Yup I'm not disagreeing with you. McHale just doesn't manage the minutes very well, even if we get the win. In the long run it bites us in the ass. I don't mind McHale as a coach this year for the most part, he has done decent, but I find that in new situations he doesn't make the right adjustments (learning curve too). Even if there is a 'read and react' system...in the playoffs this won't work as well. Coaching is pretty important in the playoffs.
I agree in that he's average. I call him a coach in training. He's learning as much out there as his players are. Problem is. If he's still learning next season it's a giant waste of THIS team's time. He's not suited to coach a contender (which I think this team will be NEXT season). I've heard from some people close to the Rockets that say he might even retire this summer. Would be happy to see him spend more time with his family.
Good post. I feel the talent of the roster was responsible for most of the wins, - but there are a bunch of games mchale did some good coaching to secure. but like you said, it isn't enough to go all the way. Is it really his last season? I'm surprised there's no thread on what coaches you guys want to see as the next coach, or some kind of poll.
Maybe the coach is doing some experimenting before the playoffs begin. He's trying to find out what works and what doesn't. I really don't have a problem with a little experimenting.
I agree, partly. It just seems like McHale has been experimenting with these things since he's been here. I don't believe that it is a great time to start playing around with things like that. Yes, we're injured, but McHale is the type of coach to try to be clever in a playoff game, or a playoff seeding game, and it has BACKFIRED so many times. I think he's just indecisive or downright uncomfortable with making matchup decisions. So many games have shown this deficit. Thank goodness for JB.
That's a pother example of poor coaching. He doesn't hold his player accountable. It's Lin's job to get better at guarding PGs, not Chandler's. It's Harden's job to get better at guarding SGs, not Chnadler's. It's a coaches job to teach and instill confidence. All McHale is doing is coddling and hurting player development.
I can't believe people are still defending this below average coach. Nothing has changed from when I started this thread. It remains obvious that our record is because of the talent Morey has acquired and is inspire of McHale not because of him. He is always a few plays late in taking timeouts or making substitutions. Just a poor, slow to react in game coach and come playoff time you need a coach capable of thinking on his feet not someone who sits on the side an claps claps and then makes changes when it's too late.
with a bench that gets turned over at every trade deadline, this is what you would expect the coaches to do. they can't invest time in developing the bench without knowing whether the bench will be the same after the trade deadline. and really, morey messes around the with the bench roster more than probably any other GM out there.
Sigh some pretty obvious facts about head coaching: Head coaches mean MUCH less to the success of the team than most fans believe. MIT-Sloan Conference. X'S and O's mean almost nothing. Even calling a timeout in late game scenarios benefits the defense much more than the offense. If a coach, any coach, did not call a timeout to set up the offense the team would be better off. Modern NBA head coaches are supported by assistant coaches one of whom will specialize in offense and one will specialize in defense. Head coaches no longer have to be an offensive guru or a defensive guru. McHale is credibly implementing Morey's offensive strategies. If a coach is not going to do that they are not working for Morey. McHale's biggest task is making sure that the roster is happy and buying into the offensive and defensive strategies. I see no crack in that. And no, Harden's defense is not bad. It is on the level of the average SG in the NBA.
McHale's task is to guide most of his roster to become nba players. Morey and his lackies take credit for it. Be fair and give credit to McHale for Patrick Beverley, Chandler Parsons, and Terrance Jones. It wasn't Morey's math that was there everyday to guide those guys.
Can't give credit for Terrence "The Stomper" Jones. McHale's hand was forced when it came to Terrence Jones. If Greg Smith hadn't been injured, Tj'd still be spending 2 or 3 days a week at a Super 8 down in McAllen. This I'll agree with. Not that I think McHale is much of a coach---as a coach, he's a Hall of Fame player wearing a suit, and that's it---but Morey should earn some of the blame for the "spend lots of money on two or three defenders whilst the rest of the team jacks threes" strategy. Morey will avoid the Billy Beane / Art Howe dynamic. He wants a coach who can rubber stamp the system. If McHale is let go or decides he's done, I'd say Chris Finch would get the nod.
The Spurs have had the same coach for 18 years. There top 3 players have all been there at least 12 years. Of the top 13 guys in minutes, only 3 have been there less than 3 years. McHale has been the Rockets coach for 3 seasons, and the only guys who have been on the team for more than 2 seasons are Parsons and Smith. It would be nice if you could just throw together a team and be the Spurs, but of course it doesn't work that way. The Spurs can worry about their bench because they have already laid the groundwork for their veterans and system over the course of years. We are still developing the top of our rotation. It's no surprise the bottom hasn't developed yet.
Clap clap clap clap Tired of this generic motivator who says the most obvious stuff "coaching" such a talented team. We need a real coach.
