Rick Adelman seemed to keep his rotation very tight and the guys knew EXACTLY who would be playing and when (barring foul trouble). Mchale seems to be more about defensive effort and "feel" meaning the rotation could change from game to game even quarter to quarter. In your opinion, which is better....set rotations or rotation by effort/feel? Why?
Maybe a bit of both. You have to be willing to bench guys who aren't giving it there all, but you also cant play a different set of players every night and never allow a group of players to develop chemistry. Id say Mchale has done a pretty good job at balancing both of these. The only player on the floor that is not irreplacable in production from someone hungrier on the bench is Lowry. On a team with one up and coming star, and no go-too star players, this hard working team play is the way to go for results. They are doing it with hard work, and team play. Cant ask for much else unless your a pro-tanker.
Thats kind of how I see it. I appreciate the coach benching guys if he is fair about it and the guys understand why. Its a fine line to balance though because you can mess with team chemistry and even rotation chemistry when too many guys are in there playing minutes.
They're equally good imo. But I think McHale's rotation style is better suited to the playoffs, where players go on runs and live by the crowd and atmosphere. You can pull off 10-20 points in a row with the right rotation, and players are incensed to playing better because if they're hot, they're staying in.
I don't mind changing things up as effort level and matchups dictate. Adelman's approach was obviously very successful as well. Especially as the season wore on and guys got into a rhythm playing with one another.
i like mchales style better... although i hate the lapses he can have(like not giving bud ANY minutes twice now) and think it could upset a player (like bud) who is used to getting a decent amount of minutes and doesnt recieve them...
Lowry and Parsons are the staples because they play good defense ALL the time. I like McHales approach because players seem to play harder and there hasn't a loss of chemistry when he has to go deeper into the bench.
I don't think McHale wants a fluid rotation. In fact, I believe most if not all coaches prefer a set rotation with more or less stable minutes for rotation players. This year's subsitution of players IMO is caused mostly by a new coach and lack of an offseason to prepare a young roster. If the roster more or less stays intact next year, I expect a much more stable rotation.
On a title contending team you would have a set rotation. I think Mchale's system works for the Rockets.
with our type of roster, Kevin, if you have a bunch of all stars, Rick's (but Kevin would probably do that too if he had all stars falling from the heavens like Miami do)
Actually, Adelman didn't have a set rotation until halfway through his first season. Scola was inserted to the starting lineup. And the 22-game streak happened. Even after that, the Yao injury and the TMac drama messed up a stable lineup. What you are describing is the latter part of Adelman's tenure here when injuries were not too disruptive and the whole team had begun to grasp the system. So a new coach would tend to have a more fluid rotation as he is feeling out the team. And the cramped schedule probably also distorts PT decision a bit. Let's wait till next season to judge McHale's rotation philosophy.
I look at it slightly differently. I think McHale is trying to change the culture of this team. It seems he tries to put the best team on the floor, but if someone isn't bring it, he will throw somebody in that he thinks will. Less about execution and statistics and more about intensity and competitiveness.
Yes I agree with this. If Adelman was still here, Parsons would not have played a single minute yet. Parsons is a fantastic defender.
McHale's style of accountability is much more beneficial! It keeps people hustling as opposed to fostering a sense of entitlement for playing time.
Adelman's starting lineup included Battier and Hayes, two good defenders with some glaring offensive weaknesses. It is a misconception that Adelman doesn't care about defense. He uses players with high IQ who can make good decisions on court. Parsons actually has skills that Adelman would appreciate.
I prefer McHale's approach, its something I've missed since Rudy was let go... but its not for everyone. Yao wouldn't respond well to being benched like that. He needed consistency. That's why I think Budinger got to start last year, it was obvious he played more comfortably when he knew what his role would be. Younger players aren't always the best at responding to uncertainty. McHale has this group looking hungry though. Fighter mentality. It works for this group.
McHale's system can be great for a team if you have a deep team and the players are willing to do whatever it takes to win. I think his way of doing it is perfect for this roster right now. If players aren't stepping up, the next person in line gets a chance. The thing is, you have to trust the next person in line to go out and perform at a high level if he is called upon. The player that is taken out also has to have the "whatever it takes to win" mentality. All of the players seem to have that right now... even the established veterans like Martin and Scola. I think it speaks volumes about those guys (and McHale) when it's late in the 4th quarter, and Martin/Scola haven't stepped on the court in over 12 minutes, yet they are still cheering their asses off for the bench guys. It's a great fit right now... but would that system work for a team like, say, Oklahoma City? I doubt it, honestly.
