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Justice: McHale would be intriguing gamble for Rockets

Discussion in 'Houston Rockets: Game Action & Roster Moves' started by J.R., May 9, 2011.

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  1. J.R.

    J.R. Member

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    McHale an intriguing gamble if Morey's willing to roll the dice


    [rquoter]When Rockets general manager Daryl Morey is asked about the qualities he's looking for in a head coach, he almost always begins with the same simple phrase.

    "A leader of men."

    If that's true, this will be an especially tough hire for someone who believes data — that is, data collected, studied and interpreted - offers the best assessment for rosters, strategy, coaching, etc.

    Problem is, there may not be enough data on earth to measure leadership and to figure out why some men can lead a group of men and others can't.

    With the Rockets' search for a new coach focused on three finalists - Lawrence Frank, Dwane Casey and Kevin McHale - Morey's ultimate recommendation to owner Leslie Alexander might not come down to something that shows up on a spreadsheet.

    I'm guessing Morey's head - and his spreadsheet - are telling him to hire Frank, a Celtics assistant who has far more head coaching experience than the other two candidates combined and is respected around the NBA for his preparation, organization and intelligence.

    Frank, 40, led the Nets to four playoff appearances and seems to be something of a Jeff Van Gundy clone in the thoroughness and seriousness with which he approaches the job. He compiled a 225-241 record as a head coach. Alexander's first two coaching hires were Van Gundy and Rick Adelman, so he clearly values experience.

    Casey, 54, would also be a conventional hire. He's a longtime NBA guy and highly regarded. He's only 53-69 in his time as a head coach, but he was put in a tough situation with the Timberwolves.

    'An NBA survivor'

    He also coached in Japan for five years and worked as an assistant for George Karl and Nate McMillan before joining Rick Carlisle's staff in Dallas. He's an NBA survivor, a favorite of almost everyone who knows him. His range of experience leaves few holes in his résumé .

    And there's McHale.

    He's the tough call. He's the unusual call. He's the guy who could make a general manager look brilliant. Or get him fired.

    When Morey parted ways with Adelman, he understood he might have been putting his job on the line. Bringing Adelman back would have been the safe move.

    "But," Morey said, "why have this job if you're not willing to take a chance?"

    Hiring McHale would be taking a huge chance. He's 53 and has little head coaching experience - 39-55 during two interim stints with the Timberwolves.

    ...
    ...

    McHale has presence. He's 6-10 and carries himself with the confidence of a guy who was a three-time NBA champion and one of the league's 50 best players ever.

    He has people skills, too, and is instantly likable and relentlessly positive. As a coach, he excelled as a teacher of fundamentals and was highly regarded by his players.

    The thing that makes him a risk is that most of his NBA experience has been as a player or front-office executive. But his buddy, Larry Bird, was a successful head coach because he understood the things he didn't know. He surrounded himself with people to help with scouting reports, strategy and the like.

    Alexander gets final say

    Bird brought to the table an impressive résumé and an understanding of what players want. McHale could be like that. His force of personality and experience as a star player make him an intriguing candidate.

    He's exactly the kind of unconventional candidate who might appeal to an unconventional general manager. He could also chase Morey right back to computer lab.

    Ultimately, the decision will be Alexander's. His previous coaching hires were safe choices, and McHale would be anything but.

    The Rockets have missed the playoffs for two straight years, but with salary-cap room, two first-round draft picks and a nice core of vet-erans, Morey will for the first time have an opportunity to upgrade the roster.

    He has been fearless about taking chances on players in his four years on the job. Is he willing to gamble on a coach as well? In the end, that's what this search ap-pears to have come down to.[/rquoter]
     
    #1 J.R., May 9, 2011
  2. rockets934life

    rockets934life Contributing Member

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    I have no really issue with Frank or Casey both are due for another chance and have an excellent defensive reputation. McHale is interesting, the guy can coach but hiring someone like him makes me think too short term and wasn't that the whole issue with Adelman? Makes no real sense to dump Rick for someone with his same mentality...assuming he does of course.
     
    #2 rockets934life, May 9, 2011
  3. HorneR

    HorneR Member

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    I think Casey's the safest move, but McHale may be the high-risk high-reward move this organization needs to make.
     
    #3 HorneR, May 9, 2011
  4. RX2012

    RX2012 Member

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    Mchale as a person: great person to be around
    Mchale as a coach: smart head but not really tough. Rockets need killer instinct.
    Mchale didn't do too well when he was doing things with the t-wolves, so i wouldn't put too much stock in it.
     
    #4 RX2012, May 9, 2011
  5. Jontro

    Jontro Member

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    I thought the Rockets were trying to get a young up and coming HC... I don't see how McHale would fit.
     
    #5 Jontro, May 9, 2011
  6. Htown's2kFinest

    Htown's2kFinest Member

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    If I was an NBA player, of the 3 coaches I would want to play for, McHale would be my choice. I like the other two coaches a lot but have a filling that McHale is the right guy for the job.
     
