Coaching is critical
Contrary to what some message boarders want you to believe, the Jazz-Rockets series has been well-coached, in my opinion.
Jerry Sloan and Jeff Van Gundy have brought their "A" game to the evenly-matched series, which returns to Houston for all-important Game 5 on Monday night.
Personally, I think the miserable shooting that has lowlighted the series is partly because both teams' defenses have been so well-prepared by the coaching staffs.
"They don't make mistakes," Sloan said before the series started.
Asked if that was a credit to Van Gundy, Sloan replied, "He is a terrific coach, no question about that. His teams play hard, they play tenacious, they get after you [and] they execute what they want to do. I don't know what more a guy can do."
Sloan believes Houston would have challenged Phoenix and San Antonio for the No. 2 seed in the West if Yao Ming hadn't missed 33 games because of a broken leg and Tracy McGrady hadn't been bothered by a nagging back injury that forced him out of nine games and limited him in several others.
If the Rockets had won 60 games instead of 52, Van Gundy would probably have finished much higher than fourth in the Coach of the Year voting.
I voted for Van Gundy, with Sloan second, and I have seen nothing in this series that makes me think I disgraced by ballot.
Van Gundy "couldn't do anything about the injuries or they would have been right there at the top, in my opinion, because their team is made for championship basketball," Sloan said
How so?
"They have a big guy inside and a great player outside and very good players around them," Sloan said. "They have guys who can make shots and make plays."
The Rockets made enough plays in Games 1 and 2 that they forced the Jazz into must-wins in Game 3 and Game 4.
- Steve Luhm
Jerry Sloan and Jeff Van Gundy have brought their "A" game to the evenly-matched series, which returns to Houston for all-important Game 5 on Monday night.
Personally, I think the miserable shooting that has lowlighted the series is partly because both teams' defenses have been so well-prepared by the coaching staffs.
"They don't make mistakes," Sloan said before the series started.
Asked if that was a credit to Van Gundy, Sloan replied, "He is a terrific coach, no question about that. His teams play hard, they play tenacious, they get after you [and] they execute what they want to do. I don't know what more a guy can do."
Sloan believes Houston would have challenged Phoenix and San Antonio for the No. 2 seed in the West if Yao Ming hadn't missed 33 games because of a broken leg and Tracy McGrady hadn't been bothered by a nagging back injury that forced him out of nine games and limited him in several others.
If the Rockets had won 60 games instead of 52, Van Gundy would probably have finished much higher than fourth in the Coach of the Year voting.
I voted for Van Gundy, with Sloan second, and I have seen nothing in this series that makes me think I disgraced by ballot.
Van Gundy "couldn't do anything about the injuries or they would have been right there at the top, in my opinion, because their team is made for championship basketball," Sloan said
How so?
"They have a big guy inside and a great player outside and very good players around them," Sloan said. "They have guys who can make shots and make plays."
The Rockets made enough plays in Games 1 and 2 that they forced the Jazz into must-wins in Game 3 and Game 4.
- Steve Luhm
11:47 PM
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