# Eddie Johnson's advice to JVG



## The_Franchise (Mar 30, 2003)

Excerpt from this Hoopshype article:

_
So here's my message to Van Gundy:

- Find five or six offensive sets and throw the rest away.

- Allow Tracy McGrady to be your coach on the floor since you already want him to take most of the shots.

- Find a shooter – whether it's *Jon Barry*, *David Wesley*, *Derek Anderson* or *Luther Head* – that can pass the ball into the post, which would allow Yao to operate with a spaced-out floor instead of having players cutting and moving around him. Yao is so tall it takes 10 seconds for the ball to come up to his hands again, so it's difficult for him to dribble in traffic. Plus it will allow these shooters to get better looks from the perimeter and improve their shooting percentages.

- Let *Stromile Swift* use his athletic ability by giving him some rope for mistakes. I thought that's what you signed him for, right?

- Oh, and yeah, please sit down sometimes. Players feel calm when they know the coach is calm.

Will these suggestions turn your team around? I can't answer that, but maybe some of these things will start to happen:

 - Your offense will reach the fifth option because everyone on the floor will know his responsibilities and not be watered down trying to remember 100 plays.

- Tracy McGrady will become a leader able to conduct your offense like Peyton Manning.

- Yao will become a more dominant scorer instead of becoming more mechanical every game.

- Your jump shooters will start shooting above 40 percent, taking the pressure off your two stars.

- And finally, you can sit back and enjoy the fruits of your labor like Phil Jackson did for nine championships while running one offensive set._


One thing he points out is the lack of continuity in the Rockets offense. The only play JVG uses with consistency is Yao setting a high pick to give McGrady/Head room to get a shot off or penetrate. Once we build up a lead, we go away from Yao. The TMac/Yao pick and roll is barely used, entry passing to Yao is extremely obvious and the perimeter ball movement we saw last year to get him the ball at times has completely dissapeared. And funny he mentioned the triangle offense. The schedule is going to be spaced out and light for December, so no better time to work out some efficient plays in practice.


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## Pasha The Great (Apr 9, 2005)

What is Eddie Johnson doing telling Van Gundy how to coach? JVG better not find out about this or he'll be fired up.


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## JT (Mar 1, 2004)

jeff must calm down, simplify and become more fluid. he needs to listen to my boy bruce lee:


> Be like water making its way through cracks. Do not be assertive, but adjust to the object, and you shall find a way round or through it. If nothing within you stays rigid, outward things will disclose themselves.
> 
> Empty your mind, be formless. Shapeless, like water. If you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup. You put water into a bottle and it becomes the bottle. You put it in a teapot it becomes the teapot. Now, water can flow or it can crash. Be water my friend.


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## edyzbasketball (Nov 16, 2005)

Good advice. Jeff needs to get the offence work flawless...


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## MightyReds2020 (Jul 19, 2002)

Eddie Johnson brought up two good points, though these were much debated in last two seasons as well:

1. To simplify the offense and let TMac makes decisions. To JVG's credit, he had loosen the reign since last season. He needs to do that again this year.

2. To stop making Yao more 'mechanical'. Seriously, Yao has gone from been to creative player to a lethargic(sp?) low-post center over the years.


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## Demiloy (Nov 4, 2005)

> _Oh, and yeah, please sit down sometimes. Players feel calm when they know the coach is calm._



Best advice yet. I have yet to see Van Gundy sit down during a game.


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## alfredfans (Dec 1, 2005)

Agree and support...


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