yes his substitutions are random and doesn't like to play rooks. his in-game adjustments and x-n-o's leave a lot to be desired. some of us doesn't agree with how he is utilizing the players. he shoots himself in the foot with his comments here and there and doesn't always have the most tact. that being said, i'm really coming around on this guy being the HEAD coach, setting the tone of the team, especially after watching the past few interviews (including today's interview). he's a good fit for a bunch of rooks and 2nd year players. he's knows what it takes to be an NBA pro, and he was a good pro. Not just in terms of skills but in terms of being a pro. you can just tell - he's very passionate about being an NBA player and thinks it's a tremendous blessing that they get to do this. And maybe that's why he's so hard on these guys. Don't waste it - because it can be taken away from you any minute. he wants these guys to succeed and take this seriously. he hates losing. and from the look of it he plays guys that can bring it day in and day out. doesn't believe in "recharging" and see no excuse for playing without full energy every night. he's hard, but i think he's good for young players that have yet to grasp what it means to be a professional basketball player. and there are many, many veterans out there that still don't get it. he may not be the best coach on a veteran team with guys that are already set in their ways. but on a young team where he can still have some influence, i think he's a good fit.
With all the McHale hate around here, I applaud your bravery for starting this post. I actually don't think the guy walks on water but I think he doesn't get credit for a lot of good he does. On top of the things you mention, he also helps develop these players skills and talents. Lots of coaches don't take the time or effort for that. There is too much hate on the board on McHale and I hope that you usually see it for every head coach here and there but this season is the worst. Makes you wonder if there aren't other agendas behind a lot of the hate.
I like the way he has been developing our players. I don't see Parsons or Harden relishing their role with such enthusiasm and excelling without Mac. That being said he needs to start playing AB despite that fact that coaches hate extending their rotation too much and he has had to shuffle through player due to the trade.
I'll never understand the level of hate this website dishes out for a 2nd year coach who deals with an overhauled roster, which just happens to be the youngest and most inexperienced in the league, with a PG and SG who aren't terribly great fits with each other, and he STILL has them in good shape to make the playoffs in their first year together. He ain't perfect by any stretch, but he's not nearly as bad as people make him out to be.
For the most part, I agree wholeheartedly. However, if I see Beverley as the inbound man again (especially in crunch-time) my faith could waver.
i don't see him playing AB unless he's proving to be that much better than lin and bev in the practice. if anything, it would be to relieve harden for a few minutes at a time.
My guess is that this late in the season he is just keeping for insurance reasons however I could be wrong. I agree though I think AB's experience would be a plus and he would adapt to the plays and rotations with no problems.
Give McHale credit that he's able to develop young players, get the entire team to buy in, and get them to the playoffs. Most teams can't even do one of those. Look at what Keith Smart's done to the Kings this year. Kings are not making the playoffs, Smart still makes sure Jimmer's ass stays glued to the bench while Cousins is out doing his own thing. Thomas Robinson is gonna look good now that Morey rescued him from Sacramento. Also give him credit his team runs the D'Antoni offense better than D'Antoni does. Biggest knock against the Rockets was their youth. McHale turned their youth into an asset by making them run. His subs suck, his rotations are wierd, his system is simple and and kinda risky, and he still hasn't figured out how to make his 1 and 2 coexist in a way that maximizes their strengths. But he's still better than most of the coaches in the league.
90 percent of the hate comes from LOF that think Lin would be an all-star if it weren't for the coach who is under-utilizing him.
dude is a below average coach and if we had JVG or anyone thats a real coach we would probably be the fourth seed. Props to the G.M.
LOL...I'm for Coach out of spite of the haters. Not really. Always liked him. Certainly would have a beer with him. BB side: 1st year (youngest) team in the playoff hunt and we're going to b**** about Coach?
Beverley - Rookie Motiejunas - Rookie Robinson - Rookie Parsons - Rookie (last year) All key contributors to our rotation. I never understood the notion that he doesn't like rookies. If you can contribute, you play. It doesn't matter if you're a first year player or a 5 year veteran.
Couldn't have said it better. As a big McHale supporter who thinks he should be in the conversation as COY, I was with the rest of you guys not agreeing with certain rotations like benching Lin/Asik. But I also recognize what he excels at in the big picture like getting the team to play hard/play together/play smart/play unselfishly, especially for such a young team, far outweighs the couple of in game headscratchers once in a blue moon. Especially when this isn't a championship squad this year anyways.
Yup. At this point in this team's life, i can live with his short comings as long as he continues to develop their mental attitude and toughness. In a few years when the needs a good tactician and x's-n-o's coach, then we'll say thank you and look for someone else.
I started this thread, I like Lin's game and I'm one of those that thinks he's being under utilized. But I also see what Mchale is trying to do to grow the team and speed up the maturation process. I think next year is when they'll have a better idea on how to utilize both Lin and Harden's talents. it's apparent that they've tried different stuff throughout the year. I think this summer is when they'll really break it down and figure how to fit the pieces together.
Not a fan of the guy but I will wait to see how he coaches in the playoffs to form an opinion on the quality of coach he is. I still prefer the type of coach who accepts blame for losses and I also prefer X and O type coaches. Mchale has plenty of good qualities as well. Ultimately as long as Harden buys in then Mchale is ok for now.
