy," Van Gundy said. "I feel awful about that because if there is ever a team that I admire, it's that team.

"That team, the way they go about their business, the way they play the game, how they're coached, the humility of their organization, too, I think is often overlooked, is something everyone should admire. They never pound their chest about who they signed, who they drafted, how they play, their excellence in winning over a long time.
"The only thing they have to concern themselves with is once they hit the playoffs are they healthy, because if they're healthy, they're the favorites, even without home court."

[Jimcs50]

I think this is just another example of the respect and admiration that this organization gets every year. I think Pop has the most to do with it, as he is the one constant yr in yr out.

[Slomo]

I think this is just another example of the respect and admiration that this organization gets every year. I think Pop has the most to do with it, as he is the one constant yr in yr out.
This is a big part why I was a Spurs fan even before the Slovenian (mini) invasion.

[Rummpd]

This is called "sucking up" by Van Gundy.

[Kamnik_SLO]

This is called "sucking up" by Van Gundy.

but he's got a point :) i am a fan because of the same reasons. i cant stand amare making push ups in the middle of the game :pctoss

i give pop 50% of the credit and 50% goes to TD

imagine TD would be KObe kind of personality, i dont think Spurs would be half as good.

i cant imagine anyone else be so good and so humble

[boutons]

I'm sure we'll hear plenty of opining on the Jeff vs Pop coaching decisions today.

[Jimcs50]

This is called "sucking up" by Van Gundy.


Not true. I get the Chronicle and read it every day. The one thing that VG has said over and over all year is that he wants his team to be just like SA in professionalism. He has been a big fan of SA for yrs.

[boutons]

The group of coaches who coach The Right Way (play both ends of the court, share ball type stuff) respect each other, a group which includes, at least:
Pop,
Jeff,
Rick,
Stan,
Larry

Also a group whose teams are all usually upper echelon perennially.

[totalspurshomer]

Here's another part of the article that Jimcs50 posted. Sura talks about coming back from injury, during which the Rockets acquired Mike James to play his position, and how JVG handled it. It goes back to coaching "the right way" , but the fact is you have to have players who buy into it and enjoy their teammates' successes as much as their own. Compare this Rocket backcourt's attitude to the recent Francis/Mobley one. Mutombo's addition up front has been huge as well. JVG's "unity" attitude is even evident in a pre-game ritual that the Rockets have begun doing. They form an on court embracing circle/huddle swaying back and forth chanting who knows what. At first glance, it seems hokey or colege-ish, but then it's refreshing to see this "rah-rah team" stuff in the "ME" world of the NBA. Especially when you consider how old several of these Rockets are and how easy it would be to say, "I'm an established NBA vet. How would it look if I did that rah-rah stuff?"

Anyway, here's the clip:

Many different combos
In many ways, that has been the only consistent aspect of the Rockets' season.

The Rockets have set franchise records with 16 starters and 23 players. Jeff Van Gundy, who has always had as consistent a rotation as health allowed, has had to go deep into his bench, finishing games lately with any combination among guards Bob Sura, David Wesley, Mike James and Jon Barry.

"When I was coming back (following a back injury) and with the addition of Mike, Jeff addressed the situation with the four of us before I even stepped on the floor," Sura said. "He said he's coaching to win. 'Whatever combination is working that night is working. The rest of you guys will have to live with it.' I think we all understood that. There's no time now, with the success we've had, to let your ego or selfishness, creep in."

Since the injury to Juwan Howard, Clarence Weatherspoon has started at power forward, but Scott Padgett, Ryan Bowen and Dikembe Mutombo also have seen minutes at the position.

Also, on other occasions, Van Gundy has gone with no power forward.

Van Gundy said he has had similar uncertainty in the past.

"At one position or maybe, two, but never as much as now," he said. "Everybody wants more. That's only natural. But for the most part, they've handled it when they haven't gotten what they wanted.

They've done a good job setting aside for right now, their own personal desires."


Winning is bottom line
Even Yao Ming has had trouble getting back into recent games because his backup, Dikembe Mutombo, has played so well.

And Mutombo has had to accept that even in his best games, Yao will return to the court, and he will finish the game on the bench.

"If you don't have a lot of good players, your rotation is going to be a lot shorter," Barry said. "We have plenty of guys, plenty of different ways we can play. If we lack rebounds, we can play two bigs together. Whatever. We can have so many different lineups. The bottom line is winning games. We all understand the common goal, and that's to win."

The Rockets' depth, a weakness early in the season and a problem in the backcourt as recently as the team's previous trip to San Antonio on Feb. 23 when Rod Strickland and Andre Barrett manned the point, might be considered a strength.

If McGrady does not go, Van Gundy will start Bowen, and teammates will remind him incessantly that they are 4-0 in his starts.

And McGrady will be heartened by the thought that his injury had seemed much worse.

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/sports/bk/bkn/3104246

[pjjrfan]

JVG has been saying the same things since he took over last year. Last year a lot of the guys on the Rocket's team didn't buy into it. So, he went and got himself an almost whole new team. Of all the teams in the west I fear the Rockets the most, and it's not because of TMac, or Yao , it's because of Van Gundy's focus on defense and to win. I don't see a lot of people saying JVG's ruining the team now, earlier in the year and all of last year that's all people were saying, I liked this guy since he bit Alonzo on the leg and when he called out MJ and PJ as hypocrits during their r playoff battles in the east.

[johnny00]

Hey I've been a Van Gundy fan since his stint with the Knicks. His teams are always well coached. Hell, he doesn't like Phil Jackson and some of his quotes last year about Phil were priceless. That makes him allright by me.

[AlamoSpursFan]

This is the same Balki Van Gundy that took every opportunity to trash the Spurs when he was a talking head on TV.

Sounds like he finally got over the loss of his precious Honda Civic during the '99 Finals.

:lol