Well, while he is probably not my first choice, I do think he is a significant upgrade over McHale and JBB, and has had major success in the NBA playing a style that our org and GM wants to play. So, either we can b**** and moan for the next 3 years or we can embrace it and hope for the best. I liked his Phoenix Suns with Nash, maybe he can build something similar with Harden. I also like the Defensive coach we hired, so I believe that this might work out great. IIRC they were the favorites one year until Horry body slammed Nash and Amare left the bench and got suspended. So, all of us RED BLOODED Rocket fans, let's get behind this and hope for the best. DD
On a spectrum of risky hires... this is at the top of the spectrum. If it fails, it will lead to a chain reaction that relegates the Rockets to relying on lottery luck to bring them back.
Dammit and there you had to.go out and jinx it. I was hoping you'd chime in against it. Now we are fu**cking screwed. Dag nabit. and to think I was just beginning to warm up to the hire finally
b**** and moan for the next 3 years? A bunch people have been b****ing for a couple decades about JVG, Adelman, McHale, Bickerstaff, Alexander, Morey... Why would it change for the next coach?
Well we have a Grace period, maybe we can get PPat back for you too. Alexander and Morey - they are still on the clock, don't gum up this Pro -D'Antoni thread let's stay on topic. DD
I am interested enough to witness what he does with the Offense. Never mind the Defense. I still we are going to be close to mediocrity..... above or below depending on players, over or underachievement Somehow I think it will not be boring with the Antoni
I think his success hinges on whether or not Morey listens to his player requests. The Suns were good when he coached them, but he had the right personnel out there.
Reminds me of the Adelman hire. I'm good with it. Will at least have some pretty offense, defense may be bad but could be decent depending on personel changes. We'll see
Hey, DD, I agree with you. I have a check list for him though. Establish himself as the alpha on the team immediately Hold his players accountable for mistakes and/or lack of effort Be able to adjust in the reg. season Be able to find counters for specific line ups in the post season Don't be afraid to take risks such as playing a young player or benching players Make sure the offense/system relates to the personnel on the team Emphasis on off-ball movement and screens Don't let the media bait you into weak story lines. Stay focused on winning; not headlines
Rick Adelman was not a bad defensive coach, that's lie that turned in an assumption. http://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/HOU/2008.html 2007-08 Houston Rockets Roster and Stats Franchise Encyclopedia ▪ < 2006-07 Houston Rockets ▪ 2008-09 Houston Rockets > Seasons Roster & Stats Schedule & Results Depth Chart Transactions Other Record: 55-27, Finished 3rd in NBA Southwest Division (Schedule and Results) Coach: Rick Adelman (55-27) PTS/G: 96.7 (22nd of 30) ▪ Opp PTS/G: 92.0 (4th of 30) SRS: 4.83 (8th of 30) ▪ Pace: 90.4 (21st of 30) Off Rtg: 106.8 (17th of 30) ▪ Def Rtg: 101.6 (2nd of 30) Expected W-L: 55-27 (8th of 30) 2008-09 Houston Rockets Roster and Stats Franchise Encyclopedia ▪ < 2007-08 Houston Rockets ▪ 2009-10 Houston Rockets > Seasons Roster & Stats Schedule & Results Depth Chart Transactions Other Record: 53-29, Finished 2nd in NBA Southwest Division (Schedule and Results) Coach: Rick Adelman (53-29) PTS/G: 98.4 (17th of 30) ▪ Opp PTS/G: 94.4 (7th of 30) SRS: 3.73 (6th of 30) ▪ Pace: 90.2 (19th of 30) Off Rtg: 108.4 (14th of 30) ▪ Def Rtg: 104.0 (4th of 30) Expected W-L: 53-29 (6th of 30) Arena: Toyota Center ▪ Attendance: 717,669 (16th of 30)
I look at it this way, while still being far from happy, if D'Antoni manages to get us a top 10 offense that at least gives us a chance to win a lot of games I hope it carries over with our next coach who is then hopefully a defensive oriented one. Just like JVG's principles carried over under Adelman.
Here is my issue. If they win 52 games. . . . that is simply not improvement That is where they should have been with any semblance of competent coaching THIS YEAR. So . . . We have to win at least 56 and threatening 60 for me to feel good about it Some how I don't expect that in the next 2 years This just moves us to being a 'respectable also ran' Rocket River
D'Antoni is the coach for how Alexander wants his team to play. And he is a good fit for the philosophy Morey holds. The team should enter the next season with the key non-player personnel on the same page. Just gotta hope/believe Harden and the rest of the team buy-in. I am not ecstatic about the selection, but it should be a fun ride. At least D'Antoni won't have to deal with the B.S. he had to suffer in NY and LA.
While I agree with you (Rick wasn't a great defensive mind, but a sound one), I believe the idea at the time was that as we got rid of players that played under JVG, our defense got worse under adleman control
Harden buying into the system is the key. His body of work this summer is another. Without those 2 things, Rockets are doomed.
No team wins an NBA title without a significant amount of talent. You do not need a superstar coach in the NBA to win....you need superstar players. Dantoni will be fine if given legitimate talent and will suck if given the roster we currently have. If the goal is to win a championship, we are 2 stars away from even caring about who coaches this team.
