First of all, no I don't think McHale can learn to be a better coach. He's been at this five years dating back to his days with the T'Wolves. He is what he is. You either think he's a good coach who can lead this team to a title or you don't. But to think over the next few months he's suddenly going to become skilled at X's & O's, in-game adjustments, and teaching players how to run efficient offensive sets and play lockdown defense is extremely naive. Now to your other point regarding young teams growing over time. Let's focus on the example of the Thunder. In the 2009-10 season, they finished 50-32 and were the 8th seed. They lost to the #1 seed, the Lakers, in the first round in 6 games. Not too different from the 2012-13 Rockets who were also a young, inexperienced team who went 45-37, were the 8th seed, and lost to the #1 seed, the Thunder, in the first round in 6 games. BTW, it should be noted that Scotty Brooks was only in his first full season as OKC's head coach that year. The following season, 2010-11, the Thunder improved upon their previous year's regular season performance by going 55-27 and finishing with the 4th seed. So far it sounds very similar to the 2013-14 Rockets who went 54-28 and also finished with the 4th seed. Here's where the similarities end though. The 2011 Thunder beat the Nuggets 4-1 in the first round and the Grizzlies 4-3 in the second round before falling to the Mavs in the Western Conference Finals 4-1. I don't think I have to remind you how the Rockets did in the postseason this year. So that's where I part company with the Rockets front office with the whole "let these young guys grow together" strategy. If I saw any actual growth from 2013 to 2014, I'd be fine with that. But we didn't see that. We saw the exact same outcome this year. A first round loss in 6 games despite having home court advantage, a weaker opponent than the Thunder, and adding Dwight Howard to the team.
It took Doc Rivers 9 years as a head coach to win more than 44 games in a season, at it is widely accepted that he has improved greatly. It took Lionel Hollins 6 years to win more than 46 games. It took George Karl 6 years to win more than 42 games. Coaches do get better with more experience. McHale has been a head coach for only 4 full seasons. The Rockets won 9 more games, and lost 3 close games in the playoffs to a team that was only 1 seed below them and had 1-2 less wins. Do I think the Rockets should have won the series? Yes, I think 7 out of 10 times they win that series. Should Doc Rivers be fired if the Clippers don't get past the second round? Del Negro got them to the second round, and they only won one more game than last year. The Rockets have not confirmed that McHale is coming back. That can mean several things. The Rockets are shopping for other coaches (I don't believe it), McHale isn't sure he wants to come back (possible) of the Rockets just haven't gotten around to announcing it. Have you looked at the coaches available? You figure out how to get Thibs, Pop or Carlisle on the Rockets sideline, let me know..... otherwise we are talking about a lateral move.
For those campaigning for Horford, that's probably a pipe dream. We'd most likely get Millsap. I personally think the Rockets brass needs to sit down with Dwight and talk to him about anybody he would want to bring in.. I also think they need to come to terms about possibly trading some of our current guys for better guys. I assume that may have played a role in determining whether we traded Parsons at the deadline or not. I think we need to emphasize to Dwight that in order for us to win, we are gonna have to get rid of guys. I like the idea of Carmelo, but that doesn't solve our main problem. Granted he can play PF, it's not like he can defend at that position. Besides, we wouldn't have a lot of flexibility financially if we signed him. Our bench would have to be almost the same.. Here's what I think we should do: Trade Lin, Asik, Parsons for Rajon Rondo Sign Luol Deng, Gordon Hayward, or Trevor Ariza Sign Pau or PPatt Bring up Covington to play backup 3. Sign Okafor for half MLE. Sign Ben Gordon for other half of MLE. Hire Mike Brown or Lionel Hollins as assistant to McHale
Mchale was never a good coach and will never be one in the future. His role here is to take orders from Morey, and that's why he still has a job. Young teams can grow into something special like OKC, but the big difference is OKC's best players are better than our 2 best players. Plus they've done a considerable job filling out they're roster, way better than we have. If Morey's comparing our situation to OKC's then he's past delusional at this point. Two totally different young teams I think your giving Morey too much leeway. How do we know what our depth will be? And even with depth, what if we're grossly outcoached in the postseason like we were this year? Nothing is guaranteed. I think what it boils down too is Daryl Morey being insanely stubborn and not wanting to admit his Moreyball philosophies and analytics approach not being championship basketball. He simply refuses to give up control, even if it sets the team back
