did McHale take Howard, Harden, Parson, Garcia and Lin out of the game as if it was already over? He has been around the NBA long enough to know that with that much time, the game isn't over yet and the other team isn't just going to lie down and let you walk all over them with your subs. The game got down to 110 to 105, a mere 5 point lead with just over 21 seconds left in the game. That could have easily turned into a loss, when it should have never come to that if he had just let the starters play longer, as they should have, to insure the win. Has he not seen the Tracy McGrady video of 13 in 33? There was freaking almost 4 minutes left in that game last night when he made those subs! I will admit, that most of the last TWO years, I didn't like McHale's coaching style and decision making, but I gave him another chance after making some good decisions during the playoffs last year. Plus, even though we almost missed it and I think it was mainly due to his decisions, we still made the playoffs last year with the youngest team in the league. Nevertheless, his coaching decisions are starting to worry me that even with all of the talent we have on this team, and the potential we have this year (I agree with JVG that we can win it all this year), that his coaching style and decisions could keep us from reaching our full potential. I predict that if we don't at least make it to the Western Conference Finals this year, that he may be out the door and another coach brought in. I know many hear believe that is impossible because they think he is a major reason why Dwight signed here, but I just don't think that Morey and Les will want to keep him if they feel he is hampering the team. Although Morey clearly states that he doesn't step on the coaches toes or tell him what choices to make, he made it clear last year that he didn't agree with what McHale was doing in his coaching decisions by trading away some of McHale's favorite players. Ultimately it worked out for all, but to me it's still just a sign that Morey showed McHale that he was not thrilled by his coaching decisions. I just hope that McHale continues to improve as a coach and doesn't make stupid mistakes like he did last night with those substitutions too early that could cost us games down the line. He should be expected to improve areas of his "coaching game", just as players are expected to improve areas of their game that are weaker.
This could have gone in the game thread. Anyway, we have a game today that's why. Pretty straightforward really. You expect your scrubs to close out a game against backups with a 17 point lead.
Do you know what the probability is for a team to lose a 17 point lead in 3:58? It would have been a near miraculous comeback. The Rockets have a back-to-back and are already are down, injury-wise. It was a sensible move to try to get the regulars out as soon as he could.
1)Because Dallas put there bench in. 2)Because we have game today. 3)Because at some point you have to trust the rest of the guys on the team.
Dallas took out their starters too, didn't they? I ask because I had problems viewing the game towards the end. But it sure looked like Dirk and Co. were laying down on the sidelines. Plus, like SF3isBack said, we have a game tonight.
I actually like the fact that he didn't panic and pull the reserves back out. You have to develop the whole team, and make those guys own their performance. The risk was relatively low. I still like it.
Most of your reasonings to me just sound like excuses for McHale. You don't have a WIN, until the game is practically over. In the NBA, a game is NEVER over with 4 minutes remaining unless you have a 25 point lead or more. How many games have I seen teams come back from when down by almost 20 with that much time left? A LOT! Two more minutes of our starters to secure the game would have made much more sense, then trying to justify the game tomorrow as the reason for a bad decision that almost cost us the game. Tomorrow's game plan and minutes played by our team doesn't matter IF we had lost this game.
Carlisle pulled his guys. McHale responded in kind. The lead was never unsafe. 9 point lead with possession and 1 minute left is safe unless you immediately turn it over. 6 point lead with 37 seconds and possession is safe, just hold the ball and make 1 of 4 free throws. There was no impetus to send the starters back out because the Mavs only closed the gap when time was low enough they had to foul, and you don't come back from down 6 by fouling unless something insane happens. It may have looked bad for our scrubs to get outscored by 11 in 3 minutes, but honestly the game was over when Brooks put the lead back to 15 with 2 minutes left - even an immediate 9-0 run by Dallas at that point couldn't pose a real threat.
How many NBA games have you won? Well Mchale won more than you ever have just last night alone, so chill dawg!
Dallas took out their staters, the right coaching move is to take yours out with also if you are up 17. As a coach now He just has to get in that 3rd units AS$$$$$ !
This is the 2nd game of a 82 game regular season with a B2B coming up, and nearly impossible odds to overcome(17 points in <4minutes). If anything, keeping starters in would be 10 times as ridiculous and pointless.
The garbage time really showed that Dmo and the Bumstomper still has a ways to go before being viable rotation players for this team. I wanted to choke Terrance for taking that J so early in the shotclock. Dmo couldn't find Crowder on D even if Crowder wore Dmo's gf's clothes.
Good point. And that got me thinking: why should we ever play the bench guys if there are more than two minutes left in the game? The starters should all play 46 minutes every game. After all, you don't have a WIN, until the game is practically over.
The Brooks 3 was much needed too. But yea, back to back solves the question no doubt Crowder got lucky with 5 or 6 threes in a row
Seriously, he hasn't seen the T-Mac video? Doesn't he know that in 4 minutes you can score... 104 POINTS IN 4 MINUTES!? Frikin McHale. Someone send him in the link ASAP please.
But we didn't lose, we won by eight points. Dallas got lucky and made a bunch of threes, and they may have done that even with our starters playing. Up by 17 and Dallas playing their scrubs, I don't have a problem with McHale pulling the starters.
