I was shocked, to be honest. Our lead was crumbling and McHale was refusing to even call a time out, let alone make a substitution. At first McHale didn't think it was necessary to put in the starters. Then when it became a two possession game with 3 minutes left, McHale didn't want to look like a fool by finally putting in the starters. Doing so would be admitting that he was wrong to have ridden the bench for so long. That was all there is to it. It's funny how people are trying here to justify this nonsense. It's nonsensical that a coach would use such a crucial game in a playoff race as a "learning experience" for the bench when it is clear that he has never before put the bench in in close situations like these. It's further amusing how Lin always gets the short hand from McHale. Would Parsons or Harden be benched for the whole 4th quarter ? Why Lin every time. I understand Lin is no superstar, yet I feel McHale disrespects him too much. If he trusts Beverly so much in the 4th quarter of these games, then he should start him as well. No need for these constant mind games. It's just frustrating here watching the circular logic used to justify bad coaching decisions.
Wait I don't get it, how is REEKO being ignorant and ignoring the quotes? He said you were making assumptions on the rifts occurring behind the scenes, yet you reply he is ignoring the quotes? if it is behind the scene and not reported by the beat writers, how is it possible that you somehow have proof/quotes to back up your claim?
After letting Lin and Asik cool down under the assumption they wouldn't be returning, putting them back in the game would have increased their chance of injury astronomically, Asik's a bit of a trooper, but Lin has a recent knee injury.
Lin & Asik had 30 minutes each despite sitting out the entire 4th, and the coaching staff has shown game after game they don't like playing either of them much longer than that. The lead coming down to 5 isn't really "almost losing" the game. The main reason he didn't blow up and start subbing the bench out is because they were playing fine. They were making good decisions, doing what they were supposed to do. They were just cold.
A question: If McHale benched the starters for the entire game against Sacramento and played Francisco Garcia at center for 48 minutes, but the Rockets still pulled out a win, would that qualify as a good decision on McHale's part?
My goodness. 18 pt lead to 5 with just over 2 minutes remaining is a 2 possession game. And it was very close to a 1 possession game also. That is 'almost', at least way too close for comfort. They were making good decisions? Are you serious? And if they're just cold, that sometimes is good enough reason for a substitution. How good is just fine when the bench averaged around -6 on ~25minutes and Lin/Asik was +22 in 30minutes. And if you look back at the 3rd quarter, Lin and Asik either assisted or scored on 21 of Houston's 25 points. Outside of Garcia and Greg Smith before he got into foul trouble, that's how bad the rest of the Rockets team were on offense in the whole second half. Lin/Asik carried the 3rd quarter ... yet sat to watch the lead dwindle. I would've put them in when it got down to 10. They would've played 36 minutes, which isn't as good as only 30 minutes and getting a rest. But we're in the final stretch and 6th seed is up for grabs. The bench was 12 for 43 during this game. Just below 30%.
I've also noticed that Lin doesn't really get involved in the huddles any more, he kind of stands around the back. It's not a big deal though, Lin will continue playing his game either way and I think the coaches do understand what he brings.
Ok I take back some of my words. I do like McHale's reasoning to a certain point. “I was getting pretty close. I kept on thinking we just got to get a stop and get a little more separation. I had rested them so long I thought surely hope I don't have to go back to them. We're way down on bodies. Those guys have to learn how to play and win games. You've got to put them in those situations. Out of that group, someone’s going to have to play coming down the stretch. So I thought, let's give them some experience. I thought Pat (Patrick Beverley) made a big shot, Greg (Smith) had a big block down there but most of what it was, was defensively. We just quit doing what we did earlier. We were going under on picks when we were supposed to be going over.” The bolded part I agree. But I still stand by the believe that it's a bad decision. But will give props to him for future prospects in his reasoning.
What? This guy just brought the intellegence level of this board to a whole new low level. I actually felt that the Rockets might have lost this game with 2 minutes to go as the momentum went Magic's way.
