September 30: 2014 NBA Training Camps open for practice Read more at http://www.insidehoops.com/calendar.shtml#BbxQzk4WzOzHiWlO.99
Not sure how Adelman is being blamed for the Rockets' decline in defense. The Rockets were ranked 3rd in defense in 2006-07, JVG's final year. They were then ranked 2nd and 4th the next 2 seasons under Adelman. Adelman didn't just mooch off what JVG built for 2 whole years and then forgot how to keep mooching. Adelman actually put in some significant changes-- like having Yao hang back in the paint rather than blitzing pick and rolls like he did under JVG. The Rockets lost both Yao Ming and Mutomo in 2009, which is most likely the main cause for the 2009-10 team's decline in D ranking from top 5 to average. Chuck Hayes is a nice defensive player for a 6'6" center, but he is no rim protector like Yao and Deke. And Chuck was also the only real plus defensive big on the team. What happened was personnel, not coaching.
Yes so T.R. Dunn was able to work with all the players since Training Camp. He had a full month before the season started to work with them, he was hired September 30th.
I like it, BamBam... bottom line is this is fun to watch. Adelman was quoted as saying he didn't want to change the defense that JVG implemented. How in the world did JVG not effect Adelman's defenses if this was the case. Practice is not the same as planning and it's already been said that McHale is in charge of the defense this year. This is McHale's defense and he deserves credit. Side note: Do you think this defense is more effective than JVG's defense? This team just makes everything difficult on you. JVG's forced bad shots from mid-range (18 feet-ish) and funneled guards into the paint to get swatted by Deke and Yao. My instinct says this is a better all around defensive team, but we haven't done well against Memphis. I would think the Yao/Deke teams would have done better against Memphis on defense.
This new found D is what has been missing McHale took over but seeing how the whole team has bought into playing tough D is very nice to see. I am glad T.R. Dunn was hired to help on the D side of the ball. As for playing D on the Grizz the game was a B2B with the team not playing well the O side of the ball during that time. I can't wait to see how the Rockets fare against the Grizz on Wednesday.
The Rockets improvement on D has happened because individual players have bought in to playing defense well it is not due to strategy. A defensive coach individual players how to defend well. Much like how Hakeem is teaching people post moves Dunn teaches them how to improve their defense. Dunn has said in interviews two months ago that Harden had the making to be a great defender he just had to buy into it. If Mchale could get them to buy into D he would have done it three years ago.
You are familiar with defensive assignments and defensive rotations, correct? Okay, good. These take planning by the guy in charge of defense. He's doing a good job. His name is McHale and he's a good coach and constantly improving.
I doubt very seriously that he understands NBA defenses. Most casual fans just watch the ball like a game of Pong. It takes real dedication and effort to understand NBA defenses. You won't find tutorials out there like on the DDMO or the Triangle.
LOL, so the guy actually doing the work doesn't get credit his boss does but when team strategy failed last year it was the players fault not Mchales, lol. Interesting.
I can only suggest that you pay careful attention on how we play defense. It is mostly help defense. The players communicate a lot to where the ball handler will be funneled to - strong or weak side. Check out when we switch defensive assignments, we mostly do a very good job of communicating this with each other. Against the Mavs, Harden was a little pissed at Papa for not rotating early on that Tyson and1. That clearly speaks volumes that this what the whole team expect people to be on certain defensive positions. Great individual defensive players don't just come up with these things by themselves and there has to be a guiding hand telling them what their assignments are. This what experts talk about when they say paying attention to details. Whether it's Mchale or Dunn or Powell, it doesn't matter to me. But to say that they are great defensively because they have good defensive players is not giving this coaching staff enough credit.
McHale is ultimately responsible for everything coaching related. The Rockets only had an average defense last season. The defensive strategy did not fail, it was only mediocre. To get an elite defense the strategy has to be right for the individual players, a team needs to work on defense every single practice, film sessions will be endless, all of the players need to buy in etc. That is why when discussing the Rockets elite defense this season, I generally end it with "Kudos for everyone."
