Following game4 losses; Doc Rivers: "I did a bad job". McHale: "guys didn't follow instructions"

Error on the Lin TO came from both sides.

1) McHale gave the players the OPTION of not calling the TO if they thought they had an open run to take it up court. If he wanted a time out, he should have told them to call a Time out.
2) Lin didn't see Mo Williams coming from behind for the steal so didn't call the time out. He should have seen it or just called the time out.
3) McHale should have called a time out as soon as he saw Lin catch the ball. And his limp is NOT an excuse. He has Asst Coaches, and it didn't seem to prevent him from calling TO's the other 82 games of the regular season.

He put the Time out decision in the players' hands instead of making an actual decision. As the Head Coach, McHale isn't in the position to absolve himself of responsibility.

 

Can't McHale also call a timeout?

If McHale also sees there is no clear break and Lin isn't calling it, why wouldn't he? He can't just point fingers, you have to take responsibility.

Also, there is no accountability. Lin blatantly dis-regards the coach and what does he do? Leaves him in the game and gives him more playing time. Good job coach! That'll surely show him!!

If the coach wont take any accountability when its obvious he played a role in it, why would the players?

 

- I wouldn't blame McHale's in-game coaching on this one. If anything, I would rather blame him for not getting his team to play disciplined basketball through practice, game preparation, the regular season, etc.

Lin wasn't the only one who made a mistake on this kind of a situation in these playoffs. In a prior game, Harden took a dribble before the team called timeout in a end-game situation, resulting in the ball having to be inbounded in the backcourt instead of midcourt. Last night, Dwight almost made the same mistake by passing the ball to Parsons when the timeout was being called. Luckily, the ref recognized the timeout before the pass was made.

- Playing undisciplined freelance basketball is a part of what the team does. Morey has to decide whether the discipline/wisdom of reducing mistakes will likely come with age/experience or if McHale is to blame for running too loose a ship and bring in a Jeff (or Stan) Van Gundy drill sergeant type to do the job.

- On that play, I think Lin might thought that he saw a "clear break" or decided that he had to push the ball up first to see if a "clear break" is available. It wasnt' what McHale meant, but it was how the team played all season.

 

That is a real stretch.

He told his players exactly what to do, and they didn't do it.

 

I REALLLY REALLLY hope you're right.

 

The team gets rattled due to being young and inexperienced. They cant handle crunch time pressue and fail at the end of games. Mchale is probally calling plays but they are having brain farts and not following the gameplan. THis is part of the reason why they have to run this weak offensive system. Learning plays maybe a weakness for this group

 

No, he didn't.

He gave the players the OPTION of Choosing. He didn't say, "call a time out on a rebound". He said, "Call a time out unless you see an open break".

McHale should have just said "call a time out" AND he should have called it himself. Good head coaches don't leave stuff like that to chance. They don't focus on play screw ups, they take responsibility and say, "Yes, they did X but I should also have done Y and not put them in that position."

The lack of coaching responsibility by McHale is as frustrating as Harden saying the team needs to tighten up the Defense after a loss.

 

McHale should have taken the timeout

 

Yeah Lin sucks, but how can your players follow instructions when you didn't give them out? Why are you going to DH at crunch time when Harden was working miracles, DH didn't get a good play at all and he wasn't getting the calls. Harden was working great and he refused to go to him. Then he didn't call timeout on that last play that PBev lost the ball, WTF??

I don't know why he keeps switching between going to DH down on the post and running pick and roll, PnR has been working super efficiently and they constantly keep going away from it WHY?

 

#Rivers2Houston

 

Agreed. I don't know for sure, but just judging from McHale's interviews, he's not the greatest communicator so I wouldn't be surprised if the players really just aren't that clear on what they're supposed to be doing in different situations. That may be why our players are so undisciplined and can't execute consistently (i.e., giving up big leads, not being able to get into an offensive set, unforced errors, etc.). I think McHale understands basketball just fine, even if he isn't a grand master when it comes to x's and o's - but I think his ability to communicate the game plan may not be that great and that it's contributed to the Rockets' general lack of discipline and sloppy play on both ends of the court.

 

Wow, just wow.

I can't believe the audacity to try and peddle this bull****.

