Jeff Gundy Great Quotations

Even though we have a mediocre record, you don't have to be a mediocre player. It's all dependent on how hard you're willing to work to win and how much you want to put into it. You may not always win, but you can certainly put forth great effort and play with passion and discipline.

You make less than half your free throws (actually 53.8 percent) and 10-for-47 from the 3-point line, and this is great basketball. (Rockets forward Tracy) McGrady was the only one to make a 3 for the West.

For us to beat quality teams like that, we're going to have to be mentally and physically tougher. They've got a great team, and they play well.

I don't think Yao gets the credit defensively for the improvements he's made in lateral quickness and mobility. He's made great strides. That last play, he was up and out and made (Richardson) take a much more difficult shot.

Every team relies on greatness down the stretch. However, I do believe that good teams can function efficiently with or without one player. Our chore to function without the one player is going to be tested.

If we play great and bring an intangible package that you need, and we play well, then we'll be right in the game. Our respect level for (the Mavericks) is great, yet my respect level for my team is high. Knowing that if we do play really well that we'll be in the game, and if you're in the game you have a chance to win.

He was late again. Nothing malicious. He's a great guy, a great guy. I think he feels genuinely bad. He just has got to be responsible, accountable. I think he understands that. He doesn't want to be cast and shouldn't be as problematic. He's not that.

There's going to be some bumps in the road certainly. You don't sit out that long in this competitive of a league and make it back the you were playing before. You saw tonight he started out great and then he couldn't make (shots).

If it was me, being chosen by the fans would not be nearly as significant as being chosen by the coaches. Now players may look at that differently, I don't know, but if I was a player ? because there are so many very good ones ? I really do believe being chosen by the coaches is a great honor.

Yao is not blessed with anything except God-given size and great parents. Everything else has been worked for basketball-wise. There's a lot easier roads to becoming a really, really good player in this league. He had a difficult road, and he made it through his own internal drive to be great.

They have great point guard play in Parker, obviously. They share (the ball) well, they've got tremendous depth, they're very good defensively, they rebounded well, don't turn it over and have a great coach. They've got every base covered.

When it gets tough right now, we're not the mentally strongest team, and that's at both ends. We just have to be able to weather some bad moments without caving in. We could have shown more resilience to hang around. That's what separates players in this league: mental strength. Mental strength is a huge component to how great you can be.

All the great perimeter scorers in this league have a better chance in transition than they do against set defense to get to the line. There's less you can do to scheme in transition. That's not Tracy's greatest strength, but I think it would really help him to get out more actively because I think he could find more freedom, more room to move.

We cannot shoot the ball. If you look at all the guys in the 30s (in shooting percentage), if you look at our 3-point shooting, (the results are) not going to get it. Last year, we rode the wave of great shooting. That brings passion and energy. When you're not shooting well in today's NBA, it's very deflating.

We can expect much better from (Yao) defensively and on the boards. He had one rebound in the second half, and he was not active defensively. He's been playing great on offense, really great, and he's not been as good on the boards or defensively in the last three games.

I talked to him about (that) we need to pick up a point guard, and also he had an opportunity out there to go and I think play for Denver. We talked about it. I think he decided it was not something he was interested in doing. We told him we were going to waive him. He decided I think to retire. I hope something works out to where he can stay in the Rockets organization. He's a great guy. Even though we were only together for a little more than a year, I was as fond of him and (Bob) Sura as any two guys I've ever coached. Personally, it hurts a lot that both had injuries that impacted them and us.

I think that is what presented itself. They were unselfish, Ryan (Bowen , who was guarding Jamison) slipped, Jamison had a great look and we were fortunate.