OK, So the same person that said coaching doesn't matter and has little effect on winning is now saying that Mchale is responsible for the defense and wins that reseult from them. You are the same person who just said that the NBA was talent driven, but what you are saying now is contrary to that. And now you are finally saying that Mchale is ultimately responsible when before it was the players fault because they weren't listening to him. Mchale has failed to get out of the second round even though he has had the appropriate talent to do so, yet you want us to still believe that he is this great coach?? If Mchale is responsible shouldn't he have been fired months ago??? and why did they fire some no name coach instead of Mchale??
He is doing the work. Coaching is a job, right? Players play, coaches coach. No one is getting all the credit here. The decision to improve defensively probably started with Rockets brass and made it's way down to players, media probably got notes about it even. I know the fans have picked up on it. What is so bad about giving McHale credit for his part? Coaches make plans and have to sell the players on the plan. Everything with the defense is going really well. Why is that bad? Oh, yeah, because you can't let go of your incorrect statement of McHale being a terrible horrible no good very bad coach. Let it go. McHale is doing a great job and that benefits anyone who puts team results over themselves. The players have bought in, why can't you, as a fan?
You didn't give Mchale credit for his part, you were trying to give him ALL of the credit and totally dimiss our DEFENSIVE COACH. Who's job is to work with the players on their DEFENSE. I know he does because he's said it during interviews. He works with the players on their defense. It is therefore not a stretch to say that the guy Morey hired as our DEFENSIVE coach and the guy who was a coach here the last time we had a top 5 defense is responsible for actually doing his job. There is a lot of back peddling going on between the both of you. Most of what you guys say about Mchale is contrary to things that you have just said moments before and I'm starting to realize that you will just say anything to make him look like a good coach. The problem is there is a record here of all the things you have said. So we all can see that you constantly backpeddle to try to make lies look like the truth.
Wow you make everything so difficult. Head coach - the man responsible for coaching. I said in game coaching does not matter. And I also stated that the pivotal Berri study showed that the difference between the best head coach and the worst head coach is a matter of five wins. Didn't Morey say something similar? The NBA is a talent driven sport. Put the worst head coach ever in charge of Memphis and the best head coach ever in charge of the 76ers and still this season it would be shocking if the 76ers pulled out one win in 20 games. Talent. I have never put McHale up there with the likes of Pop. But I did say that McHale was the best possible coach for this Rockets team. And the biggest factor in my calculations? Morey, the 900 pound gorilla in the room. Adelman was let go in a large part because he would not institute the changes Morey wanted. The major reason McHale was hired was he could work well with Morey. Do you think any normal head coach would assent to having Morey hire all of the assistant coaches except for one? "A leader of men. Excellent at delegation." Yep that pretty much is McHale. And it does not mention one of McHale strengths. The respect he receives from all NBA players as one of the great power forwards of all time. I could go on, but this is already long enough.
great ! So would you propose that posters stop using the McFail word for a little while please? You seem to attract a lot of heat. There is no I in team.
That's a HUGE deal in a tight western conference where the home teams seems to win and advance in most tight playoff races. I'm glad we got T.R. Dunn, he probably has some great impact on our defensive turn around this year. It's not a slight improvement, but a HUGE improvement over last year. Credit still has to go some to McHale for making it an emphasis.
Dunn handles the day to day defensive assistant coach responsibilities. These include scouting the next opponents offense, film work with the players, defensive adjustments needed for the next game etc. Actually IMHO a major part of the credit for the defensive turn around should go to Morey. He is the person who designed the roster. And all of the pieces fit together very well. There are no players that will not buy into the offensive and defensive strategies. I believe that Lin was gone because he just could not adjust. Parsons was seamlessly replaced by Ariza, who brought defensive intensity to the court.
