Regardless of what you think about his schemes and his actual ability as a coach ... there is one truth I know for sure ... that is , you can't coach if your players don't trust you / won't play hard for you . Mchale was fired 11 games into the season after making the WCF because he lost the lockeroom . Or at least that was the official line . Maybe it was a panic move , I dunno . Anyways . That's the thread . Simple question . Do the players still believe in MDA ? If not you've got to move on from him , even if you think he's a "good" coach
He's definitely lost all my confidence in him. We are just an absolutely sh*t team. We're not getting better as we are currently constructed. If I were seeing changes to what has made us so sh*t this season, I'd have some belief. But there's been zero change. D'Antoni is just as bad as McHale as drawing up plays. Offensive genius my absolute ass. He may have been one day, but the NBA has long past that genius.
That is my fear. His playbook is a stale moldy slice of bread and he has nothing else. Of course you need players that actually have talent of which we are drastically short on.
I don't think he lost the lockeroom, this is just my two cents btw, i think this was 101% obvious with McHale, as today i really don't see it personally.
He lost probably didn’t lose the entire locker room but just from watching the interactions with players he has lost a few.
Let’s just admit the truth guys the entire NBA has caught up to the Rockets and they are taking away what we want and doing as much of the same thing as they can with threes and layups. They even do the same moves James Harden does with players who are capable. I’m sure if you look at the numbers, mid range jumpshot’s are down across the league in the last few years, you do not see is many players taking them. Everyone always wants to blame someone, but this is the reality. Last years team was more suited for this offense and winning 65 games required a lot of luck, gamewinners, comebacks, teams resting against us, hot streaks, a freak of a season from Harden, Paul looking like a new player, and more.
Nah doesn't seem like it. I just watched the post game interviews and the team doesn't seem down like they did the games before this. I heard optimism, even from eg which really really surprised me
If MDA has lost this locker room, then nobody is going to hold this locker room for very long. I doubt he has. And Daryl has said he doesn't think firing McHale was the "right thing" to do then. It obviously had zero impact on the Rockets during the 2015-16 season.
I mean the game wasn't bad until the last 2 minutes. Then Luka got hot hitting ridiculous shots while switched onto Capela, meanwhile Paul misses 2 free throws, and Harden throws up an air ball.
Ecactly. Everyone always wants someone to blame, but the truth is teams have caught on and are better by implementing what the rockets and warriors are doing. It takes time to get shooters who fit, but most teams have enough by now to do it. The question becomes, do you have to keep revolutionizing the game in order to keep winning and staying ahead or what?
Thanks for the input . All I know is that team chemistry is a delicate thing and probably part of the reason it was so great last year was because we were winning . It really does feel like the team is on the edge . From having pretty solid effort early in the game to just basically rolling over and dying at the end . MDA not even calling a time out or looking pissed . He looked more upset at the refs in the second quarter. I guess my point is that nothing holds a lockeroom together like winning and nothing tears it down faster than losing . I think if we were to replace MDA and then proceed to win , the lockeroom would be fine .
pringles wasn't my first (or even tenth) choice to takeover after JBB. but i can't complain too much about his performance overall. his game five 7-man rotation at SAS was one of the dumbest things i've ever seen in basketball. and i'd like him to be better with timeouts, motivation, and working the refs. but right now i think the main issue is he just doesn't have the players. our nba level players are old, short, and/or not very athletic. we have basically one 2-way player in CP3. we don't have the shooters to run this offense. and bigleydick's switch everything defensive scheme is killing us.
I would agree with you ; but I still think MDA is too stubborn and runs too short of a rotation . He played a longer rotation last year and granted we did have better players ... but the hallmark of a good coach is to make due with what you have . Every team has to deal with less than perfect depth . Out of all the teams , we probably could work in scrubs the best because we have harden and Paul to make plays for you . Remember how harden made tarick black , Greg smith , and countless others viable backups for 10-15 mins . The issue is that MDA wants only pieces that fit his system to a tee . He's playing house over Clark because he thinks house is a better shooter . During our best stretch of the season he was letting hartenstein back Clint up for 10-15 mins . He always opts for a shortened rotation when his back is against the wall . He always prefers to play small when our backs are against the wall . It's not situational , he automatically does those .
The answer is simple. Anyone who is not a ball handler should not be taking mid range jumpshots, their game is spacing the floor, and cutting when teams play the passing lanes and deny the ball which rarely happens. Harden, Paul, and even Eric Gordon need to re-implement the mid range jumpshot back into their game. It’s basic basketball, if I only have to worry about guarding you at the three-point line and rim then I’m gonna play you tight to take away the shot, and hope there’s enough help at the rim to effect the shot. Now when you have to worry about someone driving in and stopping or stepping back for a mid range jumper, He becomes unguardable. There is nothing you can do if a player has a quick first step and you can shoot anywhere inside of 26 feet. The fact is if he is surrounded by shooters, you can only expect help at the rim inside, but you’re on an island inside of that range. Maybe Harden and Chris Paul are not the right personnel to be this unguardable. Chris Paul has the mid range game, but is not as good at finishing inside with contact and drawing fouls. His first step is also declining. You see flashes of his athleticism, but in order to bring it tires him quicker and only he knows if it hurts or can injure him to play that way. James Harden has it all, he could use a little bit more athleticism and height, but the midrange game is lacking. Kobe Bryant was not always a great midrange player, what he did was study the greatest like Michael Jordan and copied their moves. If harden and paul cant be More of a threat from mid range and score, our offense becomes much easier to guard and that’s not what we want.
I don't think so, we are just too small and weak. Rockets tried, competed, still got abused inside like usually. We also have bad defenders and they commit mistakes, say Green, House, Gordon, Harden... we play too many of them. Clark should be playing no matter he can't make a 3. That's an important mistake by MDA, given what are being our main problems. Anyway, Dallas has 12 useful, dependable players. We, supposedly contenders, have 9-10. ........
If you only have like 5 legitimate NBA talent guys out of a roster of 15 to play then you can afford to lose 2/3s of that locker room. It's not MDA's job to turn the James Ennis, MCW or Gary Clarks of the world into solid vets.
It is looking more and more like the 15-16 season. The team overachieved the season before. The coach got the credit. Then the season went to the dump. The coach got the blame.
The only reason those 10-12 are useful is because their coach is playing them and putting them in position to be successful ... letting them play to their strengths and not pigeonholeing them into a certain role . Half of dallas' depth would be benched here . Just like Clark has been benched now that MDA has his shooting option . Instead of letting house or green play some 2 and help take some load off Paul and James and Eric (who has been atrocious ) .... and instead of playing Clark at the backup 4 to give PJ a rest ... he just shortens the rotation