The thing is, this thread was about McHale playing the bench the whole 4th quarter while watching the lead dwindle to levels that are quite uncomfortable and where the certainty out outcome had reduced significantly. Way too close for comfort. This should have nothing to do with Lin. It should be as Rockets fan first (as some would like to say), whether this was a good decision or not? In my opinion, not at this stage of the season with what's at stake. Jazz is on a 5 game win streak, and still Lakers/Dallas are in the running. And a 6th seed match-up is most likely to be better than a 7th/8th seed match-up, and we go on a 3 game road trip ahead with our road record being pretty poor. I would say people can disagree whether it was a bad decision by McHale or not, but it is definitely not beyond discussion, especially he ain't Pop and hadn't done much of this during the season and now in a crucial stretch let the young guys out there to possibly fail big time. And it's hard to credit this to him as a genius move, or being a coach that just loves putting young guys out there for learning experiences (he didn't want 2Pat to go).
What kind of reasoning was that? When Mchale thought that he was about to call up the starters, he found out that the starters were sitting there too long that it might not be a good idea. Did you admittted a mistake was made or something?
20 sec on the clock shoot an open 3 at the line shoot an open half court shot Both would go in but which one do you frown upon?
Deckard, I respect you as a poster a lot, and yes we won, but it was a bold/reckless decision by McHale. Posters may disagree on whether it was a good or bad move, but in this case, I don't think it is beyond discussion at all. And the crux of the argument isn't about Lin. It is whether McHale should have done more to try to protect the lead down the stretch. Whether it is from substituting starters back in (bench played poorly ... 12-43 on FGs during the game), or calling a damn timeout here and there. I know some posts are stupid, and there's always criticism, but the case here is easily that there can be constructive discussion/criticism on McHale's actions/inactions. Or else why don't we just close the board when the Rockets win? Or ask a moderator to delete all criticisms on wins and all positive posts on losses? Just one way to heaven or one way to hell.
Well maybe it was a mistake, maybe not. But at the very least he was thinking soundly of what the situation was. Maybe he realized he made a mistake, but at least he didn't make rash decisions. I like the fact he had some future prospect in his mind in his decision making. But like I said, I still stand by my believe he made a wrong decision tonight. The moment the score was down by 10, he should have asked his starters to warm up and put them in as soon as possible.
That is why they shouldn't have been out for that long. He should have put the starters in way before it was a two possession game. McHale took a risk. but I personally am not fond of risk taking when the Rockets are fighting for a strong playoff seed.
Well a win is a win, and I will take it any days as ugly as this one. But I think that was not is a risk move, instead it was a msitake by Mchale bcasue of his over-estimation of the bench quality.
"Those guys have to learn how to play and win games. You've got to put them in those situations. Out of that group, someone’s going to have to play coming down the stretch. So I thought, let's give them some experience. I thought Pat (Patrick Beverley) made a big shot, Greg (Smith) had a big block down there but most of what it was, was defensively. We just quit doing what we did earlier. We were going under on picks when we were supposed to be going over.” That's a quote from McHale, the part not bolded in another post. Look, I sat there and watched the lead dwindle like everyone else, but I simply don't see an adequate reason for the melodrama I'm seeing here. If the thread were simply about the end of the game decisions, sure, that's a valid discussion, but a large chunk of it amounts to several people going, "Oh boy! Another thread where I get to hammer McHale and throw a tantrum!" Want an example? "It's further amusing how Lin always gets the short hand from McHale. Would Parsons or Harden be benched for the whole 4th quarter ? Why Lin every time. I understand Lin is no superstar, yet I feel McHale disrespects him too much. If he trusts Beverly so much in the 4th quarter of these games, then he should start him as well. No need for these constant mind games." Hell, I spent years cussing the guy out when he was playing. I've been unhappy with his decisions during the season from time to time, and I certainly feel a bit bizarre defending the guy, but what I see here goes beyond a rational game discussion. A lot of this is driven by Jeremy Lin and a perceived bias against him by McHale, and I am more than a little tired of reading about something that's more a product of the imaginations of several members than something based on reality. This team has rediculously overachieved, and McHale happens to be the coach. That isn't simply coincidence. So we were all anxious about how the game played out at the end. Well, we won, although it can be difficult to tell that around here.
