Rick Adelman in Houston

Bricklayer

Bricklayer

Don't Make Me Use The Bat
#1
#1
A belated tip of the that to Rick Adelman, who's Rockets got off to a shaky start, but who have emerged as the hottest team in the league while charging up the standings now into the #7 spot at 33-20, a mere 4 games back of New Orleans for #1. Meanwhile the coach who was said to never play rookies, has moved three of them (Scola, Landry, Brooks) into his rotation in order to spark the team (benching vets Chuck Hayes and Mike James, along with Francis).

And the coach who was fired for not coaching defense? Houston is 4th in the league in scoring defense (92.7ppg against) and 3rd in FG% defense (.437 Opp FG%).
 
PurpleHaze

PurpleHaze

All-Star
#3
#3
Tip of the hat so far. I was a bit critical early on as Adelman was putting his system in and dealing with various injuries. According to what I've been reading in the Houston realm he's "changed" with not only playing rookies but modifying his system and re-instituting a lot of Jeff Van Gundy's pressure defense model. I saw somewhere where Adelman said when he finally realized Yao was not suited to run a high post offense ala Vlade or C-Webb things started falling in place for the Rockets. Sign of a very good coach which we all know he is; be flexible, admit mistakes, and try different things.
 
TheFifthMookie

TheFifthMookie

Bench
#4
#4
It was clear to me that Adelman was a coach who was good enough to gameplan and go with his talent about the time Ron Artest arrived and the Kings started running more plays with a forward down low instead of at the high post.

I'm not surprised at all that he figured out how to get the most out of a new set of players.

The Kings never should have fired Rick, he should have become our "fixture" coach ala Utah's Jerry Sloan and San Antonio's Popovich.
 
DocHolliday

DocHolliday

Starter
#5
#5
Bricklayer said:
A belated tip of the that to Rick Adelman, who's Rockets got off to a shaky start, but who have emerged as the hottest team in the league while charging up the standings now into the #7 spot at 33-20, a mere 4 games back of New Orleans for #1. Meanwhile the coach who was said to never play rookies, has moved three of them (Scola, Landry, Brooks) into his rotation in order to spark the team (benching vets Chuck Hayes and Mike James, along with Francis).

And the coach who was fired for not coaching defense? Houston is 4th in the league in scoring defense (92.7ppg against) and 3rd in FG% defense (.437 Opp FG%).
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Good for Rick. It looks like he has finally learned that it's not a bad thing to give young players minutes when they are producing. Sorry, have to take a little jab, because that's one thing he really did not do while in Sacramento.
 
Bricklayer

Bricklayer

Don't Make Me Use The Bat
#6
#6
DocHolliday said:
Good for Rick. It looks like he has finally learned that it's not a bad thing to give young players minutes when they are producing. Sorry, have to take a little jab, because that's one thing he really did not do while in Sacramento.
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Were you a fan in '99? Always wonder when people make that accusation about Rick. Were they watching when he made the playoffs while starting a rookie PG and using a rookie SF as our 6th man?
 
DocHolliday

DocHolliday

Starter
#7
#7
Bricklayer said:
Were you a fan in '99? Always wonder when people make that accusation about Rick. Were they watching when he made the playoffs while starting a rookie PG and using a rookie SF as our 6th man?
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And THEN....it all stopped.

I've been in Sac since 87, I became a fan in the early mid 90's. I grew up a Lakers fan, but when Shaq and that crew started to get put together they seemed like thugs and I decided I didn't like that team. The next logical choice was following the local team.
 
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B

bigbadred00

Starter
#8
#8
What young players did he make a real mistake with?

We traded Dickau.

Wallace was drafted after his freshman year and was a huge project.
And Kevin Martin played what 1 year under Adelman and was behind some solid vets?
 
Variant

Variant

Starter
#9
#9
He's had a rough go of it this year with injuries and such. T-Mac is such a great player, but so often hurt. That team just needs a good stretch with everyone together and they'll likely continue moving their way up the standings.

In Rick's defense, I'm not sure that any coach with a championship level team spends a lot of time playing the young guys. With playoff seedings determined by a mere game or two, you generally are trying to play your best guys whenever possible. Guys like Gerald seriously sucked while they were here. Showed potential perhaps, but we didn't have the ability to give him the 20+ minutes a night the Bobcats could to finally get him developed. We would have been crazy to as well.
 
S

Superman

All-Star
#10
#10
DocHolliday said:
And THEN....it all stopped.
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I don't know. The only youngster he didn't play extensively was Gerald, and he was behind Peja in the rotation. Plus there were other issues with Gerald, if you ask me.

Kevin got time in his second year (?) under Adelman in the playoffs, and actually started the game that Artest was hurt against the Spurs. Hedo got time as a young player. Who else of note was there?

As Brick said, I think that '99, being the catalyst season that got us to the point we were in '02 and '03, was crucial, and we started a rookie at the most critical position on the team, plus a rookie small forward getting big minutes off the bench. That's more telling that anything that happened after that with young players in Rick's rotation.
 
