I found it very surprising that they both seem so close, smiling at each other. Trob in the Coach's face excited about the win even before the buzzer goes off. Coach spending time after practices with him and then telling the media how his enthusiasm on the bench is helping. I am surprised by this. Especially considering reports out of Sactown were he wasn't working hard enough. That clearly doesn't seem to be the case here. He may not be the quickest learner but I do not question his effort. And part of me wonders if the Coach has developed a closeness with Trob because of their losses and maybe taken him personally under his wing. Trob's story is one of the saddest in the league. He has so much to be grateful for given his talent but to lose his whole family in less than 1 month and only be a couple of years removed from that entering the this big overwhelming league must be very difficult for him to say the least. And certainly Coach Mchale can emphatize with that more than almost any other coach in the league. With the recent loss of his daughter the deep pain of that wound is still very present for him on a daily basis and most certainly Trob knows that pain. I remember reading his story, how after Thomas' mother died his coach asked him is there anyone he can call and Trob in tears says "They're all gone". No one can understand the depths that pain having not experienced it. Yes you can feel bad for him but it's not the same as having that unrelenting sorrow in your heart that no matter what happens it is still there. I think Coach McHale has that same pain and shares that with Trob and it has caused a closeness between the 2 that may not otherwise have existed. Maybe or maybe not but one thing is for certain Trob is playing with an enthusiasm that is hard to believe considering how easily he was disgarded by Sac. He seems very happy to be here and will only get better and I for one am already calling this trade a big win for the Rockets but maybe more importantly it may be a bigger win for Trob. He has a new family.
His inability to space the floor threw us out of whack tonight but I thought he had his moments defensively. Overall I think his energy's been pretty good.
Yeah, the interview with Robinson made it seem like McHale was really going out of his way to help him develop. But I don't know if that has anything to do with their personal losses. Dmo has also said in an interview that McHale has been helping him a lot. And Lin said he was texted everyday when McHale was dealing with what he was dealing with and that throughout his career he's never had communication with a coach like he has with McHale. I just think that's his coaching style. He's passionate and wants to work closely with all of his players.
yeah I agree. Him and smith do not belong on the court together right now. But while he may never be a 3 point shooter, he can hit the 15 footer and like Scola found the right spacing he could learn that also.
Yes I agree that is kind of McHale's M.O. but having lost a father, sister and brother well before their times I know that pain and nothing else is quite like it. Accept maybe losing a child and I can't really imagine that. McHale can. And my guess is his aware of TRob's tragedy and being aware he probably has discussed it. Even if only for a moment. It's the human element of Coach.
Lee was just crapping on everyone. T-Robb is Derrick Favors 2.0. Decent size, very athletic, can rebound and play D, don't expect an offensive game from him this season. If he can just continue to rebound, run and play D, he'll contribute to many wins.
I can see where you're coming from. Whether he's doing it because of that or not, that type of coaching is probably good for Robinson. Dealing with stress and grief like that then being placed in an environment where you are losing and unhappy must have been a crappy feeling. I think he'll turn out well for us, and if not us then some other team. He has too much talent and drive to fail.
It is really sad how TRob lost two of his grandparents then his mom in less than a month. I think his only immediate family is his 10 yo sister. McHale just lost his daughter and TRob lost his mom (and grandparents). It's only human natural to feels like a father figure toward TRob.
You could see it on TRob's face last night, when the mistakes happened he took brief moments to show disgust, but at the same time he was quitting on the play. If he can fix that along with other things, like many have said the potential is there, but that frustrated me the most, yes you blew it a few times but, get back, don't pause and have a selfish moment to hang your head. That really made me question him. Wish we could see Jones some.
TRob has a sister, so it is not that he lost his entire family although he did go through a lot of pain with the passing away of his mother and grandmom. But that should all be behind him by now. I cannot believe he is a lazy worker by nature, may be it is just the Smart/Cousins type of influence in a losing proposition like the Kings. McHale can teach him a lot of big man skills, and it all depends on how fast TRob can learn and actually apply on the floor - no, he is not a reliable shooter 15 feet out.
True. The one reason I may entertain why McSuccess should stay on as coach is that he actually understands T-Rob and may well be the one that can develop his huge potential, like he did with another of his close friends, Garnett.
I tend to think this too. You can really tell from how our players have developed. Parsons, DMo, Asik all improved dramatically. I have no doubt Robinson will develop his offense like all our other bigs. He also seems to be a naturally good defender. Certainly someone who, with development, can provide some interior D for when Asik is on the bench.
The coaching staff has been really good at developing players. Even Marcus Morris is showing that he is better than his brother in Phoenix.
Well to be honest "spacing the court" is actually the least of his problems. He can work on his jumper till his arms fall off but it'll be really hard for him to be a better floor spacer than say Delfino or Parsons. Rather than working on his shooting and becoming a poor man's version of D-Mo, I think he's better served honing what he's already good at, namely defense, rebounding and maybe paint protection/shot-blocking. I'm not saying he shouldn't work on his shot. But as a rookie wanting to contribute something to the team this season, I think he should just try to polish the things he already has a talent with. Then in the summer he can work on his jumper and post moves.
Interesting thought. I think he'll get better and better, particularly with a team emphasis on his development, with a coach (and coaches) willing to call him out and correct his mistakes and celebrate when he gets things right and plays well. Just not sure if this is the right time for the team to experiment with him and wait for him to transition into the system, or whether we would prefer to focus on tried rotations (from earlier this season, the extent of our continuity). However, we don't really have anything set at the 4 - constant flux - so it might be ideal to push him through an accelerated learning curve and as others mentioned, just expect the high-energy play and get the essentials right (defense, rebounding). Don't think it's wise to judge his play based on a few games as he tries to get assimilated into the system. Morey must have seen something of long-term value.. IMWT!
