Rockets have been playing lazy defense since game 1, how do you lose the locker room in the offseason? Especially considering how the team had to play to win 56 games just last season. If he lost the team it's because something about the team changed. Looking at the roster, I can only assume it's Ty Lawson.
Everybody keeps pointing to last years success as to why this wasn't a good move. I always felt that we got far last year because of luck. The Mavericks series was definitely an easy series with Rondo quitting, Parsons getting injured and Nowitzki being thoroughly exposed on the pick and roll. This was a series we should of won and anything less would of been stupid. The 2nd round, we played like total **** the first two games the picked it up the next game only to lay another dud the 4th game. We would of lost that series if wouldn't have been for Josh's lucky spectacular run. Overall everybody this team has never had any discipline. I liked McHale initially and even defended him about 2 years into his coaching tenure, but at some point after that it clicked in my head that his type of system would not get us to the championship. I was especially critical of him even after advancing last year. This year it was just driving me crazy. You could clearly see the stupidity of the system at full steam this year. I love McHale, he will always be a great person and does know the game, he just isn't a good coach. He is an average coach that can do some good for your players and he even was good at helping develop talent, but at this point, for the expectations on this team he was way over his head. I hate that he has to be the first to go knowing damn well that some of our players have not taken the season seriously, but this is just how it works in the NBA. Coaches are usually the first to go.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Rockets tried to keep details of players-only meeting private; James Harden's style, palatable to some, not so to some, has created tension</p>— Jeff Zillgitt (@JeffZillgitt) <a href="https://twitter.com/JeffZillgitt/status/667041359841374208">November 18, 2015</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">James Harden is actually shooting better than what he shot at this time last year... 2014 37.17 FG% 2015 37.22 FG% <a href="https://t.co/thS5Zesdpb">pic.twitter.com/thS5Zesdpb</a></p>— Daren Willman (@darenw) <a href="https://twitter.com/darenw/status/666624505004077056">November 17, 2015</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Rocket problem: Once a team shows it won't play hard for each other, that fracture never goes away. Changing coach can only mask it a while.</p>— Steve Bulpett (@SteveBHoop) <a href="https://twitter.com/SteveBHoop/status/667043333894758401">November 18, 2015</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Kevin McHale: 2nd-fewest games coached after leading his team to the Conference Finals the previous season. <a href="https://t.co/sU1pUMicYk">pic.twitter.com/sU1pUMicYk</a></p>— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNStatsInfo/status/667042120440504321">November 18, 2015</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Do you think its a good thing that we have players that apparently don't know how to play hard and win without a coach telling them to do so?
I think the whole team gave up on the coach. Of course Howard and Harden are the star players on the team and should take the most responsibility. But I never seen Mchale do anything. It was as if he was tired of being coach.
ok now that i posted, i have to get in my jokes.. at the players meeting ariza - what are supposed to do here? im an elite 3d guy and i cant do s**t dwight - what about me? im the guy who anchors your 3d status and its like i dont exist. harden - yeah you know i think mchale has to go. he's done a lot for the team but im gettin tired of his half ass "cmon guys play harder" speeches and always claps twice after. its always two claps, not one or 5 but two claps. it gets to your head you know? beverley - yeah that s**t drove me crazy bruh! PLAY HARDER :CLAP CLAP:wtf does that even mean? lawson - i havent even been here half a year and i wanna drink again hearing him say that s**t. and yall shoot too many threes daam. calm down with those
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Rox owner Leslie Alexander: "The team was obviously not responding on offense, on defense, weren't playing hard. It continued for a while."</p>— Jonathan Feigen (@Jonathan_Feigen) <a href="https://twitter.com/Jonathan_Feigen/status/667044808008052736">November 18, 2015</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Alexander: "I've never seen my team ... team play as poorly and w/ less effort. I'm not attributing it to the coach. I had to do something."</p>— Jonathan Feigen (@Jonathan_Feigen) <a href="https://twitter.com/Jonathan_Feigen/status/667045178172178432">November 18, 2015</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Of course players have blame for the team being so bad. But McHale never held them accountable for being lazy/not hustling. And they walked all over him.
The difference is that the Lakers messed up bigtime by choosing D'Antoni over Phil. There were all kinds of injuries on that team, so they were never gonna be as good as advertised. But the D'Antoni hire was a bad fit and they never recovered. This is why Morey better be very careful about who leads this team going forward. I'm fine with giving JB a few games to show what he's got, but I'm not holding out hope considering he was McHale's lead assistant and supposedly responsible for the defense. If a new coach is brought in, it better be someone who'll fix the mess that McHale left behind and not another players' coach who lets the inmates run the asylum.
What else do you want them to do? Trade everybody? We need a coach who holds them accountable, I'm not sure if JB is right for the job either, I hope we get Thibs.
Should have about 4 years ago. Some of the most brilliant outstanding performing coaches were fired for way less. But better late than never.
