It would be hard to argue that McHale has not done an excellent job this year. This article lists him as a top-5 Coach of the Year candidate, although he is only mentioned in passing (obviously Kerr will win). http://www.basketballinsiders.com/the-case-for-nba-coach-of-the-year/
What is confusing about it? It doesn't matter if I posted it here or in a McHale appreciation thread. This thread has always been a McHale discussion (should he be fired?) rather than a McHale bashing. I posted it here because I'm confused as to why Rockets fans still criticize McHale when he's being discussed as one of the best coaches in the NBA. You can't give Harden all of the credit for our team's success through this injury-plagued season. lol.
I'm confused as to why people call for McHale to be fired right in the heart of the most critical time of the season. Seems totally stupid to me, LOL.
Obviously it isn't as if McHale has no value as a coach, but a lot of his "success" is an accident. We were winning early in the season with James Harden, DMo and the ass-end of the bench (Tariq Black, Canaan [RIP]). So McHale gets a pat on the back and three-year extension. Then the regulars return and McHale probably couldn't even remember the names of those players. Rather, let's play a couple guys 38 mpg and ignore our young talent who could give us even 9, 10 mpg and help keep the primary guys fresh. Hell, he only stumbled into playing Terrence last year and Dmo this year. So.....great guy. Coach? Meh. Thankfully Harden has made this team nearly McHale-proof, as OKC's stars have done with Brooks. I'll be checking in to look for cowardly anonymous comments in my rep box, i.e. You don't know anything about basketball or coaching, Uncle Kevin will take us to the promised land, etc.
Not going to lie. In the lockout season, I was impressed with how we competed with no-names at the time. However in 2012-2014, I was vigorously in the camp to fire McHale. This year though, in one of the most historically competitive conferences, McHale has made necessary adjustments and has done a great job. I was always curious as to why he was heralded by players, but I kinda see how much better players play when they're given that freedom. Players succeed playing under McHale and I respect that a lot. Hopefully, he does something great in the playoffs.
I would disagree. Spurs are super old. Clippers have battled injuries and have played horrible. Mavs went full Parsons. Trailblazers are missing their energy bunny. We are stacked with talent. Ive seen Ariza get so many crucial stops in crunch time, unsigned hero.
I really think it is the spare the rod spoil the child thing. If a coach is not acting like a tough guy all the time. They don't think he is coaching.
I hear this alot from this year team, that we're loaded with talents, better than last year or any other year since the championship years. But when we're discuss Harden's mvp worthiness CFs are quick to point out that this team is a lottery without Harden, certainly not a playoff team. How can so many fans say this team is worthless without Harden but when the team is winning they gushed at how stack our talents is and this could be our year? I remember when RudyT won his COY honors, Dream was out for most of the season with injuries. Before that people around the league thought without Dream, Rockets are just another lottery team. But the team rally, made the playoffs and RudyT was recognized for his coaching abilities. I'm beginning to think the seed of hate for McHale was already planted because of the fact that he played for the hated Celtics and was never a Rockets. If that's true you all are a bunch of sports racist.
Disregard the complete ineptitude in the majority of close games. This guy quits coaching when only down 9pts with 3 mins left. His substitutions have been known to be a momentum killer at critical moments of several games. In the PlayOFFs he is sub par at best and I have no doubt probably a disappoint again this season.
Harden is following the game plan of the coaching staff, he didn't wake up one day and tell everyone to just take 3's or layups. When it comes to the coach you only have to ask one thing, does he have an impact or not? If Mchale has no impact then you can't blame him for the team's losses last year and this year because he had nothing to do with it. If he has an impact then you have to give him credit because the Rockets right now have one of the best records despite having a 20M hole in the roster for most of the season. How the **** can Mchale impact losses but have no impact on the team winning games? It's totally illogical and just made by people who don't understand basketball (or common sense). Mchale isn't the best coach in the NBA, but he's far from a dunce like what the haters here are claiming. Coach Mchale has more NBA b-ball knowledge in his pinky than majority of the posters on this forum put together.
Today the Rockets have more player games lost to injury than any other playoff team....and yet you call him lucky. Today, his team sits virtually tied for the second seed in a tough Western conference...and yet you question his "success". Today, we have a team chemistry better than any Rockets team this century...and yet you give McHale zero credit. Today, we have incorporated Josh Smith ( a castoff) and Brewer ( a forgotten many) into a second team that is arguably as good or better than any in the NBA...and yet McHale gets no credit. Makes no sense. No sense at all.
I will admit I hated him as a Celtic, I hated him for what he did to the Timberwolves and I hated that he replaced one of my favorite coaches. I'm willing to eat crow and admit that McHale has done a good job this season. The proof is in the graphic that ABC showed earlier with how many games have been missed by key players. While Harden has been a constant as we all know this isn't a league where teams usually thrive with only one superstar.