 

I've watched Lin since the NBA summer league in 2010. He has been a very good and heady 4th quarter/OT player and I know he has the poise to call timeout in that situation. He made that mistake. Yes, McHale could've called the time out himself, but we all know he is not the most hands-on guy.

I think on that play, Lin played at the speed he did when he grabbed that loose ball in game 3 or went for that layup, but that particular situation called for slowing it down, picking up the dribble or keeping it more in front of him to force the defender to hack at his body, taking the foul or calling the timeout.

In watching that sequence a few times, it seemed that he was trying a bit too hard to make good play when he had already done so by grabbing the rebound in traffic. He just needs to slow down and think the game much as he did during his first half stint when he was +9 or so on the floor and moved the ball very effectively to Parsons, Asik and Daniels.

It may seem counterintuitive to the angry Clutchfans posters, but I think getting Lin involved earlier in the game to get into an offensive rhythm would benefit the Rockets. Beverley could also get more rest because he was beat down yesterday and has not been able to get a handle on Lillard.

 

There is no way that McHale gave the absolute order to call a timeout after the rebound and Lin, as well as every other player on the Rockets ignored him. McHale should have called the timeout himself. When McHale or another player saw Williams sneaking up behind lin, something should have been said or time should have been called. Yes, Lin has a lot of fault for that turnover but blame belongs partially to others as well.. the majority still being Jeremy's. Hopefully McHale has lost the team and he gets sacked regardless of the outcome of this series.

Outside of some troy daniels 3's we would have been swept, yes all the games have been close; but, that actually serves to indict McHale even more as the talent level is comparable. Why is Terrrence jones getting minutes when LA and Lopez are on the floor... its not that he cant guard LA, no one can. He cant effectively box out and keep Lopez off the glass. If Asik is out due to fouls or getting rest. D-Mo needs to be given a shot to go out there and fight for some boards. He is also our best passing big and increases ball movement.

McHale doesn't foster confidence from his players.. he destroys it. McHale has his favorites and he sticks to them .. even when it is clear that there are other options that at least deserve to be tried.

 

shut up mchale, and fix the god damn offense

 

Have you forgotten this ALSO happened with Dwight and Harden?

Dwight gets rebound, passes it to Parsons and calls a time out. Only a lucky ref no-call saved us.

Game 2 Harden gets the rebound and dribbles before calling a time out, effectively killing our last possession and forcing us to drive it from under the basket with <7s.

Are we just assuming that all 3 of our players are stupid? Or is there a lack of communication and response at play here as well?

 

I don't usually agree with you, but yes Lin *****ed up huge...my question for u is, why didn't Mchale or the assistants scream for a timeout when Lin caught it on the baseline??!?!

 

Does McHale need to hold their hands when they cross the street as well?

McHale reasonable expected them to use common sense... just like Popovich, Rudy T, Jackson and many other good coaches. If McHale cannot rely on his players to use basic common sense, then he isn't the problem, the players are.

Lack of "coaching responsibility".... Let me ask you this, how often has McHale taken CREDIT for anything the Rockets do? .....

McHale realizes ultimately it is up to the players, good or bad.... All he can do is calm them down, and tell them what to do. If they don't do it, there isn't much he can do. Also, don't think this is an unusual situation.... Lin, Harden, Parsons and Jones ALL have refused or failed to exercise simple common sense.

The real question isn't coaching accountability or the need for McHale to not have confidence that his guards can exercise SIMPLE common sense... the question is would another coach available get more out of this group? I don't know...... but what I do know is that the idea that the Lin TO is in anyway McHale's fault is absurd.

 

That only proves the point..... and yes, all three were STUPID decisions... which is somewhat common with a young team.

There is no LACK OF COMMUNICATION... even Kelvin Sampson has laughed about how difficult this group of players are....

McHale cannot trust his players to execute simple orders.... hopefully they grow and learn..... because if McHale has to run on the floor to get his guard to call a TO, then this team is never going to grow and get better.

If someone better than McHale comes along, like Rivers or Carlisle then by all means have him replace McHale...... but the HC isn't the problem.

 

Can you please tell me why McHale didn't slap the ref upside the head to call a timeout as soon as Lin grab the rebound?