When you get blown out on your home floor in game 1 of the western conference semis, with the other team missing their best player. Yea not a good look McHale.
Have you ever seen the Spurs play a game like that? Do you think the Spurs would lose a home opener fully rested against a Clippers team with no Paul? Is it that hard to tell your players to stop making risky passes? The Rockets have no structure. They have one game plan. If things aren't go well they stick with it. Which would be fine if they had real offense sets but it's all randomness.
You can even tell when we were down by 10+... there really was no "game plan"... it was just playground ball... whoever felt the need could take the shot, or it was Harden going tryin to do his thing... So mad that McHale took out Ariza earlier in the game when he was on fire from 3 point land. And why the *** does McHale sit Harden for so long?! He sat for 11 minutes this game.... he's supposed to be our MVP, he should rest for 5 minutes max. Ugh.. jeez.
Yes I have and Iv'e seen Pop get on his players as well. Please stop comparing us to the Spurs. Also we have lost to a Pual-less Clippers team before as well.
Does no good now... Too little too late from mcfail. In the second half, after clips scored bucket after bucket, I expected to see mcfail take at least timeout to stop the bleeding but he just looked like a deer in headlights. Most coaches would've taken two tos given the same context and circumstances, smh.
I remember reading an article on Popovich where he said that he constantly tells the guys that winning and losing is on them. They have to make an adjustment themselves. He said there have been times when he calls a timeout, walks up to the guys and says "there's nothing I can do here. I've never once told you guys to hold onto the ball. We move the ball around in this offense. You guys have to decide to do it." And then he walks off. Popovich rarely rips guys a new one during games. But here's the thing... Popovich has guys like Parker, Duncan, Ginobli, and Diaw that understand when the offense is starting to suffer, and they know how to make those adjustments. During the first series, the Rockets players made those adjustments when they needed to. Tonight? They didn't. Now, I SERIOUSLY doubt McHale went up to the guys and said, "Hey, let's continue to throw the ball to them.... And then let's get back on defense really slow, so they can get some transition points. Oh, and effort? Forget about it guys, let's take it easy tonight." The guys flat out didn't want it more... Which is a REAL shame. And if everyone thinks McHale needs to give them this incredible speech (before, during, or after) that gets them pumped up for a Western Conference semifinal game... Then they are definitely doomed. This one is on the players, plain and simple...
This isn't the regular season. You can't give up home court to a Clippers team with no Paul in the playoffs. Referencing the regular season is so pointless. And is this not the same effort that was put forth in game 5 against the Mavs? Lazy passes and poor execution. How does a coach allow his team to come out and play the same way in a huge game 1?
Pop tells his guys to run the offense. We don't have an offense to rely on. Timmy, Manu and Parker rely on the great Spurs offense that has led them to so many wins. If you keep running an offense that has been shown to be effect you are likely to get good results. The Rockets just don't have that.
The Spurs have veterans in Duncan, Manu, and Parker that have been with him for a decade. They were ripped into plenty in their younger years. We have a young team that plays with no focus or discipline. They need that ripping into.
You are sadly mistaken... The Rockets have just as much an offense as the Spurs. The Spurs have rules they go by based off of what the defense gives them. They run the pick and roll as much as the Rockets. They have the extra three point shooter on the opposite side of the court the ball handler can throw to. They bring their shooters off of screens. The Spurs offense strongly depends on their spacing, pace, ball movement, and Parker eating guys up alive with the pick and roll. I would be willing to bet that Pop calls practically no plays during the game.
Pop rips his players in practice and scrimmages to keep them sharp -- he doesn't care how much of a 'star' they are, or how much they're paid. So it's on the coaches to keep the players sharp. The Rockets surely scrimmaged and practiced with 6 days off, but McFail just defers to his players, almost Guy V style: just roll the balls out. With Billy Donavan now in OKC, it's only gonna get tougher in the division. We need more smarts at the helm. Hire ANY San Antonio assistant coach over this clown McFail.
No, you know what, you guys are right... The Spurs ALWAYS come ready to play. They got Popovich. I mean they definitely didn't lose by 15 in game 1 this year to the Clippers (yes they did). They definitely didnt lose by 9 at home against the Clippers in game 4 (they did). They obviously didn't lose by 21 at home against the Mavs in the first round last year (they did). That dang Popovich... Terrible.
