Is Mchale's lack of in-game adjustments going to cost us this series?

Well I don't put that much blame on McHale for last night's loss. Game 1, it's on the players to play. Now I do think after LA had about 25 we should have sent a double at him to change it up and make him think about and not get into such a good rhythm. Even so, we were right there and had a lead late in the game. Harden shot poorly and tried to close it out by taking perimeter shots. He has to attack the basket. That's a player's decision. He is our star and playmaker. We will win with his decisions and lose with them. That's just the way it goes. I see some on here saying McHale should have played his bench more (Powell- been on the team 3 days yeah right!) but that's not gonna happen. The rotation shrinks come playoffs and that goes for EVERY team. So game 2 will tell us what adjustments McHale and the team make. No matter what though, THE PLAYERS have to make plays on both ends(PERIOD!)

 

True.. But

When u have DM,Powel and TJones is not doing well , u would use one

When u have Hamilton ,Troy.. U would use one to get extra rebound, hit 3 or let your starter rest.

When BP is limping on the floor, and u know its 7games series, you dont let him crush his knee to win 1 games....

etc,

 

He's Morey's man.

 

It might - he is not a great coach - if we lose in this round, he probably needs to be replaced.

JVG would be my choice - he is the right fit for THIS team.

DD

 

His bad adjustments aren't a fan's emotional judgement, it's very real.

[youtube]R_s1S1CEBTY[/youtube]

 

this is so spot on, and something i've been noticing and saying for 2 years now. this goes back to last season as well.

when the game gets tight, he plays NOT to lose, rather than to win. every single close game, even back during regular season. your team reflects your coach, and that's true at every level. in football terms, he would rather punt on 4th and 1 with the game on the line rather than going for the first down. bev is so important to this team because he brings what mchale isn't able to bring to his team.

this is also why the ball stops moving because we get scared and tighten up, and forces the ball to harden with the safest option - harden iso. mchale has no confidence in anyone else in crunch time other than harden and parsons and guess what, that's where the ball goes and where it stays when the game is on the line. what the team has done in the previous 47 minutes (pace. ball movement, etc) goes out the window.

there is a reason we keep losing close games, why we lack the confidence to execute and win close games. that reason is your head coach.

 

Guess what people did when JVG coached the Rockets? Scream about the lack of "adjustments" whenever the Rockets lost a playoff game (and many of the regular season games, too).

This "OMG he no make adjustment" stuff happens with every coach. Some criticisms are legitimate (like Scott Brooks keep playing Perkins vs. opposing small ball teams) others not so much.

People screamed about the lack of "adjustments" to counter the Mavs going small in 2005 and the lack of "adjustments" when Yao Ming couldn't defend Boozer in 2007. The fact is that those teams just didn't have the personnel with which to "adjust." The Dallas "smalls," Josh Howard, Jerry Stackhouse, et al., were just bigger and more athletic than the Houston smalls outside of TMac (we had David Wesley and Jon Barry). Meanwhile, Yao Ming was a very good rim protector but just didn't have anyone he could guard on that Utah frontline of Okur and Boozer and the team's other options were not all that great, either.

 

Yeah, the difference is McHale is a dumbass coach.

 

Most teams go iso, or sometimes a simple high pick and roll, with their best star offensive player (assuming they have one), more frequently than usual when it comes to crunch time offense.

The Mavs would iso Dirk or Ellis. The Thunder would iso Durant or Westbrook. The Lakers did it with Kobe. The Heat with Lebron. The Celtics went to Pierce. The Clippers go to Chris Paul. It happens. It is a part of being an elite offensive player to come through in these situations. Harden often did during the season, he didn't last night in overtime.

 

Might be an arbitrary number but just looking back at all games in the last 2 seasons decided by 5 points or less we were slightly above .500, I would have to say that's probably about what you should expect statistically in games that close. Not above average, but nowhere near below average.

 

"I don't know what to do."
--Kevin McFail

 

McFailisms on the final play:

 

Silly Nanisteru.... Basketball isn't a human activity... its basic robotics... Where expected performance can steadily be predicted by cold hard computations...

 

McFail inspires zero confidence. When things go pear shaped and the camera focuses on him, he just puts up a miserable clueless face.

He got thoroughly thoroughly out coached by Terry Stotts who is no Pop or Thibs.

McHale got to go irrespective of how far we go.

 

Wrong brother

 

How hard is it to know that Dwight should be guarding LMA, and TJones on Lopez?

DD

 

JVG (at least the one that coached the Rockets before) isn't really the answer quite honestly, but it doesn't necessarily mean that McHale's job is secure.

Guys McHale was in the hole early on in the OKC series last year, and made some great adjustments to give them a fighting chance against a true contender. I think he's smart enough, and has been in a playoff dogfight before enough to know that he's going to have to make some bold adjustments to have a shot at beating Portland.

However, if the team fails in the first round, Morey & Les will surely have a meeting to discuss in depth what their options are as far as coaching goes next year. They have a team option on McHales contract this Summer.... Team option meaning, yes of course we are going to have a discussion about it at least.

Maybe they bring McHale back because they feel like he's their best chance at having another good year and another shot at the playoffs, but there will be other coaches discussed, and if they feel like another coach gives them a clear cut edge without sacrificing the cohesion of the team outside of the playbook, I'm confident that those two guys will make the right call for the team. However nobody here should be shocked (first round exit as well) if they bring back McHale next year regardless.

 

That's wrong. Asik should be on Aldridge. Howard on Lopez.

 

Dang,

'Finish him'

'Fatality'

'justtxyank wins'

 

Parsons in crunch time? You sure about that? I don't remember seeing much if any of that - McHale might be a Parsons fan boy but I think even he knows Parsons is much less effective in crunch time than other times in the game.