i'd like to give jvg another shot. but my 1st candidate would be mario elie. other names, not so much.
The "ideal" situation is to get Thibs to agree to be your assistant HC/DC for the season by throwing ungodly amounts of money at him and getting McHale to agree. Thibs is an exceptional coach but would not agree long term to work for a GM as powerful as Morey. Thibs was burned in Chicago by the front office and wants autonomy on basketball decisions. Thibs running the Rockets defense this season could be beneficial to everyone involved, but it would require a lot of ego being sacrificed, a huge financial commitment and the risk of any party (Alexander/Morey/McHale/Thibs) backing out or being bruised in the process.
JVG!!! Harden is perfect in JVG's system! Play some good team defense. The superstar just play hero ball on the offensive end.
love mario elie. he already has an exceptional track record of developing young players. he would be a players coach and at the same time a no-nonsense disciplinarian. he would demand execution on every single possession on both sides of the ball. and he wouldn't hesitate to change things up strategy or lineup wise for in-game adjustments. last of all, it's mario frickin elie -- the man this site is founded on!
Gundy lived and died by the three pointer too. But hey at least we had defense. Right now, I don't even know what McHale has.
I was really hoping that after Battier retired that he would come on as an assistant for a season or two before taking over for McHale. I just have a feeling he's going to become an elite HC once he gets a shot. For now though, I would love to see Les back the truck up and do whatever it takes to bring Thibs on for a spell in some capacity.