Maybe Rockets need to invest in a new coach? I'm starting to trend this way after talking myself into being patient with McHale. Instead of the usual step back that we take, it sounds like we took five vs Pacers.
i avoided this thread for a while, but at this point in the season (not because of last nights game) to be where we are is unacceptable. we have enough talent to be a top 3 seed. the offense, while rated very highly, is predictable, and that makes it hard to execute in late game situations and win close games. the defense has been pedestrian. with karl and mcmillain available, i'd rather go with one of those next offseason. lionel hollins would be a great choice except that he was fired for not being on board with advanced stats, and wanting to play a slow pace. not a good fit here but great coach.
Let me know if you get any feedback on your Karl comment. I suggested the same some time ago and got told that I was a 2012 LOFer for asking for it.
I'd prefer George Karl since he'd have them playing good D without neglecting the offense. But either one would be a massive improvement over what we've currently got.
I've always thought we could do better at coach. McHale is charismatic and I think that's why he originally got the job. That and the fact that the Rockets were rebuilding and no one ever thought they would land Howard and Harden and get back to competing again so quickly. My biggest problem with McHale is Morey has a system that I believe works and yet McHale is either to slow to implement it and/or doesn't really believe in it. It just makes sense to put in a Morey guy. Unfortunately I think Les likes McHale and that's why he is still around. That being said a coach isn't going to make things better right now. Last night was not so much the coach's fault as much as it was the better team beating up on team without all it's players and George embarassing Harden and Harden being to stupid and stubborn to not listen to McHale and move the ball instead of making it personal and trying to go mano a mano with him. Honestly I think very few coaches can get thru to Harden when he is like that.
You'll never get through a player on a one game basis. You have to show him every game that if he doesn't play the way the coach wants him to play, you're not going to play. Just like McHale couldn't get through Harden down the stretch last year because he let him get away with it for the whole season up to that point. The thing is, McHale may not have been in a position to do it last year (mediocre coaching track record vs superstar), but this year he at least has two superstars that he can leverage against each other, and Dwight has been forthcoming about players needing to put in more defensive effort (ie calling out Harden). Put it this way. If you know your boss catches you surfing Clutchfans every day during work hours and only calls you out when his boss catches you also, you know that your boss isn't very serious about calling you out. McHale is only serious about calling out Harden when he has a horrific loss that he needs to point the finger at someone else.
We have Dwight and our defense sucks.... We need a new coach. We can't run plays for sh... Out of time outs...... Need a new coach. Game management is not there, there is no plan ever......need a new coach. Anyone can tell a team to move the ball and be more aggressive on D... Let's find a coach that can teach it... Specifically.
George Karl is a good fit with Morey. Morey spends millions to provide players at the end of the bench that McHale just won't use. Morey prefers a style that is high pace. McHale plays 8 players and totally drains them. Karl plays high pace and a deep bench. Karl demands effort on both ends and doesn't have a special standard for star players. Having said that, I prefer a JVG/SVG combo that isn't likely to happen.
McHale is one of those guys that always says the right thing and rarely offends anyone, so its no surprise Les is smitten by him. He much like Isiah Thomas is living off his playing greatness and parlaying it into a cushy job on the other side of basketball. These guys are often a detriment to their organization. People will often give them a long leash because of what they accomplish as a player, so it can be a long time before they are seen as a net negative. McHale is not as bad as Isiah of course but he is not someone you want running a team in any capacity. Let's take a jog down memory lane and visit McHale great accomplishment as a VP, GM, and Head Coach. Good- Drafting Kevin Garnett Bad- Failing to surround him with talent Really bad- Trading Ray Allen for Stephon Marbury. Really really bad- Trading Sam Cassel for Marco Jaric- Marco who you ask? Jaric was a joke, and was yet another McHale player who didn't develop as planned. On top of that, the trade involved a condition in which the Wolves would surrender their first-round draft pick if it was a lottery pick. That has to be one of the worst trade stipulations in history. It gets better.....The Wolves selected Brandon Roy sixth overall during the 2006 NBA Draft, only to trade swap him with Randy Foye, who the Portland Trailblazers selected seventh overall. Roy won Rookie of the Year during the 2006-2007 season. I've never liked McHale as a GM or head coach, and was horrified when the Rox brought him on as head coach. Now that he continue to show ineptitude, its really time to let him go.
^^ He was also responsible for some secret contract scandal that resulted in the Twolves forfeiting like 3-4 1st rd picks. I'm hazy on the details but it was a crippling blow.
McHale wont get fired. Les will just not extend his contract when it expires after this season or next if he picks up the option. Not extending McHale's contract is not firing according to Les when he did not extend Adelman
Good memory...McHale worked out a secret deal with Joe Smith, where Smith agreed to sign three one-year deals with the Wolves for below his market value. In return he recieved a promise that the Wolves would sign him to a multi-year deal before the '00-01 season. David Stern found out and voided Smith's contract, making him a free agent. Stern also took three of the next five first round draft picks from the Wolves. With one of their picks, McHale selected Ndubi Ebim, who is probably the biggest bust of McHale's picks.
