A few interesting observations:

I have solved the riddle "Why do the Rockets have 369 fewer shots than their opponents this season".

Looking as basic stats we observe the following per game box score:



The Rockets are currently -105 in turnovers, - 59 in offensive rebounds, -50 in steals, and +145 in two shot trips to the free throw line. This adds up to 363 fewer shots than their opponents. kuku you owe me a rep.

Does Morey read Clutch Fans?

Yes Morey posts on CF. He has responded to two of my posts and looking back at his history he limits his posts to stats based threads. Don't bother asking for his user name. I won't be providing it.

Who is the best player on the Rockets roster?

Right now it is Harden, however it would not surprise me at all if Howard overtakes Harden in the next few months. The entry passes have improved. If you think back 3 years ago there was significant debate as to whether Howard or James was the best player in the NBA. Note: I have no opinion on the subject.

Will the injury bug continue to affect the Rockets?

Major injuries begets injury. Just look at WB, Rose and Kobe. So, while I have not run the numbers, IMHO the Rockets will probably be healthier as the season wears on. It seems to be small sprains and tweaks that are affecting the ROckets. Except for Asik. Who knows?

How does McHale and his staff rate as coaches?

The most controversial question. I have shown that during this season the team coming out of offensive time outs scores at an above average rate. I have also shown that calling time outs late in the game is counterproductive because the defense actually benefits more from a timeout than the offense. So don't give me your shallow opinion on the subject. Just go by the statistical analysis. The roster is obviously happy with the coaches. Anything more is entirely supposition and not based on any fact. OK. Go ahead and whine and cry people. You have no argument other than your damned opinion. Opinions mean nothing.

Should we be surprised at Howard's awful FT shooting?

Only if you just started paying attention to the NBA. He is around his career average for FT%. Don't hold your breath for any improvement.

How did Morey do this off season filling in roster spots?

Morey, under the current CBA, had no money to spend. If a player was not willing to sign for the vet minimum Morey could not sign them. OK Morey had one small $2.1M option, but it was obviously not large enough for the Rockets to spend the money on any takers.

 

Because they are listed as separate categories at stats.nba.com. And sir, you may have a good point.

 

Believe me the X's and O's out of time outs is not an opinion. I have posted statistically significant data showing that McHale is performing well. And I neither see nor hear of any information that McHale is not respected and admired by the players. And what else did I assert?

 

Do you know where I can access that information? I would find it important. I too have wondered how they assign "tip" rebounding in box scores. Thanks.

 

You are of course exactly right. It was pointed out to me a couple of posts ago. I do appreciate your careful reading of my post. Do you have any sources for possessions after a block? Thanks.

I did manage to remove the and-1 free throws from the data. I could not figure out how to remove the technical foul shots from the data.

 

Yeah, defensively the Rockets have had significant problems after timeouts. But for the life of me, I cannot figure out how to blame the coaching staff for this problem. These players have been instructed for their entire organized basketball life to make sure that every opponent is tagged on an in bounds play. Go figure.

Respect and admiration of a head coach must certainly be at the top of every GM's list when it comes to hiring or retaining a head coach. The term "losing the locker room" is just double speak for a head coach being ignored by his roster. A sure sign of imminent termination. McHale ranks very high in this category. The roster seems to love him as a coach.

Timing of time outs is obviously important. But I cannot get that data without watching hundreds of NBA games. Morey may have that data, and by extension McHale, but I doubt if.

 

Good questions. I personally do not believe that Morey hired McHale to be an X's and O's coach. Les seems to have no budget restraints on the coaching staff salaries. The Rockets hire the best assistant coaches on the market. If McHale handed the clip board over to an assistant coach on every time out I would be fine.

IMHO what was McHale hired to accomplish as a head coach? My remembrance of the hiring was that Mchale was termed a "leader of men". He seems to have accomplished that goal well. He is liked and respected by his staff and the players. Mchale was hired to be a delegater. McHale is the consummate delegater. Morey does overall team strategy. The assistant coaches sometimes take the clipboard during time outs. McHale does not have a "my way or the highway" attitude. McHale was implicitly hired as the face of the franchise. He has acquitted himself well in that role.

Basically McHale is a "by committee" advocate. A company man. I am confident in McHale's decisions because I believe that they originate not from some egocentric man, but from the organization as a whole. If the decision fails, then at least it was a group decision.