Feigen: Coach decision expected "today or tomorrow"

In detail? This isn't some convoluted 12 step process. lol.

"In his pocket" is a figure of speech. I don't think McHale will help us collude. However I do think Bird is McHale's friend. That might not mean he will gift us his players, but it means he will be more open to talking with us. Sometimes even if you are offering fair deals to teams, they do not take you seriously, especially if they see your last trades were Landry for Martin, Rafer for Lowry, Vspan for Scola. If I am an opposing Gm and Morey is calling, I would be extremely skeptical no matter what he is selling me. Most likely I just hang up the phone. Morey is the new kid on the block. I doubt many old schoolers in front offices trust him. McHale simply smooths things over and gets us in the door. Much like how Adelman smoothed things over with Sacromento and how we got so many deals done with the Kings. Morey is still the Gm and comes up with the trades, and does the negotiating. McHale just has more friends in more places. Not too hard to understand.

 

Bizarre, I guess the PR machine has worked its magic on clutchfans. most votes for the worst candidate, IMHO. "Effervescent" is till my favorite adjective use of all time. It's like calling Stephen A Smith "poetic," or Charlie Sheen "thoughtful," but whatev.

I will still cheer for the Rockets, as always. It's going to take some getting used to if K-Mac is on the sidelines though.

 

I've been rooting for anyone but McHale the entire time, so that must mean we're getting McHale. Just like I've been rooting for anyone except the Heat in the playoffs, that must mean the Heat are going to win it. I still have some hope.

Pugs

 

THIS. Like I said early on in this process (re: interviewing so many candidates), Morey and the Rockets are trying to build RELATIONSHIPS around the league.

The more ignorant people here seem to think that only GMs ever communicate with one another to facilitate trades, etc. The fact is, ANYONE in an organization can have an "in" with another team's front office that can help grease the skids to getting a deal done. Jerry West has been doing that for years, long after he stopped officially being a GM.

McHale is not my first choice for the job, but he definitely has the most (and best) relationships with other movers and shakers around the league. If Morey is looking for people to help in this area, McHale is a decent choice.

 

This. The Rox need to start networking.

 

I predict that Bill Simmons' first reaction will be to say that he convinced Daryl to hire McHale because there just wasn't enough unintentional comedy left in the NBA at this point. And then something like, "You're welcome, everybody."

 

There is no way of knowing this since we don't know all the trades that didn't go down. What we do know is having McHale can only help. Whether it is needed or not.

Because McHale hasn't coached enough for anyone to accurately judge his coaching ability. I'm not saying they don't care about that. Or that they aren't judging his coaching and philosophy. Just that it isn't enough to base their entire decision on. Having relationships across the league is just an added bonus that gives him a leg up. IMO.

 

Plus finch knows the offense that we ran...and is apparently a basketball whiz.

Seems like a perfect compliment.

Get the best defensive assistant you can find...and whats not to like?

At least on paper you got all you need... a head coach doesnt have to know the xoxos the way you would think...adleman might have know that really well..

But he gave the players freedom. Main job of the head coach is to keep the egos in check, motivate the players and settle them down when needed.

When you call a timeout and need a good offensive set...defer to your offenseive assistant.

I think it will work...esp...if we get headed appeal to gms and players because of WHO mchale is.

 

On the "he has relationships" front, can anyone describe his relationships beyond perhaps the Timberwolves (presumably not a strong tie at this point), the Celtics and the Pacers?

Honest question. I don't pretend to know NBA networks.

 

Building relationships by interviewing people then saying..."Well, you are not good enough, we want someone else"?

That is one messed up way to try to build a reputation or relationship around the league, IMO.

DD

 

I think a lot of people are at least partly right. I don't think a deal with McHale would get done if it was meant to just be a 2-year relationship. I think they like him as a basketball guy, generally, and expect he'll be able to contribute in some capacity in the long-term. So, he'll start at coach as regent and mentor for Finch, and then move somewhere in the front office. As a head coach, he doesn't have to be any more than 'good enough' since we won't be doing anything special for the next 2 seasons anyway.

I had been pessimistic about the idea of having a lame duck coach, with the usurper in the wings, but now I think it'll be alright. If the players know that Finch and McHale got each other's backs, and that McHale will still be with the organization even after his stint as coach, then there shouldn't be too much misalignment in interests.

