Only Larry Bird was a great player in this list which further strengthens my argument. Great players don't have a track record of becoming great coaches. I really hope it can change with McHale.
So, what you're saying is that you're going to watch less Rockets games b/c McHale signed the extension? Is that what you're honestly saying?
Actually, it doesn't, because your argument is flawed as well. There are very few 'great' players to begin with, so the sample size you're drawing your conclusion from is way too little.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>McHale said extension talk took about two hours. He called Alexander last night to thank him, but said was not worried</p>— Jonathan Feigen (@Jonathan_Feigen) <a href="https://twitter.com/Jonathan_Feigen/status/547811915771031552">December 24, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Honestly what good coaches will be available at years end? George Karl? Pass. JVG? Doubt it. Mark Jackson? A joke. All of the good coaches are taken and this extension provides stability for your superstar James Harden. You don't want him going through several coaches in his prime.
Yes, but that's your argument. Mr. Morey did not say he "knows what it takes to be a great player." He said "he knows what it takes to win a championship." And that puts him in that category. Truth be told, many great players haven't really tried to become coaches- Stockton, Malone, Barkley, Olajuwon, Jordan, etc.- haven't really had the desire to become coaches. Besides, the one thing McHale has as a selling point to any player he coaches is that he knows exactly what it is like to be a player on the bench- in his case, a great player. You don't think he uses that approach in talking to players who might be unhappy with a bench role? Of course he does- it would be the first thing I would bring up with them. In this area, his background is invaluable. I don't profess to know about Xs and Os- from what I've read, non-greats like Spoelstra and semi-greats like Tomjanovich weren't great X and O guys, either- but they coached teams to championships.
Milk Hair turned around his career the same way the Beard did this year: Defense. I am happily shocked.
This. Plus he doesn't have to be a great coach to coach the team to great results. I prefer the way GSW does it, Kerr might not be that great of a coach really, it's that his assistant staff is very good and he is sort of in a coach manager role.
So for all the people who think this is strictly because McHale's a great guy, has improved etc. explain me this: why did Adelman not get an extension? This is all about Morey and McHale being his b****, nothing more, nothing less! I'm even more pissed now that Adelman was let go since that guy did a lot better with less than this guy. I like McHale as a person, but with Howard & Harden, it's not that hard to have a great record.
Like I said, I hope this move works out, I'm just not overjoyed about it. I feel they could have waited but oh well.
Exactly! He has two top 10 players for goodness sake so you're going to win with two top 10 players. Playoffs are where coaching can be very crucial.
He would never be offered the job, but you'd have to believe JVG would give it serious consideration if asked.
Ha- yeah, I was being facetious in my signature, of course. Actually, come to think of it, I'd like to take an entire year and just live vicariously through all 3 Houston sports teams. Just zero ambition to advance my career, no losing weight or quitting other vices, just a lot of drinking and pizza eating and sports watching and being alternately euphoric and miserable.
I don't think anyone is arguing the fact that Adleman was opposed to Morey's philosophy which is why he was let go. McHale was brought in pretty green and open to the analytics side. In a way the Rockets have been able to mold him into their own instead of bringing in a seasoned head coach who would clash with management because he's used to doing things differently. Think of it from an employer's standpoint. Sometime they prefer to go with the inexperienced in order to shape them with their organizational values in mind instead of trying to change someone who would be less receptive (Adleman).
He didn't do a lot better. He got us past the first round once. In the playoffs, none of our coaches have truly done a great job since Rudy T. in 1997.