People continue to have no idea what the Moreyball/analytics approach is. And it absolutely is championship basketball. http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=u3jY3TcCqGU http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/mi...6/how-advanced-stats-changed-chris-boshs-game http://www.sloansportsconference.com/?p=10849
This site and media in general are too concerned with the minor pieces i.e. Lin, Asik, and Parsons instead of the real problems with this team which are 1) Harden growing up (not quitting, not leading, not trying to defend, deflecting criticism) 2) McHale improving as a coach. Coaching matters in the playoffs and McHale too often looked lost and his team played lost as well basically all year. No excuse for letting Aldridge go off in two straight games and no excuse for allowing harden to basically dog it on defense for 2 straight years. There is no accountability on this team. 3) Rockets bench is too young. Rockets need vets who can contribute. Morris, Delfino, Patterson, Douglas are players that cant start for a great team but they are great bench players for a great team. Lin and Asik are not enough and its not fair to them that they played with players who honestly arent that good or too young. (Omri, Cisco, D-mo, Canaan) 4) Rockets need an offensive identity and 3 or 4 plays that they run all the time. When its crunch time in the playoffs you cant just depend on talent. Guys need to know what they are supposed to do and what everyone else is supposed to do. When the pressure is on, guys dont have time to try and figure out who wants the ball...just run the play. If the defense traps, or fronts the post, or doubles the post, are zones up etc it shouldnt matter because the Rockets should practice and run this play all year and no what to do. 5) Rockets need to gain experience. Everyone can point out Harden's, Lin's, Parson's and Jones' faults like i just did but honestly those guys are really young NBA wise. They will make mistakes. The Rockets really just need time to grow, learn from mistakes, develop confidence, skills and leadership. The ongoing drama of trade rumors and random dreams of creating a super team dont really help this team. Melo, Rondo, Love...geesh when will it stop. Enjoy what we have, which is alot. ***If Lin did what Paul did two nights ago, we would never hear the end of it. That was pretty much the dumbest sequence of events ive ever seen in a playoff game and Paul is a perenial all star. Just wanted to put the hate on Lin in perspective. Dude is on OUR team, why the hate? He's the new Kenny Smith. For the kids on this site, Kenny was always hated. When he had 3 pts, why doesnt Cassell start. Kenny is terrible, but then Kenny would drop 8 threes and win playoffs game and it was oh i love Kenny. I guess fans just need someone to hate. Hate on Haters but dont kid yourself, you were lovin' game 5 when Lin went off. Go Rockets Jameis Winston 2015 Texans
Here's another thing to ponder.. If we were to get Carmelo, there are still holes on this team that would need to be filled.. I don't think Bev, Harden, Parsons, Melo, Dwight would work at all. Carmelo would get eaten alive by the PFs in the west. It wouldn't solve our defensive problems at all. Besides, with Harden, Dwight, and Carmelo, we'd have no flexibility cap wise.. at all. We'd have to trade Harden or Dwight to create space. Depending on what we got in return, I'd be okay with trading Harden if it meant filling holes in our offense and defense. If it went down like this, I don't think I'd mind at all.. Lin/D-Mo to Philly for one second rounder this year and a future second rounder. Asik to anywhere for two future first round picks. Rockets sign Carmelo Anthony with cap space. Trade James Harden and Chandler Parsons for Love and Rubio. Lineup: Rubio/Bev/Canaan Sefelosha ($2.5 MLE)/Daniels or Cisco Carmelo/Covington/Salmons or Granger (vet min) Love/T-Jones Dwight/Okafor ($2.5M MLE)/Camby (vet min) This would be a championship contending team my friends.. I doubt it happens because I HIGHLY doubt Morey would ever trade Harden.. but ya know it'd be sweet to see.
I think that argument is reasonable if Howard can still be at his prime even after 3 or 4 years. Would you waste those precious 2 years of Howard's prime just to wait for McHale to "develop"? Hmmm... Lateral move you say. Now that's where we can have our arguments. McHale, after 4 years of coaching should at least know to adjust and devise last second plays. Every good coach even if he's just a beginner should have that last second play and McHale doesn't even have it. I've watched the whole playoffs and his last second play just consists of ISO or "just play hard" stuffs. Don't you get tired of that? WTH, even Kidd devised last second plays better than McHale ever did.
