No matter how you guys hate JVG, I have to say that it was him who brought the winner attitude to us: working hard and playing tough with high level of discipline. Our team-building goal has been set on the same basis: we took in Tmac, Sura, Battier, Synder over years, while letting go Francis, Weatherspoon, Swift, West, etc. (Bonzi was an exception but we all know thatwe wouldn't forgive ourselves if we had lost the chance to grab him last summer) Now our main rotation consists exclusively of models of professionalism: even Rafer spent the last whole summer practicing his 3-shooting. Although JVG seems to be leaving (I hope not), such a legacy will still doing us good in the next few years. And how could ths atmosphere affect the young, entry-level NBA players on our roster? Just take a look at our two rookies of last year: Luther and Chucky (JLIII didn't spend the whole season with our team). Do I need to say anymore? It was unrealistic to expect Vspan, Novak, JLIII to contribute immediately and significantly this season since each of them has major flaws in his skill-set and we had gone through an extremely difficult season to achieve 52w. But I believe these three guys will work hard during the summer and surprise us in a pleasant way next summer and I'll name the reasons: 1. Each has a winner's heart. VSpan was a proven winner outside NBA; Novak had a very impressive college career and improved greatly every season; JLIII ruled last summer league that even Suns wanted him badly. These guys KNOW they are actually VERY good and able to make a big difference for our almost-elite team, and would like to take the challenge to be winner again. 2. They know they are NOT redundant on our roster even when they don't get PTs. Each has a specific strong suit which complements our team's weakness, and as soon as their overall gameplay become decent they will be getting PTs in certain occasions. Novak as a tall and fast-releasing shooting 4 which allows us to make use of post players like Bonzi or Synder; Vspan as a penetrating and physically defending 1/2 which can be very handy in kicking Deron Williams' ass; JLIII as a up-tempo 1. We'll be as versatile as our two Texas neighbors if these three could contribute consistently. 3. They LOVE this team and WANT to stay here. With two superstars, legit contender lineup, and wealthy Chinese sponsors who gave even Chucky a contract - who would not? And they really do, if u doubt this, take a look at any playoff game again and watch them at the timeouts. You could tell that even Novak-in-suit cared very, very much. Considering the disappointing way our season ended, they have every reason to work hard to avoid being traded. Seriously, I believe an earthquake in roster in completely unnecessary for our team. We will be happy again next season with the addition of a bulked-up Novak, a smarter Vspan with 3s range, and a pass-first JLIII. Not sure about Big Jake and Synder but think we could keep them anyway. Maybe the only contract we should get rid of is JHo’s who is too expensive considering his contribution. Personally, I hope JVG would stay to lead the team he has built to the great glory, but with any other decent NBA coach we should expect a great season next year as well. GO, ROCKETS!
Agreed. Look how much time before Luke Walton started producing, a coach's son with a good work ethic.
positive thinking but I think some of the other rookies and bench players such as JLIII and VSpan could have been utilized more. We'll see if a new coach will have a better effect on our bench.
