Great ... why can't you wait until the end of the season and then we discuss the coaching "problem" again ... i don't understand why now we must debate about these things. IF we fall short in the first round then the FO will make the right decisions again... i am sure.
The irony is that Hollins was fired because he refused to 'trust in stats', and was in love with chuckers like Gay. I say it is ironic, because the people calling for McHale's head are more akin to Hollins, in that they see what they want to see, and not what is actually happening. McHale might not be perfect, and (shock horror) the Rockets may have lost a few games this season, but nobody has won them all.
Too many people in this forum... are under the belief that McHale is doing a "great" job... not acceptable, not decent, not even good.... but, "great"... Every one of them promote this delusion as accurate by pointing to our above-average regular season numbers... like it's the main thing all NBA teams shoot for... EVERY ONE of them... while being dismissive of their flaws as a mere byproduct of inexperienced youth, expecting it to fix itself with the simple passing of time... under the same hands-off, free flowing system that hasn't so much as a single strong veteran presence in the roster... It's a hard, jagged insanity pill for others to attempt and make everyone swallow without protest...
The word "GREAT" wasn't for McHale's coaching skills but i don't find sth so outrageous about his approach for the game. He doesn't have so much experience and in the league there aren't a lot good coaches. I believe that in the end of the season and if we don't make a run, Howard and Harden will decide if he will stay or leave.
The coach is determined by the owner's discretion. I assume James Harden and Dwight Howard want to continue to be paid $14 and $20 million and will continue to go along with the owner's discretion. After last game it's not appropriate to be chanting fire mchale now.
IF Harden and Howard want him, will stay ... stars have the last word ... but all these are presumptions so i hope the team grows, make a playoff run( i don't believe it) and we will see.
Yes the player is contractually obligated to play for the team regardless of the coach or teammates. The owners have the upper hand. Most people don't have the energy for conflict and want to get along.
The day when McHale openly criticizes the ownership and front office publicly than we can talk. There was more going on with the Hollins/Memphis situation than just what Hollins was drawing up on the clipboard during time outs. Vinny Del Negro being let go is probably a better example to look at. He was let go mostly because the Clips wanted to go with a superstar coach who could win over the locker room, and national media. They could have been just as good this year with VDN or close to where they are now, but they went in another direction for some national attention, and more respected leadership in the locker room. For them, it was all about the leadership aspect, and how the players would respond to Doc vs. VDN. With the Rockets your looking at taking an opposite approach with a coaching change. With the respect that McHale has from the players now, the trust built, and their relationships with him, more importantly than the UPSIDE of winning one or two more games a year based on strategy & play-calling, you run the RISK of the DOWNSIDE of losing the locker room entirely with a leadership change right now mid season. Losing the locker room right now with a coaching change mid-season is about as high risk a move an organization can make in the midst of a good season and an upcoming playoff run. Firing McHale right now is extremely ballsy and potentially stupid. Upgrading this Summer.... its a possibility but it just depends on what the change of direction is, and how the players will respond.
I am not sure I follow you. How do you make an inexperienced team 'experienced' without the passing of time? In addition, you are correct that this team has flaws and that is why folks are rating him "good to great" and not perfect. This is really the first time I have heard that having an above-average winning percentage is not accurate as to where you currently stand. If a so called "contending team" has a record that puts them in the middle of the pack, that usually means that they are having issues. Either they are playing poorly or inconsistent. How else are you going to measure a teams current play without looking at winning percentage? It might not be accurate but that seems to be the most reliable way of measuring it, unless you have a different method that we are not aware of.
I was talking about during the 8-2 stretch, 70% of the teams are under. 500. Sorry about being unclear.
I don't understand what people that want to fire McHale expect. Where are the Rockets supposed to be right now? We're 29-15. We've dealt with a ton of injuries. We're still working to incorporate Dwight Howard. The players love him and want to play for him. That's half the battle. Would you rather they bring in a Scott Skiles and have the players hate him? The offense is 4th in pts per 100 possessions, the defense is 11th in points allowed per 100. We have the 3rd best team TS% with our 3pt "shooters" bricking like crazy, and Dwight Howard shooting most of our free throws. For those that think we "run no plays", watch the damn games. The system is predicated on checks and reactions. There's plenty of back screens to free up shooters, plenty of designed post plays. And, surprise, it's working. What is McHale supposed to be doing differently? Change his player rotations? We have zero depth due to injuries, I'm sure he would love to be able to change his rotations, but I'm sure for some reason he hasn't enjoyed having to play guys like Garcia big minutes. You can't make the team play harder. Pop can shout at his team to play harder and move the ball like the system dictates, but if they don't do it then you're SOL. I don't understand why people laugh at McHale when they hear him mic'd up saying "Move the ball! C'mon guys!"... what else is he supposed to do but try to motivate his players? Sit there in silence?
Additionally, the coaching staff was fantastic in the playoffs against the Thunder last year. Even those who most want McHale fired can't possibly think he did a poor job in the playoffs last year. Starting Beverley, sticking Garcia on Durant like a shadow to deny him the ball all over the court, the small ball lineups with Harden shutting down Ibaka in the post on defense... the coaching staff was brilliant in that series.
Don't be dishonest. I don't see any threads saying McHale is doing a great job or any posts. People here think, at best, he is doing a good job. And in the West, seeding is important for the playoffs so our above-average numbers are important. It's a hard, jagged insanity pill for others to attempt and make everyone swallow without protest...[/QUOTE] Then your beef is with Morey for not having more veteran presence on the team.
The Rockets are 29-15 in the WC with Harden playing hobbled half the season, Lin missing games, Beverley missing games, Jones missing games and Parsons missing games. The Rockets are playing without Asik playing and dealing with that distraction. The Rockets have done fairly well all things considered, and McHale has the respect of his team. Some of the advanced metrics even have the Rockets 1-2 games better than there projected record.
Just wait until we get our entire bench rotation back. "Welcome to Rockets basketball!" Honestly, I believe that when Asik, Smith, and Garcia return to 90% of their potential, this team will be scary and will battle the Spurs for the SW Division, especially now, since Kawhi seems to be out for a while. At the end of the day, McHale is a nice person, the players love him, and Daryl Morey likes him because he's a "Yes Man", in the sense that he actually listens to the GM's advice and plays the system in a certain way. In my opinion, that is a huge advantage for us come playoff time!