 

I can't. But, from the way people talk about him it sounds like he's one of these guys who is charismatic and does a good job knowing everybody and keeping in touch. Some people have an affinity for networking.

 

It isn't a stretch to imagine he could have some positive impact on dealings with Dumars(Pistons), Paxson(Bulls), Otis Smith(Orlando) and others who played in his era. They may not be buddy buddy with him like those on the Celtic teams, but at the least they would be acquaintances with some familiarity with McHale.

 

I think the real question here should be: Who is the most *interesting* choice for the next Rockets coach?

Frank and Casey are run-of-the-mill guys, there is simply no way around that.

Whatever else McHale brings, he brings fame, accomplishment and notoriety - none of which the other two bring. And considering who he is, what his history is and his 'pedigree' (if you want to call it that), the idea that he would be both WILLING and EAGER to come to Houston is a big plus.

Run-of-the-mill guys are fine if you are coaching the Heat or the Mavs or the Lakers. Their 'spectacular' comes from the players on the court.

Here in Houston, we have some mighty fine young players, and the Ultimate Warriors in Chuck and Scola, and an annoyingly efficient scorer in Starvin' Marvin. But we don't have 'spectacular' like we had (briefly) with SF3, and for a little while with Yao and TMac.

The players are good enough and smart enough for the most part here to not have to rely so much on coaching. Let me clarify that: What I mean is, unlike, say, the Clippers or the Hornets or the Warriors or the Wizards or the Nets, teams like those, the players on our team are responsible enough and intelligent enough that they don't necessarily need a genius HOF coach sitting on the bench in order for them to reach their potential. It's the detail work of the coaching, the offensive and defensive assistants, the ones who put in the grind of developing the players, those are the guys who will most benefit this team.

This team has already been as successful as its level of talent is going to allow, given the lack of a premier 5 and also the level of competition in the West.

I think the path they are on is the right path, and honestly, any of the three coaches would end up being a plus hire. But it's all about talent on the floor. Find a plus 5 who will not be a dead weight on the offensive end, and it will be like a miracle on this team.

The head coach ALMOST might be an afterthought, as, ok, substitution patterns etc matter in-game, but there is no question that any new coach will be under serious directive to give the young guys as much time as humanly possible, so no matter who it is, we will probably have less to whine about than we did with Rick anyway on that front.

So then it really just comes down to: who is going to generate the most 'buzz', the most interest, the most chatter by the talking heads?

McHale by a landslide.

Hey, maybe he'll bring Jim Petersen back with him!

:grin:

 

What is more interesting is the money the Rockets will pay, or rather WON'T pay the next coach.

It is like going, ok, we don't want a great coach, let's see if we can get an also ran and just make do..

What a SUPER thing for us fans to enjoy !

DD

 

i would actually be okay with Morey as coach and McHale as GM. my how we have fallen far...

 

You must be new to the Rockets.....

DD

 

True, McHale's ability to actually do his prescribed job will be the single largest component of whether or not he gets the job. I'm simply commenting that his relationships around the league are a more-than-insignificant item to check off in the "pro" column of Morey's pro/con list.

Also, for the record, I do believe the general consensus of reports I've heard from various sportswriters (speaking about their conversations with coaches and front office execs around the league) that McHale is ACTUALLY A GOOD COACH. People just seem to have a very difficult time separating "McHale the Coach" from "McHale the GM". Yes, he assembled a mess of players around KG during the latter part of his tenure as GM. The fact that his record as a coach is not more impressive seems to be more an indictment of his ineptitude as a GM than his abilities as a coach. Reports are that his players loved playing for him and that he was a great motivator. If he's got the right "Xs and Os" people around him (see Finch, Chris), he should be fine.

And on the compensation issue, coaches get paid in a similar fashion to the way players get paid. The "established veterans" will almost always get paid more than the rookies. Coaches without much prior NBA head coaching experience will not get the big bucks that guys like Phil Jackson, Larry Brown and Rick Adelman get. Hell, last season's Coach of the Year--our own Scottie Brooks--was getting paid chicken scratch when he won the award. He was working on a two-year contract. AFTER winning the award, he got . . . a one-year extension. Not paying a head coach a huge amount of money is not a stinging indictment of how the team views that coach. It's just "paying market value".

 

@RealKevinMcHale
Chilllin' in the fifth with Bushwick Bill. Les has me on speed dial...call comin' any second.