5 reasons Jeff Van Gundy isn’t a perfect fit for Houston Rockets
By John Buhler
4. How will Van Gundy mesh with the analytical Daryl Morey?
If Van Gundy does become the next head coach of the Rockets, one has to wonder how the working relationship between the former head coach and the analytically driven general manager Daryl Morey will be?
Morey has built a solid team over the last few years, striving to be the most efficient offensive team in the NBA. One could argue that Morey has done that, as Houston’s offense is based on rampant free throw attempts and corner threes.
While Morey has solved the Rubik’s Cube on offense, defensively the Rockets haven’t been an elite team for some time. They also have one of the most chaotic cast of characters in the locker room. On paper, Houston should be a better team than what they are, but games aren’t won on paper.
Not to say that Van Gundy would be opposed to deep dives into analytics, it just that he may want to bring in a more balanced approach to winning basketball games in Houston by increasing the team’s overall defensive acumen.
Morey might be cool with sacrificing some offensive output for better defensive play, but could cringe at the thought of low-scoring games focused on defense and the mid-range jumper. It could very well work between Morey and Van Gundy, but it could also prove disastrous as both basketball men come from completely different philosophical backgrounds.
Next: 3. A strong relationship with owner Leslie Alexander.