Why the Rockets must pass on Jeff Van Gundy

The importance of offensive adaptation

For starters, Van Gundy’s offense was average to below average during his tenure as the Rockets head coach. Throughout his four-year stint with the Houston Rockets, Van Gundy was known for his great defensive schemes, as every team he coached was well disciplined on the defensive end.

Unfortunately, that never translated on the offensive end, as the Rockets never finished better than 15th in offensive rating during his time in Houston. The Rockets instead finished near the bottom in the league in percentage of points from the fast break, as they never finished better than 26th in this category during any of the four years in which he was the captain of the ship.

Yes, we have to factor in injuries to Yao Ming and McGrady as part of the problem, but even when healthy, the Rockets never ran a complex offense that could adjust on the fly.

With James Harden and Russell Westbrook, it’s important to be able to adapt. Teams have shown they will not let Harden go one-on-one and dominate like in years past. The next Rockets coach will need to have a unique offensive mind for the Rockets’ unique talent.

Next: The Jon Gruden effect