    #6 Htown's2kFinest, May 9, 2011
  7. A_3PO

    A_3PO Member

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    McHale would be at the bottom of that list for me. Do not want him.
     
    #7 A_3PO, May 9, 2011
  8. Old Man Rock

    Old Man Rock Contributing Member

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    NO! They just wanted to dump Adelman. I like Mchale. Of the three choices I him. I pick Adelman why over him.
     
    #8 Old Man Rock, May 9, 2011
  9. Spacemoth

    Spacemoth Contributing Member

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    Justice and McHale can both take their game of deuces down to the bottom of Lake Minnetonka. Buncha two-bit peckerwoods.

    Seriously did Richard Justice write this article in 2001 when Rudy was canned and just recycle it? Or maybe it's from 1911 and history is just repeating itself.
     
    #9 Spacemoth, May 9, 2011
    1 person likes this.
  10. jopatmc

    jopatmc Contributing Member

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    McHale and Lucas on the bench backing up Lawrence Frank, with McHale working with the bigs sounds great to me. Draft that Biyombo kid, let McHale teach him footwork and post moves, let Lucas work with nutballs like TWill, Frank run the defense,....whoops, where's the offensive coordinator?
     
    #10 jopatmc, May 9, 2011
  11. weslinder

    weslinder Contributing Member

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    You know who else was a leader of men?
     
    #11 weslinder, May 9, 2011
  12. OHMSS

    OHMSS Rookie

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    The best thing about McHale would be if the Rockets had big men to develop. He could certainly do that. But what big men do the Rockets have to develop? Morey seems almost to refuse to get a serious center.

    Perhaps if they hire Mchale it means that they finally intend to get a center. If a miracle happened and Yao became healthy and stayed that way, then McHale would be much better for him than Van Gundy and Adelman were.
     
    #12 OHMSS, May 9, 2011
  13. Raven

    Raven Member

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    Lawrence Frank
     
    #13 Raven, May 9, 2011
  14. Carl Herrera

    Carl Herrera Contributing Member

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    1. Interesting Justice brought up Larry Bird's stint: If McHale is a delegator like Bird maybe the thinking behind hiring him would be that he would be willing to let analytics-oriented assistants run more of the daily tasks and concern himself more with personality management and other "big picture" stuff. I remember Bird delegated heavily to his assistants (Dick Harter and Rick Carlisle, IIRC).

    2. I wonder how much McHale's gravitas as an elite player counts with today's players. Like the Lebron/Howard/Bird McDonalds commercial jokinly said, do guys who were born around the time Bird and McHale played really remember him?
     
    #14 Carl Herrera, May 9, 2011
  15. RudyTBag

    RudyTBag Contributing Member
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    McHale would be great for Jordan Hill.


    Fundamentals...
     
    #15 RudyTBag, May 9, 2011
  16. DonnyMost

    DonnyMost be kind. be brave.
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    McHale?

    Do not want.
     
    #16 DonnyMost, May 9, 2011
  17. dobro1229

    dobro1229 Contributing Member

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    Here is my pick and why -

    Kevin McHale -

    The one exception is he would need an exceptional, top of the notch supporting cast. I mean some real X's and O's geniouses. You really just need Mchale for three things

    -Relationships
    -Leadership
    -Face of the franchise

    I would have to admit, as much of a supporter and fan of Morey that I am, its time for him to take a back seat when it comes to addressing the media and alway having to be the guy who does all the press. The Rockets really need someone who can "pitch the franchise" to the country. Someone likable, and people really pay attention to accross the NBA landscape.

    With someone like that also comes great Relationships accross the NBA. In the state of transition that the Rockets are in at the moment, I cant think of a better person to bring in to help facilitate deals with the likes of Larry Bird, Joe Dumars, and Danny Ainge. When Kevin Mchale calls, these guys listen. He has excellent relationships and those will help facilitate any big deal the Rockets look to make in the future.

    With the current roster seeming to have a connection with Adelman and his coaching staff, it would make sense that you would want a natural leader to step in a win over your players in convincing fashion. Im not sure if he could do this overnight, but he should at least get the attention of this group very convincingly.

    Also, with the youth movement coming, and losing some veteran leaders like Battier, you really want your coach to be able to relate to the players from their level and be someone they really respect and listen to. Someone even....yes.... Terrence Williams will listen to.
     
    #17 dobro1229, May 9, 2011
    3 people like this.
  18. ArtV

    ArtV Contributing Member

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    I'd take any of the other 4 Celtic platyers over Kevin.
     
    #18 ArtV, May 9, 2011
  19. REEKO_HTOWN

    REEKO_HTOWN I'm Rich Biiiiaaatch!

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    [​IMG]
     
    #19 REEKO_HTOWN, May 9, 2011
  20. Prince

    Prince Member

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    not even an assitant coach....
     
    #20 Prince, May 9, 2011
    1 person likes this.
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