This game was all on McHale. Sub patterns and rotation is questionable at best. Understanding matchup problems is coaching 101. Making sure your players are fresh and does not get cold is coaching 201. McHale needs to go back to remedial coaching.
ISO ISO ISO ISO no ball movement in the 4th lost the game . Hardens decision making and waiving off screens from the bigs pissed me off. This idiot needs to realize he isn't melo, kobe, dwade, or curry. His offensive game is limited by his average ballhandling and non athletic style of play.
Our pay roll compared to the Lakers, Heat, Spurs, Thunder, and so what we can win a couple of games during the regular season, but to advance in the playoffs.... you pay for what you get.
If the Rockets management wanted OKC to get more exposure, what happened in the past few games makes sense. Mchale knew too well that he couldn't lose the game with team ball. The team's just too talented that he had to go ISO to lose it. This is where Harden came in for the dirty work and took the blame. After all, he's the max player. Everything would have gone as planned until Lin began to take control. Knowing that Lin could really win the game forced Mchale to bench him before he went Linsane. P.S.: Did any of you guys pay attention to foreign exchange market? Every time some top US officials come out voicing their support for strong USD, USD plummets. When Mchale announced the team was trying to win the remaining games, I was wondering if the team were going to tank (like USD) and then before you knew it, we got 8th seed.
Its not so much about him applying that bad of an offensive system, its rather more about his inability to readjust DURING the games...he even said in one interview that he is more focusing on the preparations to the games and not on outcoaching his counterpart on the court.
Yep, you force this team to actually execute half court sets late in games and they are awful. Also, inexperience. On three possessions where we could've taken the lead back/or extended the lead we turned the ball over. We made the Lakers miss and we didn't make them pay. This is only going to get worse as the playoffs go on. Growing pains of a young team. This is the stuff we have to go through to get better.
One word: Mcfail We won't go far even with Dwight Howard in our team if Mcfail is still our coach next year.
Why do people blame Harden for the iso's though? These are the plays that McHale draws up he is just executing?
ISO McFail Benched in the 4th quarter Sticky ball Turnovers Why do we see such things repeat and repeat all season long? I guess it is all lin's fault.
What plays? The Rockets dont have one single play in their theoretical playbook. "They" (whoever we want to blame) weren't getting the defensive rebound which led to "Them" (whoever we want to blame) not pushing the ball enough in transition enough, and "Them" (whoever we want to blame) not moving the ball around enough to get the defense to move enough. Its on McHale to get through to these kids to do these things, but its not like he wasn't telling him, or didn't want them to do these things when he was coaching them to do in timeouts. Harden and McHale are the star & coach of this team so ultimately they are going to get the blame, and the glory naturally. However, anyone whose followed this team since November 1st really shouldn't be surprised that the Rockets are having serious trouble in a "playoff style" basketball game. The team just isn't designed right now to win games in that half court style of basketball. When Bill Simmons called the Rockets offense Gimmicky, I got what he was getting at. Its true. This team wouldn't be in the playoffs if they tried to play the way you have to play to ultimately compete in the half court. Maybe next year. Right now, Im just hoping for a competitive series if the Rockets can somehow find ways to allow OKC to hurt themselves, and just pray to the basketball gods that they go crazy offensively. Everyone blames either McHale or Harden now, but I think in a year or two, both guys will grow significantly when this team develops a more sustainable identity, and has a much more well rounded roster to compete in the half court when needed. Just my 2 cents. Not trying to make excuses for Mchale. Just trying to put things into context long term.
McHale should have put this guy on the floor. <iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/bLpQs65CQVU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
So then draw up a play though? Like is Harden breaking plays or something? I am so confused by this. Like some people are saying that Mchale tells Harden to drive in those last possessions but he just doesn't listen & instead chucks up a 3. I am genuinely confused. If the ball is sticky draw up a play to prevent that, I have seen McHale draw up solid plays out of timeouts before. The Rockets do have some plays in there playbook though. And I have seen games where McHale draws up a nice play to get a good look in late game situation. I don't know what to say. Like I don't really blame anybody for this loss. I just think the moment was to big for our young guys & DH12 was insane on defense last night. His recovery on Lin in transition to knock the ball off his foot was insane. I don't even think that McHale should be fired. Like my issue with him is that I haven't seen any growth much season. He still rests guys way to long, is a step behind a lot of coaches, goes small from a position of weakness not strength, substitution patterns are poor etc. But he has been making the same mistakes from the beginning of the season all the way to the end. Maybe next year when he finally has familiarity with his players & can maybe earn there trust a little bit more etc. we will see some growth from him, And I totally agree our offense is gimicky. it is high scoring but in terms of complexity it is very simple. And why the Rockets went away from there running game is beyond me, we just struggled to get stops & defend. I always wondered whether a more structured offense would be better for such a young team. Typically you have a more free flowing offense when you have a PG like Deron Williams or Chris Paul etc. But when you have young guys like Lin & Harden asking them to make all the decisions maybe to much responsibility. Sigh so depressing. I am really dreading playing OKC it isn'y going to be pretty at all.
Try: 1. James Harden iso, run down clock to about 3 seconds, and then jack up a terrible 3. 2. No ball movement in the second half of the game 3. Carlos Delfino guarding Gasol in the 4th 4. James Harden trying TOO HARD to be the big shot
