Spot on. We're going to have to move Martin and Scola for sure. It's just a matter of when. And I'm still not going to be surprised if Lowry goes as well, if we can use him to acquire our alpha dog.
This was the worst time for McHale to step in as coach, with our roster full of players fit to Adelman's style of play and especially Martin and Budinger thrived under him. Funny that Martin was quoted saying they are a better team this year than last year, but back to the issue. It's probablly going to take at least 1 year before we have a roster fitting for McHale to work with and undo with the players not fit, kind of like how Morey got rid of all the JVG types. That is in case we are lucky enough for a team to take a Martin or a Budinger. Also under Adelman the goal was clear, championship or at least deep playoff run. McHale is unfortunate too if you compare it to Adelman who inherited a disciplined defensive team. McHale has inherited a offensive minded team with a lack of discipline which has already turned into a lack of effort on the road. I think some of you guys are spot on with the loss of faith in the organisation and knowing they will not be here in 1-2 years. Hopefully it will not get too ugly as the Rockets have its share of things turning sour.
What is the most telling thing is that you hear the guys that are NOT on the court complaining about effort in McHale and Morey etc, but you are not hearing the players say much. Which is pretty danged telling as to what they are thinking and the gulf that looks like it exists between what coaches and org want and what the players will be willing to do. DD
Indeed. Still the way they play @ home vs. on the road is strange. If they would not be happy about McHale, the organisation or the team wouldn't they stink in both arenas ?
I think there is some truth to what you are saying, but I also think we are making too much of it. There are coaches that act like that: tear you apart and built you back up in the way they think players should play. I suspect this is exactly what is happening as we are dead last in defense and defense is all about effort.
This is why I think Morey will wait until the trade deadline to shake up the roster. If he didn't think the best deals would be available then, Luis and K-Mart would probably already be gone.
While I appreciate McHale's intensity, passion, and candor... it doesn't make him an effective coach. I bet that's his gameplan too -- "make shots, rebound harder, sprint" -- sigh. Motivation is important. But these are professionals. Millionaires. Family men. This isn't 8th grade basketball. At least he's calling them out though. I cant fault him for that.
Guys think about it from Luis Scolas perspective. He just had a great year under a coach he loved playing for, he has totally bought into the Rockets as his home franchise, he is happy here, has a great guaranteed contract and is hitting his peak as a player. When - a new coach comes in to replace one that he has had the most professional success on an NBA level. Now that is not too terrible, he still knows he is respected here in Houston and wanted. Then - He comes up in a trade for Pau Gasol - someone he has been playing against for more than 10 years, someone he considers to be on the same peer as him as a basketball player. That would be understandable thought it would hurt a bit personally, but it is not just Him that is being traded it is also Kevin Martin and Dragic... WTF - for Pau, the two top scorers on the team last year? I mean being traded for a superstar, sure that is understandable, but if you are Luis and you think you are as relevent as Pau and the same age, then imagine how he must feel that the Rox were going to trade him and Kmart for him. He must believe the Rockets don't really value him all that much, if they are giving two very good players for one very good one.... I have noticed a massive difference in the energy Luis is playing with, even from the National team games this summer, he just looks like he is trying to play hard, but is really not motivated to give it his all. And who can blame him, he now knows that the organization that he bought into, doesn't really value him all that much....so he probably is just biding time until he moves on for a fresh start. Same for Kmart... DD
One more thing, I doubt the players respect Morey all that much, he has no background in the league and he clearly will trade anyone regardless of their value to the team. And clearly after the players all told him that they don't appreciate being treated like an asset and Morey says he never called them that (LOL-really Daryl), then goes right out and tries to trade the guys that told him that anyway. I seriously doubt any of the players give much to what DM says, and by proxy right now what KM is saying. DD
Scola quoting Morey's wisdom after the last loss: )) [rquoter] “I think Daryl (Morey, the Rockets general manager) said once, good teams avoid close games,” Scola said. “We should have avoided it.”[/rquoter] http://blog.chron.com/ultimaterocke...harge-as-rockets-fall-apart-in-final-minutes/
OK, but if the relationship is as strained as you suggest and the players don't respect Morey's basketball views, it is somewhat strange that Scola would be quoting him like that.
Remnants of Adleman, the ultimate players' coach. *Shrug* The guys just weren't feeling it. Oh well. More motion.
Scola was making excuses for the team, in my opinion. He always plays hard. He might not always have his shot, and I'm seriously concerned that he might not be completely healthy right now (partly from seeing him rubbing his left knee at the end of the game before last), mostly because of the low rebounding numbers and little of his shake and bake in the post, but he never makes excuses for himself. Read the quote again and it's all about the "team."
If I were Scola I would demand a trade to a team where he can get amnestied and go back to Europe or another league where he is respected. The organisation, other NBA team, the refs, commentators all do not appreciate him for the kind of great player he is. They still treat him like an outsider because he didn't start in the NBA and act like he is good outside of this league, not so much in the NBA. Partly because he's not the typical PF with the flashy dunks, blocks and everything but I also believe because he's not american. I truly believe that, even Yao wasn't respected by the refs, ever. Go back to 2009 and tell me he got all-star calls like the others, you can probably count them on one hand. I love Scola to death but hate what they're doing to him, especially like DD said, he had his best year in the NBA last year. For all those who think Pau is much better and was worth Scola + others are suffering from the same lack of respect for the game of basketball and Scola's. So happy that trade didn't go through, though now he is stuck here. Morey is a moron and has called players assets many times when describing the players in terms of trade. "we have the right assets to get a star player" etc. CD has might a lot of mistakes in terms of contracts, draft picks and deals but I much rather have him back. The Rockets used to be a family type organisation, loyal to (former) players, coaches and other people from the area of Houston. Now it's become a cheap, mathematical, money saving, asset collecting, unloyal organisation.
No one here is a bigger fan of Scola than I am, IMO, but you are making far too much out of some nebulous speculation. I think DD makes a good point that Scola would have been insulted, and angry, at being in a deal for Pau, along with Martin and Dragic, after having his best year, but he isn't the kind of guy to let that affect his play, or to hold a grudge, again in my opinion. I think his problem is something else. The coaching change (radical change in the system), which is a huge deal, whether you like the change (and I don't), or not, or something physical. Probably both.
I don't see this like you, DD. I'm watching the same Scola that we saw at the end of last season. At the last months he started having some problems with his knee, and you could see that in his game: more troubles to rebound, less quickness, more block shots recieved, less overall mobility, worse p&r defense (note that his current p&r D is actually very worrying)... All in all, he is 31 but has played bball all the summers, his body has lived and played the same as a normal 33 y.o. player like... say Battier. Something similar occurs currently with Pau, he's also 31 and they have had similar careers. I'm not saying they are done, they are just not anymore in his prime. The advantage for Pau is that he can be converted on a heavy center and since that position perform for much more years. But Scola's current body is of great concern because you can't move him to another role or position. We are seeing how very often he just does not react, his legs just do not respond to follow the most of penetrations. Another thing I've noticed in him, in fact already last year, is that he's accusing more the back-to-back games than he did in the past. I mean the energy level, he's talented enough to keep scoring. But it is not a coincidence that Patterson stole him more and more minutes as season neared its end, it's evident that this Scola is not the 2008/09 Scola, that Scola was already a limited defender but helped you more at the p&r D, at the defensive rotations, and was a better rebounder. So I don't think his current level has nothing to do with Morey's way to manage the roster or with the failed trade... We are just watching the new Scola. As he would say: It is what IT is.