Not that McHale is the next Red Auerbach, but when your best bench player (other than Asik) is a rookie call up from the D-League, what does that tell you about the depth on this team? I get the McHale hate, but people on here severely overestimate the talent on this roster behind Harden & Howard. I love Parsons & Lin, and think the future is bright for guys like Jones & D-Mo, but lets be honest about their capabilities to help them win you a championship for a few seconds please. It is a critical off-season indeed. Maybe Morey did strike out at the chance to upgrade the coaching seat (even though he's obviously looking to upgrade the supporting staff), but I think the more pressing issue is how he's going to get better talent around Harden & Howard quite honestly.
No kidding. We need to upgrade our starting point guard (I think Bev should back up the starter, and that the starting point shouldn't be Jeremy, although I like the fellow) and we need to get a solid, veteran 4, even if we have to move Jones, would I'd like to see coming off the bench. If Bev and TJones were coming off the bench, our bench immediately improves, and our weakness there was exposed against Portland, in my opinion. Get a good backup for Howard and a defensive wing to come off the bench and we're good to go. Not asking too much of Morey, am I. ;-)-
First of any fan that's being honest with them self knows that any real coach that is serious about winning a championship would emphasis defense day one in training camp in the beginning of the season. MCHALE failed right there. You take most of the rockets bench and give them to Popovich and I guarantee you they would be rotational players in the playoffs that produce. MCHALE is not a coach that makes players better within a system of coaching which he doesn't have. This team won 54 games off pure offense don't give me the BS that our bench was that terrible when Portland clearly had a worst bench than us. All about how you develop and play talent within a system that caters to player's strengths.
It took Lionel Hollins 6 years to win more than 46 games. It took George Karl 6 years to win more than 42 games. Coaches do get better with more experience. McHale has been a head coach for only 4 full seasons. The Rockets won 9 more games, and lost 3 close games in the playoffs to a team that was only 1 seed below them and had 1-2 less wins. Do I think the Rockets should have won the series? Yes, I think 7 out of 10 times they win that series. i just dont think this type of thinking makes any sense because you are not factoring in that we have the best player in two different positions, last night when the thunder went back to the huddle it wasnt scott brooks who was talking ,( i actually dont know who it was but it was probably their assistant coach)...iam not against having mchale back just for the fact that the players including our superstars LIKE playing for him, weather that is because they are not being held accountable for anything is another story But there is NO way we should retain Mchale WITHOUT having a top notch assistant coach, and iam not saying a defensive coach because eventhough our defense is what looks lost most of the time our Offense late in games when turnover dont happen often and we cant run (playoffs) is always stagnant ...Mchale is a likeable coach, but he has no clue how to draw up a play in the last 2 minutes to save his life weather it be offense or defensive.... My perfect scenerio is to have 2 top assistants one for the O and one for the D, i know that is asking ALOT but les can pony up he needs to be told by morey that this is ESSENTIAL for us to make a deep playoff run, or else we wont be going anywhere..
Here is my ideal and semi realistic offseason: -On draft day send Lin, Dmo and our #1 pick to the 76ers in exchange for their cap space. -Ask Garcia to decline is player option, with a promise to resign with vet minimum exception. -Waive Casspi and Covington's non guaranteed deals. -Send Omer Asik to Boston for the Pierce TPE and the 2015 LAC #1 pick, and 1 2nd round pick. -New York SnT Melo to us using our capspace for 4 years ~90 million, in exchange for the picks received in the Asik trade. -Offer MLE to Trevor Ariza -Offer BAE to Emeka Okafor -Sign Cisco Garcia to the vet minimum -Sign Aaron Brooks to the vet minimum -Sign Omri Casspi to the vet minimum -Sign Robert Covington to the vet minimum 2014 Roster: Beverley / Brooks / Canaan Harden / Daniels / Garcia Parsons / Ariza / Casspi Melo / Jones / Covington Howard / Okafor
NY isn't in a great position to demand much since Carmelo can be a FA and essentially leave NY for nothing.
True, but we aren't the only team pursuing Carmelo. A late 1st round pick and a 2nd round pick in the 2015 draft isn't a strong offer. Other teams can easily offer more.
No team is going to offer the Knicks anything of value for Carmelo if he is going to opt out and become a FA this summer. They would be throwing away assets. If the Knicks wanted value, they should have traded Carmelo at the trade deadline.
