Exactly. The Rockets would be experiencing at least this level of success under McHale if not better.
Where is this Finch crap coming from...I don't even know how this "Finch Future" came about. We have a coach in McHale whos going to be with the team for the next 3-4 years. After that it could be really anyone.
Sigh. Morey required him to be on the coaching staff. Thus Adelman was out the door. And the rumors started that Finch was "heir apparent". To quote myself; And I am totally OK with it.
Souce? Look at it this way, McHale will be coaching the team for 3-4 years and might not deliver. Most of our guys will hit their strides and it would not make sense bringing in a coach with real experience. I just don't see Les agreeing on that.
From my point of view, Sampson is a better coach than McHale. Simple as that. He has a superior coaching resume and seems to have a better rapport with the players. Honestly, I think the only reason this is even debatable is because so many Lin fans quickly (and erroneously) scapegoated Sampson as the reason for Lin's struggles. With that myth being repeated so frequently it became a case of perception trumping reality. I like what I've seen of Sampson so far. That being said, there is a reason why the Rockets hired McHale of all people, sad as that may be.
Sampson is an upgrade in comparison to Kevin. Then again, so is Helen Keller...she probably would have seen the floor/mismatches about as efficiently as Kevin. Can't wait until the Rockets bring in a dependable, respectable coach. Kevin is a nice enough guy, but it's obvious that he looks out of his element during games. Sampson has more control over his players, they listen to him and he knows how to adjust in games. I don't think Kevin has these qualities, especially the adjustments. Painful reminder of this: Last year, when we were almost a lock to make the playoffs, Kevin decides to play Scola and PatPat in the 4th quarter, when Camby and Dalembert were providing a defensive presence. The aftermath: The Rockets lost, what, 5-6 games in a row. All of them were close, but we lost because of our inability to defend and rebound in the post. It would have been more simple to leave a shot blocker and shooter in there in the final minutes, but Kevin was too stubborn to switch it up. Yes, I'm still bitter about it.
The head coach should worry about big picture issues. McHale looks the part for that role. As a HOF player, his input carries weight when dealing with players, coaches, and the GM. I like Sampson as well but not over McHale.
Do you really think the players value his input more than Sampson? And what big picture? I think that's where Kevin is lost.
The fact is, no one can deny the teams sudden surge in the past two games. Not just any two games, but games against very good teams. Most of that can be contributed to chemistry. The rest is coaching.
If you have a choice between the following coaches, who would you prefer? 1. Kevin McHale 2. Dwane Casey (Raps HC) 3. Lawrence Frank (Pistons HC)
It's only human natural that Sampson has something to prove. After all, he lost out the Headcoaching job to McHale as one of the six finalists who were interviewed.
