I'd actually like to see what McHale could do. Celtics seem to make good coaches (see Larry Bird, Rick Carlilse, Danny Ainge. Tho M.L Carr and Dennis Johnson were not too good lol). In terms of coaches, it seems like coaches with playing experience tend to do a better job (also easier for them to gain respect of current players). And out of our final 3, McHale is the only with NBA playing experience. He did a great job during his first stint in Minnesota. Flip Saunders got fired at 25-26, McHale took over and went 19-12. His second stint in Minnesota, Whitman got fired at 4-15, he went 20-43. But that team was horrible. Do not think that it is fair to judge his coaching ability on that short of a resume (two stints as an interim coach, one good, one not good). All I know is that Lawrence Frank would be a terrible choice (underachieved every year in New Jersey, surprised they kept him for almost 7 years) and anybody else would be decent.
I think someone else mentioned it in another thread, but I suspect that DM and Les have someone very specific in mind (perhaps Finch?) who they want groomed to be our HC in the future and McHale may be willing to do the grooming. Perhaps McHale may also be willing to sacrifice a few wins to give some of our younger, recently acquired, less experienced players PT. Whatever McHale said though, must have really impressed DM and Les.
I like mchale and the strategy overrall. People keep saying mchale failed as a gm which I disagree with. He was average,but he drafted more all stars and traded for more all stars than morey. Garnett took balls to draft. He surrounded garnett with good talent,but because of the monster contract which most gm would've gave him,it really restricted .what they could do. Think about this, garnett is a 20 yr old all star on the serious uptick. There is no set max amount and he's about to become a free agent. Shaq just is about to sign for 30m per and kg is already regarded as the 2 best young big in the nba. What do you sign him for?
If McHale can in anyway influence Minnesota to trade the #2 or rights to Rubio, it would be worth it. Also, if Howard wants a big man coach in his next city, who better than McHale? If any of these three happen, it will be worth two years of bad basketball....We simply have to be A LOT better than we have been to compete for a title.
Which ended up costing Minnesota 3 first round draft picks and millions of dollars in fines if I remember correctly.
Kevin McHale will coach the Houston Rockets to an NBA championship. "Houston Rockets are in their 5th NBA Finals appearance, led by coach Kevin McHale." Eh ...
It's really hard to blame that on the front office when our two best players have been hurt for the past 5 years. When the Rockets had Yao and Francis they went out and made a move that they thought would be an upgrade in tmac. When they realized that those two needed a third star they went out and got artest. Things didn't work out but it isn't like they weren't trying hard. Over the past decade I have never felt like the Rockets weren't making a serious effort to be as good as they could be minus the Jim Jackson trade that I really hated.
Kevin McHale has made some awful draft picks but the man knows big men and made a few great picks with Kevin Garnett, Kevin Love and Rasho Nesterović. When you consider that one of the Rockets most important objectives this offseason is to draft/sign a center, McHale only makes more sense.
He'll be our Doc Rivers. Our Rudy T. Our Phil Jackson. NBA championship coaches played in the NBA in the past. They'll get respect from the players. Even more respect because of his height and they won't look down on him. They'll listen and believe in the system.
We got him for his Minny connections. I have a feeling we're going to get our Pau Gasol pretty soon, whether it be Kevin Love or the number 2 pick.
Correct me if I'm wrong but wasn't Rudy T. our Rudy T.? Also That was one of the funniest things I've read in a long time.
I expect to either suck bad and get a high pick for next years stacked draft (or in the next few years), or the Rox need to top Rick's success with this squad to justify letting him go (45-55 wins and a playoff appearance at least during McHale's tenure. let's say 3-4+ years). If we don't get better or suck real bad and get a high pick, this coaching change will be a lost gamble/bone headed fail. (especially if we still stay mediocre and fans get pissed seeing Rick winning somewhere else.) Hopefully, whoever they finally pick, the glass will be half full on this one and it works out in the end. It may payoff long term and end up looked at as a great gutsy call, time will tell though.
Honestly. . . We have made a bunch of impatient lateral moves. The Artest move was a good gamble and it paid off. Before that . . the moves . . .based on results. . .were lateral at best Rocket River
