[Chron] McHale gets new start, full camp

http://blog.chron.com/ultimaterocke...mes-benefits-of-a-full-rockets-training-camp/

Also according to Feigen every player will be at TC for workouts starting tomorrow.

 

I don't think there is anything wrong with the "expect the worst, hope for the best" mentality. Would have served myself better with views on some of our rookies last year. But what fun is there in that?

Similarly(what would man be if he did not repeat his mistakes!), while I appreciate McHale's honesty and respect his trepidation for youth and inexperience, I think the concern is overblown.

Out of a likely 8 1/2 man rotation, 6 of them will either be multi-year vets, or players going into their 3rd year after proving to be productive at some point in their first 2. And Chandler Parsons.

We have seen in recent years how productive players in limited roles translate after expanding their minutes. Gortat comes to mind, also Lowry and Dragic on our own team. Lin, Asik and Patterson can, and I see no reason why they shouldn't, take that step. Asik is a proven defensive anchor in this league. Patterson was a proven productive rookie, and then proved his second year that you can't play without ankles. Lin is proven. Yeah, Proven. As a superstar? No. Allstar? No. But as an NBA player and starter? Yes. Unless you want to argue how those other 2 rookie PGs last year(one who also got injured) are fringe players too. Martin and Delfino are what they are. And Chandler Parsons.

While the rookies are being highly overrated on this board(I lied, I do learn), I don't think its a stretch to expect 1 out of 4(5 if Machado makes the cut) to become a productive contributor off the bench. Lamb would be the easy bet, as his transition to the pros should be the smoothest given his role and skillset. That makes 7.

#8 is the only question mark on our entire roster IMO, with the rest of the rookies and fringe players fighting it out for that spot. My money is usually on black, but this time I'll go White. The 1/2 man will be shared by the rest.

Undeniably young. But much more proven than the typical inexperienced rebuilding teams we've had of late- the Washingtons, Charlottes, Sacromentos etc. I'm certainly not expecting the best, but we will do a lot better than the worst. And before the cynics jump on that, "mediocrity" for statistically THE youngest team in the league is exceptional.

 

Coaching ability is overrated. You have assistant coaches to devise schemes and game plans. You have a team of statisticians to supplement them with data. And you have players who have bounced a ball their entire lives so by the time they are pros they at least somewhat know what they are doing.

The coach's real job is to be a leader of men. To get the players to buy in and follow the schemes and game plans. To inspire them to push beyond their limits and, yes, "work hard". To mold a group of individuals into a team, with one goal and one direction.

And with a young team in need of plenty of molding, McHale's leadership ability, not coaching ability, is exactly what the team needs.

And with all that said, the man can coach too, but you are welcome to be skeptical in that regard. Personally, just between us, I am skeptical reptilian humanoid shapeshifters aren't secretly taking over the world.

 

To answer that, you have to first ask, what was the reason they were hired?

The team JVG inherited was undisciplined, reckless, centered around headless chicken-hero ball. JVG was brought in to introduce law and order to a young team that lacked structure.

By the time his contract expired, the personnel of the team had dramatically changed. With a prime Tmac and matured Yao, along with a group of veterans, what the team needed was not disciplinary rigidness, but rather creative freedom and trust in their natural abilities. Enter Rick Adelman.

Again, four years later, the landscape of the team and personnel has completely shifted. The two center pieces are gone. Instead left with a team of topped out role players mired in mediocrity. Understandably, management wanted changes in the personnel if the end game was to win a championship. Adelman instead wanted to stick with his guys, and in the end it was not a fit for both parties. I know this is a shocking revelation, that ownership and management actually wanted, actually dared! to have a say in the direction of, well, their own team. It is perfectly fine for a seasoned coach like Adelman to disagree with their direction, alas that is why he is gone.

Enter McHale, who's expertise is leadership and developing young big men. Coincidentally our current biggest needs.

See, to many cynics on this board, and indeed this world, all they see is the "whats" and never strive to discover the "whys". Afterall, that is the source of their constant complaining and displeasure. Because if they ever ventured to actually ask the right questions, there would sadly be much less to complain over. The Rockets have not been rotating a coaching carousel just because they felt like it. In fact, they haven't even technically "fired" anyone. They have simply reevaluated the team's direction and needs after their coach's contractual expiration the past few years, and selected the best man in their minds who fit those current needs.

That probably makes way too much common sense for cynics to bear. Here's a better explanation that's easier for you guys to swallow:

Spoiler

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