What about Spurs, Les?
There's an adage in sports that teams copy the style of play of the current / recent champion. Apparently, the NBA is not in the copy-cat business. Because the current "style du jour" is to mimic the Phoenix Suns offense or the Golden State Warriors' (poor-man's Suns style) offense. The Suns have not won an NBA championship while the Warriors have not claimed an NBA title since 1975. However, one NBA team has captured three NBA titles since 1999; and, I don't hear NBA owners preaching to their coaches to be like them. That team is the San Antonio Spurs.
Former Rockets head coach Jeff Van Gundy made this statement in the Houston Chronicle: "I knew my owner had issues with style of play," Van Gundy said. "He wanted to be faster, Phoenix-like. At that meeting he said, 'Yeah, I do have issues with that.' "
Memo to Mr. Leslie Alexander:
"You've already made a shambles of your head coaching situation; yet, you want your team to be 'Phoenix-like'? Why? Sure the Suns play an exciting style of basketball; but, they haven't been to the NBA Finals since 1993; and, there's one team in the NBA's Western Conference the Suns cannot beat in the playoffs -- the San Antonio Spurs.
Look at the four remaining teams in the NBA's Conference Finals: the Spurs and the Utah Jazz in the West and the Detroit Pistons and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the East -- the conference no one seems to care about. Each of those teams plays physical basketball and good defense. The Suns do not do either.
Naming Rick Adelman your next head coach is your choice; and, Adelman's teams do use a motion-style offense which is more up tempo than Jeff Van Gundy's style of offense. However, unless you upgrade your point guard and power forward positions, Adelman won't lead the Rockets to an NBA title any more than Jeff Van Gundy did.
Mr. Alexander, Will your opinion change if the Spurs win the NBA championship this season which would be their fourth title since 1999 and third since 2003?
Think about it. After all, the Rockets didn't play 'Phoenix-style' when Hakeem Olajuwon led them to back-to-back titles in 1994 and 1995. Your first two seasons as owner of the Rockets.
Former Rockets head coach Jeff Van Gundy made this statement in the Houston Chronicle: "I knew my owner had issues with style of play," Van Gundy said. "He wanted to be faster, Phoenix-like. At that meeting he said, 'Yeah, I do have issues with that.' "
Memo to Mr. Leslie Alexander:
"You've already made a shambles of your head coaching situation; yet, you want your team to be 'Phoenix-like'? Why? Sure the Suns play an exciting style of basketball; but, they haven't been to the NBA Finals since 1993; and, there's one team in the NBA's Western Conference the Suns cannot beat in the playoffs -- the San Antonio Spurs.
Look at the four remaining teams in the NBA's Conference Finals: the Spurs and the Utah Jazz in the West and the Detroit Pistons and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the East -- the conference no one seems to care about. Each of those teams plays physical basketball and good defense. The Suns do not do either.
Naming Rick Adelman your next head coach is your choice; and, Adelman's teams do use a motion-style offense which is more up tempo than Jeff Van Gundy's style of offense. However, unless you upgrade your point guard and power forward positions, Adelman won't lead the Rockets to an NBA title any more than Jeff Van Gundy did.
Mr. Alexander, Will your opinion change if the Spurs win the NBA championship this season which would be their fourth title since 1999 and third since 2003?
Think about it. After all, the Rockets didn't play 'Phoenix-style' when Hakeem Olajuwon led them to back-to-back titles in 1994 and 1995. Your first two seasons as owner of the Rockets.
posted by Kris Gardner @ 2:14 PM
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