The track record is impressive: KG KLove Rasho Nesterovic as a Timberwolf TJones Donatas Now Josh Smith? Hell Dwight looks better offensively here.
I always thought McHale is better at teaching posting up than Hakeem because McHale had a more fundamental game. Hakeem was doing things on another level. Many big men today lack even fundamental post skills.
Hopefully he can groom Josh Smith to work those post skills. One takeaway from last night for me was that Smith wasn't looking to shoot from the outside really at all, aside from I think two instances (had to jack up the airball three, just wouldn't be right if he didn't). They kept giving him the ball just inside the perimeter which scared the hell outta me, but he drove to the basket nearly every time he touched it. Very encouraging. It's almost like he was taking all these jumpers in Detroit to spite someone.
I mostly agree with this. The problem with Hakeem trying to teach post skills is that he does things that other players simply do not have the capability to do. McHale (phenomenal post game) has skills that are much more teachable from a fundamental standpoint.
I agree on the shot selection. There were only a couple of shots that made me cringe. The difference may be as simple as who he is playing with. Here defenses heavily shade Harden and have to worry about Dwight. That creates driving lanes. The problem for the Rockets is that no one has been able to take advantage of that. To me, his post ups are a bonus since we can also get post ups from Dwight, D-Mo, and Howard too. The situation in Atlanta was more similar to the situation here. In Detroit, defenses were keying on him, which makes him more inefficient.
Goran Dragic? Patrick Beverley? Not sure how much McHale had a hand in them, but that's pretty good for a throw-in in a trade and a street FA.
Goran played better after leaving and Bev is more of a defensive specialist. I don't know what McHale whispered to Lowry, but it wasn't good.
Agreed. Smith definitely hesitated on a couple of long balls as if he was looking for an alternative to shooting it. Almost all of his shots were good shots to me, and his bad shots were mostly the bad kind anyone takes, from lack of options.
I'm shocked you'd say this as a long time Rockets fan. Dragic as a starter under McHale: 18ppg/3.4rpg/8.4apg/.612 TS% Dragic the next year, 14.7/3.1/7.4/.540 TS% Dragic in the year everyone was on his nuts, 20.4/3.2/5.9/.603 TS% Dragic this year, 16.3/3.3/4.2/.578 TS% Are you sure you watched the Rockets in 2011? Even at the time I thought he played better than Linsanity. 2nd-Team All-defense for a street FA is not impressive? Let's just agree to disagree Lowry pre-injury had basically the same season he had the previous year under Adelman. Was Adelman a bad coach in your opinion for PGs?
McHale hasn't had time to work with Josh though.. last night that was all Josh. Playing his game. But I do agree that McHale will make him a better/wiser player.
"Dragic in the year everyone was on his nuts, 20.4/3.2/5.9/.603 TS%" This is what I was referring to.
This is what I was referring to. If he played like that here he wouldn't have left. Thanks, big man whisperer.
“They think big of my talents,” Smith said. “This is a team that instills confidence in all of its players.” http://blog.chron.com/ultimaterocke...ockets-rally-past-grizzlies-in-ot/#27968101=0 McHale has a way of simplifying the game up for his players. With Josh, it was just "you're best when you're attacking". He knows guys will miss shots; don't worry about it. Rockets do emphasize taking the correct shots--shots that are not contested, and shots after ball movement.
I should add: In the Rockets philosophy, as long as you take good shots, sooner or later they will start falling. So even if we're shooting poorly from 3, they will not go away from it, well maybe just a bit. So Josh Smith will feel welcome here.
just another reason to hold tight onto D-Mo, A-capella and T-Jones. Sorry Black-T... someone had to go.
