How do you know? Everyone is free to speculate but unless you're in the huddles, in the locker room and in practice then you never know. I don't think he's a great coach but some people here are being overcritical. The hostility towards him are just unbelievable sometimes.
This. McHale has improved as a coach just as DMo has improved as a player. But McHale is still not there or considered an allstar level coach yet to me. Maybe he reverts back and this was just a good streak, or he continues to learn and improve. Only time will tell, but he deserves a chance the rest of this season and the playoffs to prove if he can continue to consistently improve. And I was ALL for him being fired after last season's playoff loss. I still don't like some of his rotations or lack there of. As many others have said, Canaan should not only be playing, but given the green light to create and shot as often as possible when he is on the court and Harden is resting. And DMo should be posting up much more and not just giving up that option if he misses a shot or two. We almost NEVER seem to double post either. Other than that, and playing Ariza and Harden too many minutes which was necessary until the trade, I think he has done a good job so far this season. Now I just hope he uses the new players to reduce some minutes for Harden and Ariza just a bit, but getting a great rotation that makes sense while doing so. Canaan/Terry, Shved, Brewer, Papa, Dorsey/Black is a much upgraded second unit that should be able to give our starters more rest while still at least keeping the game +/- the same while going up against other second units. If Jones can ever return, doesn't matter if him or DMo starts, our second unit will drastically improve even more!
This thread probably needs a lock at this point. Almost 500 pages of McHale is great/terrible is enough.
Look, I understand the hate here as compared to Josh Smith. Coaches get way more hate from fans- heck, even Spurs fans go ballistic on Popovich during selected games. In the West, to win 54 games last year was quite a feat. This year, to be in the top 4 with our injuries, well, that's just crazy. I have to give McHale credit for this, just as he gets blame for 2 first-round exits. But ClutchFans tends to overreact on this, as well- not so much against the Blazers, we should have beat them and should've done something much earlier to contain Aldridge. But against the Thunder? C'mon, that was a difficult undertaking for any team, even w/ Westbrook out. I'm not saying he shouldn't get the boot if we lose again in the first round this year- just saying that I think, like most teams, coaches get an irrational level of hatred at times.
Lock it up? He can still get fired after this season if they get bounced in the first round. The thread continues...
I don't get why people are confusing "hate of McHale" with "love for the Rockets". Did I hate Gary Kubiak? Absolutely not. Was I ecstatic when he was let go b/c I felt he was he bad for the Texans? Absolutely yes. Would I love to see the Rockets win it all like they did in '94 and '95, of course. Is McHale the coach to guide this talented team there? IMO, absolutely not based off of what I have seen from previous experience. Does that mean I hate him. Of course not, but I want what is BEST for the Rockets, and you all should too.
it's reminiscent of Rick giving Schaub & Cushing extensions while they were coming back from injury... Makes no damn sense.
McHale, messed up tonight and he knows better being the old school player that he is... The starters didn't have it tonight and he should have kept them on the bench until the well ran dry with the 2nd unit. That 2nd unit had the energy, D and momentum on their side... That was a rookie mistake McHale... T_Man
