This is SPARTA!!! Bring back JVG!!! Spoiler Thibs is a close second, BUT I don't know if I could handle his voice all season... ....... ....... .......
This isn't so. Those coaches bring the best out of their players. Doesn't necessarily mean they are running them into the ground. Harden already plays too many minutes a game. The Rockets should have found a way to get Thibs here while he was visiting.
For all you folks who want to fire McHale like yesterday, with some of us saying that he should be given at least until the All Star break to get consistently good play on both ends of the court from this team, you might want to recall that the seminal coaching change of Rockets history, hiring Rudy Tomjanovich, happened in February. Reigning Coach of the Year Don Chaney was canned after 3 straight first round losses in the playoffs, and with the Rocks treading water playing .500 ball, ownership ultimately settled on Rudy T, and the rest is history. This wasn't a huge "bring in a new coach with all new people" kind of thing. Rudy was a multiple All Star forward with Houston, retired a Rocket, and had been an assistant here for years. Yes, most of you know all this very well. I'm repeating it because some of you need reminding that our most important coaching change ever happened at mid-season. Not in mid-November, and was not a massive coaching upheaval.
History has its purpose, but to use it as a basis for hiring time is nuts. You think Riley would say no, cause it's never been done. You think Kerr didn't believe in his rookie year. History is there not to repeat the same mistakes. This has no relevance to that.
History always has relevance. How much relevance is up to the individual. Personally, I put great stock in Rockets history.
Think of it this way, what are the top teams in the west thinking about our coaching situation: I bet they're hoping we don't switch coaches for as long as possible.
Good reference. Kind of the evidence I'm looking for to show some success stories with in-season firings. However keep in mind that THIS PARTICULAR YEAR (91/92) did not lead to the Rockets even going to the playoffs even though obviously the franchise took a step up in the right direction for many years to come. Also keep in mind that Chaney had the record at 24 - 19 at the time of the firing/resignation. That season under Rudy T, they actually didn't perform at a higher win % rate, and lost 4 of their last 5 games to ultimately not make the playoffs http://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/HOU/1992_games.html If the Rockets were to make the switch in November of this season the expectations are that they not only make the playoffs, but go deep... and they are obviously looking for a bump up in defensive efficiency, and they are looking to drastically alter their offensive philosophy at least 30 to 40% of their sets would be adjusted or enhanced with more activity... right? Probably more plays added, etc. The only scenarios I see of drastic improvement with a coaching change in-season are when the team is so bad that they have almost nowhere to go but up. Sort of like when McHale took over in Minnesota and the team actually improved from terrible to only kinda terrible. So this is a good scenario to look at in-season changes where it worked out long term, but are we really looking long term this season? Maybe its the right move to make it long term, but if you guys are expecting the team to turn around THIS SEASON and show improvement right away THIS SEASON there still isn't evidence that i've seen to support that. There is evidence however that McHale & co. for whatever reason, can win at a higher percentage and over achieve with this current team. So again... I see the evidence, and risk assessment leading me back again and again to the conclusion that its better at this point to simply try to regain form from last year, and the year prior. See what they did right last year in practice and preparation to get that style of play on both ends, and make it priority #1 to play up to where we were last year. This gives you a higher chance of competing this year.... if that really is the goal. If we get to February, and we aren't looking to make the playoffs, or are barely holding onto .500, yeah we need to go ahead, and build momentum for next year, and consider success this year as unlikely.
I think they are more worried about our team regaining the level of play they were at on both sides of the court more. They know at any point all of these things can happen - -The Rockets can get back their defensive intensity -Rebounding can improve -Ariza can start shooting at a higher % -Brewer will snap out of his funk -Harden will start getting to the line more -Motiejunas can get healthy -Jones can regain form -Lawson goes to the bench ala Josh Smith and becomes a nightmare for teams -Harden being Harden consistently As an opposing coach, or GM, I'm very much concerned with these things, and what I'm rooting for more than anything is something major to happen or continue to happen to RUIN CHEMISTRY, and destroy the locker room. I would say the likelihood of most of the above list is highly likely to happen. Maybe not all at once, but its likely to happen. If I'm a coach or GM rival I actually kind of hope they change coaches or do something that puts them at a higher risk for off the court chemistry destruction. I know pretty well that the players love playing for McHale, and typically enjoy their system. There is higher risk of chemistry destruction with a coaching change... or infuse more Kardashian risk. Are there other Kardashian women we need to be worried about for Dwight, Ty, D-Mo, or whoever???
Nice reply, Dobro. It's what I'm thinking at this point. Way too early for such a huge, disruptive change, in my opinion, and not enough evidence that we would improve dramatically this season.
Lol at "ruining chemistry" What chemistry? Ariza/Brewer/Harden's... bad shots, Rockets bad shots in summary, or Rockets lack of defensive intensity, sustained discipline, or rebounding issues are not going to improve magically. Those issues have been the indetinty of this team for long time and current coach is just unable to solve them. Of course Morey is not firing a coach in 10-20 games, that's for sure. My bet is that McHale will complete the whole season, Rockets will get exposed in the playoffs.
you might be the biggest Homer in the history of the Rockets existence to saY that we are more talented then the Golden State Warriors is the stupidest thing I have ever heard the team that is undefeated Wow you really need to take off the rose colored glasses
When you run a lineup of Lawson, Thorton, Harden, Ariza, and a C, then that is what you get. Ariza has logged a lot of minutes playing the 4, and being in the paint against PF's bigger than him is going to take it's toll. He's not built like Draymond Green and probably doesn't have the legs to bang for rebounds and shoot 3's all game.
Luke Walton. He did a great job so far, and seems to be very smart on TV, plus that he is from the basketball background family, should know more basketball than most others. The teams will go after him if GS is going to win more under him as a head coach.
yeah, i agree. unfortunately that cf wasnt alone in here, obviously. i watched a little bit of gsw vs wolves last night. it pained me to see gsw easily got big leads multiple times w/ sorta a half assed effort. wolves got closer a couple of times, but were never really of any threat. that's how dominant they are right now. our half-assed effort got us 4-4 so far, with some decent wins and some really bad losses mixed. and that's the difference b/w our team and the defending champs. any thinking that we're "contenders" status quo is illusional. well, in recent memories, we've never been a contender to begin with. not since the 90's...
Do you think the Rockets, despite their flaws, had bad chemistry last year? Whatever the Rockets were last year that was a thorn in the side of many teams, I do NOT want THAT to return if I'm a coach or GM of a rival. And there are already signs that its still there with moments already shown this year. I mean the Rockets just won 4 out of 5 games. So if I'm a GM/coach looking at the Rockets, what I say to myself is that I do NOT want the Rockets of last year to return. The Rockets of last year for whatever reason really responded to McHale especially when they had their backs against the wall with injuries, and missing Dwight. That disposition worked well with that team and brought everyone together. THAT is what scares me as an opposing coach. The Rockets front office knee jerking in November to frantically swap coaches actually would make me feel warm and fuzzy that the chemistry and camaraderie from the past year is crumbling, and lacks a pulse. Make sense? (Chemistry... what Chemistry... lol)
http://espn.go.com/blog/statsinfo/p...-curry-is-playing-better-than-you-might-think .....I been Curry is just better then hardEn period