K

king07

Guest
#11
#11
Rockets

wow i was watching the rockets today and that team reminded me a lot of our teams back in the day, except they play 100x better team defense. I hope Rick can take this team deep this year and actually win it all. Anybody else happy for RA?
 
Glenn

Glenn

Hall of Famer
#13
#13
king07 said:
wow i was watching the rockets today and that team reminded me a lot of our teams back in the day, except they play 100x better team defense. I hope Rick can take this team deep this year and actually win it all. Anybody else happy for RA?
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Of course.

I wonder if the Maloofs are paying attention.
 
6th

6th

Homer Fan Since 1985
#15
#15
Hurray for Rick Adelman. I will always like him as a coach. He's got an awful lot of wins under his belt, and he didn't get them by not being a good coach and getting the most from his players.

The Maloofs never respected what they had in a coach. Too bad they were mostly interested in a "good old boy like them." :(
 
Geoff

Geoff

Bench
#17
#17
Futuristic said:
Would Adelman do a better job than Theus is doing with this Kings team? Would you rather have him coach the Kings now than Reggie Theus?
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That's not the point of this thread. Praise for Adelman doesn't equal demerits for Theus, and the issue is that there was no reason for the Maloofs to have dumped Adelman. Who would do a better job? Who knows.

Your question would have had a lot more merit if Theus had been hired directly after Adelman, but there was this Eric fellow...hmm. Did he do a better job than Rick?
 
VF21

VF21

Super Moderator Emeritus
SME
#18
#18
It really was time for the Kings to move on. I see Adelman on the bench in Houston and he's invigorated again, he's involved again and he's renewed his interest in the game.

I have every respect in the world for him and wish him well but I don't think we would have seen the same Rick Adelman here. Sometimes the best thing that can happen for someone is change. In this case, I think it's obvious the change has been very, very good for Rick.

And, having said that, I'm still upset about how the Maloofs handled the whole deal. But life goes on...
 
A

AriesMar27

Guest
#19
#19
honestly adelman woild be a better coach for the kings than theus because he is a better coach... but congrats to rick and the job he has done with the rockets.. if it werent for the lakers being on a tear right now the rockets would be serious contenders...
 
est.1999

est.1999

Starter
#20
#20
I don't know I think most of the kings success early on this decade had a lot to do with carril and his offensive system. I still love adelman but he's never gotten that ring and I really doubt he gets one in Houston. But props on the turn around and this amazing streak. Good luck in the playoffs and maybe just maybe tmac can get them out of the first round :)
 
1

10bibby10

G-League
#22
#22
rick adelman?

does anyone think if the rockets finish up this season with a continuous good run like they are doing...im not sayin undefeated the rest of the way lol...but making a good surge to the top 4 in the west by the end of the season, that adelman has a chance at gettin COY over phil jackson or byron scott? i know he has had yao and tmac and they are two superstars on the team...but lets face it...tmac is still a highly talented scoring forward..but his game has gone down over the past few years...and other than those two there really isnt any big name players on their team...not counting dikimbe...anyways...what do u guys think?
 
piksi

piksi

Hall of Famer
#25
#25
17 in a row - not bad. I was concerend that the streak would end tonight but Barkley picked picked the Mavs so the streak was safe
 
Bricklayer

Bricklayer

Don't Make Me Use The Bat
#26
#26
17 in a row to extend the franchise record, and remain 2 1/2 back fo the Spurs who have merely won 11 in a row.

Without Yao this bubble just has to burst at some point (maybe next game vs. the Hornets, who they are 1/2 a game behind), but its been a helluva ride and yet another 50 win playoff season for Rick is looking more and more likely.
 
S

shevkboy

Prospect
#27
#27
Bricklayer said:
17 in a row to extend the franchise record, and remain 2 1/2 back fo the Spurs who have merely won 11 in a row.

Without Yao this bubble just has to burst at some point (maybe next game vs. the Hornets, who they are 1/2 a game behind), but its been a helluva ride and yet another 50 win playoff season for Rick is looking more and more likely.
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definitely another 50 win, go Rick!!!
 
B

BMiller52

All-Star
#29
#29
HighFlyingMonkey said:
Man, if McGrady can keep this up, he might get some MVP recognition. Won't win it of course, but... recognition.
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If they can keep this up IMO and be top 4 or top 3 when it's all over I actually think he has to win it. Kobe fans always say he should've won it last year for getting a team to the playoffs with no other stars, well TMac is doing that and more without his star teammate. They just blew out 1 of the best teams in the league on the road(yeah I know, no Dirk). If he can keep the Rockets top 4 IMO he has to win it.
 
VF21

VF21

Super Moderator Emeritus
SME
#30
#30
Seventeen in a row...

I tip my hat to you, Coach Adelman, and truly hope you are more appreciated by TPTB in Houston than you were here.

Wow.
 
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