Hiring McHale is probably Morey's biggest mistake as the Rockets' GM - maybe even bigger than taking M. Morris over Kawhi Leonard. Hope he learned from the mistake and can bring a coach with actual Xs and Os knowledge.
I didn't think they would actually fire him. It was needed, I just thought they'd wait to the offense. But this season can't be wasted under his system or lack thereof. Good days are ahead.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Says a lot that players would tune out Hall fo Famer so soon after last season's success. Bickerstaff respected, but tough task ahead.</p>— Jonathan Feigen (@Jonathan_Feigen) <a href="https://twitter.com/Jonathan_Feigen/status/667003331940892672">November 18, 2015</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
tmac1 thinks coaches doesn't make much of a impact on the game. Even after Curry was just a simple All-star PG under Mark Jackson and transformed into a Point God under Kerr.
This season was all about winning the title... When has a team ever won a title in a season where they fire their head coach? Plus I'm almost certain we are not going to just hire someone off the street until the seasons over. And than Dwight will realize that this isn't even close to the same team that he signed up to play for and will book it.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Rockets management (Alexander, Morey, Brown) didn't want to make move, believed Kevin McHale lost the locker room. Things would not change.</p>— Jonathan Feigen (@Jonathan_Feigen) <a href="https://twitter.com/Jonathan_Feigen/status/667001324777644032">November 18, 2015</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Rockets management had a conference call last night. Focused on window with Harden, Howard. Did not want to fall further behind.</p>— Jonathan Feigen (@Jonathan_Feigen) <a href="https://twitter.com/Jonathan_Feigen/status/667001932754591744">November 18, 2015</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">McHale leaves as the winningest coach (by winning percentage) in franchise history. He will be paid $12 million for this season's 11 games.</p>— Jonathan Feigen (@Jonathan_Feigen) <a href="https://twitter.com/Jonathan_Feigen/status/667002803647303680">November 18, 2015</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
from may to november,,, idk what the heck happened in just half a yr. thought morey said he's coach of the yr candidate last season? what happened? we may never know. sigh...
[rQUOTEr]After struggling to a 4-7 start to the season, the Houston Rockets parted ways with coach Kevin McHale on Wednesday morning, league sources told Yahoo Sports. McHale delivered the Rockets to the Western Conference Finals a year ago, but four straight blowout losses and a roster struggling to respond with effort pushed to the organization to make a move to salvage what had been expected to be a season of championship contention. McHale signed a three-year contract extension a year ago. Assistant coach J.B. Bickerstaff will take over as the interim head coach, with assistant Chris Finch ascending to associate head coach, league sources told Yahoo Sports. Bickerstaff is a rising star in the coaching profession and the son of longtime NBA head coach Bernie Bickerstaff. He oversaw a Rockets defense that moved into the NBA’s elite a year ago. General managers around the league, including in Houston, believed it was just a matter of time until Bickerstaff was a successful head coach in the league. There are no assurances long-term for Bickerstaff in Houston, but he has the opportunity to earn the job on a full-time basis. The organization has faith in a Bickerstaff-Finch partnership for now, and decided to make the move now to find a different voice to lead the locker room. Houston has reached a softer spot in the schedule, and Bickerstaff will have a chance to stabilize the Rockets. Nevertheless, the Rockets are pushing for results now, and several elite coaches with Rockets ties in the past – including Jeff Van Gundy and Tom Thibodeau – could lurk as future candidates. Another strong candidate with Houston ties, Charlotte’s Steve Clifford, could be a free agent this summer. For now, though, the job and opportunity belong to Bickerstaff, who’ll have every chance to make it his own. http://sports.yahoo.com/news/sources--rockets-part-ways-with-coach-kevin-mchale-153032900.html[/rQUOTEr]
JB's an interim coach. There's no way the Rockets will fire McHale and have his replacement lined up the same day. No team does that. It'll be a few days, but odds are they've already placed calls to available coaches. My hope is it's Thibs. I'd be fine with JVG also. I can't imagine them rolling the dice on a newbie like Elie or Battier(assuming they're even interested). Scottie Brooks would be a mistake. He's better than McHale(most are), but he's from a similar mold. They need to go in a different direction.
What? Because he's not someone who always shoot 37% and plays that bad defence. Exactly. No reason to feel bad for the guy. More than one million for a game he coached.
Pretty surprised a the sudden firing of McHale but had the feeling he was on the hot seat. On local MN sports talk radio the other day they were speculating about the possibility that McHale would come and coach the Wolves. They didn't think his job was in jeopardy though. Who knows maybe this was a backroom deal between the Rockets and Twolves to let McHale come back to MN.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The last three coaches to eliminate the Clippers in the playoffs were fired within 12 months: Lionel Hollins, Scott Brooks and Kevin McHale.</p>— Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) <a href="https://twitter.com/ArashMarkazi/status/667003917012762624">November 18, 2015</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Pat Riley fired SVG in 2006 and took over coaching duties for the Heat. They won a title that season. And SVG was fired much later in the season than this. What did the Heat do the previous season? Reach the Conference Finals. Who were their star players? Wade and Shaq, an elite shooting guard and an aging center. Sound familiar?
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">What a shame about Coach Mac. He really helped me throughout my career and one of my favorites coaches and people of all time. Smh.</p>— Chandler Parsons (@ChandlerParsons) <a href="https://twitter.com/ChandlerParsons/status/666995378156380160">November 18, 2015</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>