If you want to be taken seriously, don't write so egregiously biased essays. You were not objective. It is very clear you had made up your mind and then wrote that nonsense trying to justify it with a bunch of wrong opinions disguised as fact. The fact that you found a way to not say a single good thing about a coach who currently runs a contender is laughable.
They run sets all the time. You know this. That's pretty simple to see. Play calling from the sideline is a different story as we know the modern NBA really doesn't have coaches calling plays unless coming out of a timeout. -We all should know the Rockets practice & run many different variations, back screens, and Shuffle cuts off of the pick and roll. -Before Harden, McHale had a ton of Shuffle Cut plays run to get Scola jumpers from the top of the key. -When Asik & D-Mo are on the court together with the second unit, watch, and almost every play is run out of the "Horns" set. Those are just a couple examples, but your right, that's a conversation for another thread. So while Yes, the Rockets do not use traditional play calling during the game unless coming out of a time out, its mis-leading to use keep using the statement that "McHale does not run plays or Sets" because they absolutely do, and really discounts what we should be giving credit for in game planning when the coaches spend the time they do to put these sets into play that we take for granted. They are simple yes, but when executed well, are a thing of beauty to watch for basketball purists. I Encourage any new Rockets fans that thinks this to just Google BBallBreakdown (Coach Nick) and Rockets, and you will be taken to some really easy to understand videos showing all kinds of Rockets goodies.
Yes the Rockets run sets. And a variety of them including Horns. And they have points of attack. Howard in the post. Harden iso to run down the clock. But unless the Rockets have the ball on an in bound, they are not running plays. Plays are cumbersome and require signaling from the coaches to the player with the ball. That is not happening in today's NBA. And you completely nailed the Coach Nick thing. He is the source of the clearest and most concise basketball analysis available to fans.
Yeah. I just cringe when people use the blanket statement that the Rockets dont run sets, or plays cause its misleading. New posters here a vet poster say that, and they literally think that McHale & Co. just roll a basketball out in middle court, go grab a beer and say have fun. If your a basketball junkie there are lots of very interesting things they coach them to do in very basic sets like the pick and roll, but you have to know what you are looking for to really appreciate the time and cohesion it takes to put those little nuances in their game plan. And the longer they keep this group together the more they will be able to add pieces here and there that a team like the Spurs can do, but we can't just yet.
The team needs better offensive and defensive systems and plans... and a new coach to implement them.j
And I cringe when people insist the Rockets run plays. BB is not baseball or football. The NBA is more analogous to soccer. At the speed of today's NBA game there are no plays that can be run except out of a in bounds. All NBA offenses are versions of the R&R, which teaches players to react to what the defense offers. This is not college ball with a 45 second shot clock and coaches jumping up and down on the sideline. If it has not been absorbed by the players through coaching and practice it is not going to be executed in game time.
You stepped dead into a discussion to deep and intelligent for you. The NBA defense has been defined by Coach Thib and Morey defines the Rockets offensive system.
Nice. Just step right in without reading the posts on this page. Or the previous pages. Nothing like an unadulterated clueless comment. You are advocating Sloan as the head coach of the Rockets? LOL. That does not work on so many different levels.
Turning point. Finch is the real deal. I feel good things happening. Well coached game, only seen this a few times when Sampson was out.
McHale is playing with fire, we need to win 2 out of last 4 to secure the 4th seed. Portland has an easy schedule.
Only difficult one is Golden State but POR plays at home for that game. Clippers' game will be easy since they can't reach 2nd or fall to 4th, so they probably will rest starters.
Golden State will be tough but the clippers could care less about winning after losing last night. They could win out and what I learned last night is a couple of well coached Vipers that didn't have one practice under McHale played better than the starters. McHale said they were not likely to see much action because they didn't get to practice with the team. But in a blowout they did get time and proved McHale's practice was not necessary.
McHale over the last 2 years has shown a real reluctance to construct distinct 2nd units for extended periods of time. This is displayed in his extremely high minute usage of Harden and Parsons. While the shortening of the rotation has value in the play offs, I wonder if his preference to "put the best players on the floor" at all costs is going to hurt the Rockets in the long run either through shortening their careers, increasing the probability of injury, or limiting opportunities to build the necessary chemistry needed for real roster depth. Maybe the Vipers unit doesn't have a lot of experience playing with Dwight, Parsons or Harden, however if they are highly functional as a unit due to shared experience on the Vipers then it really isn't that far out of the realm of possibility that they can still be as or more effective than some of the random line ups we seem to see sometimes. Would it really be so bad to get Harden and Parsons more rest throughout the season? Their minute totals for the season are really quite alarming.
I will agree that more rest for those guys would be preferable. Don't they average about 38min a game? I don't think that is too high for young players. We seem to play considerable worse without Harden/Parsons on the floor so i can somewhat see why he leans on them heavily. I personally think he is getting better as a coach. As long as he learns from his mistakes and doesnt coast us playoff games I am fine with Mchale. I understand most posters want him fired, I just don't know what they are expecting. Yes Doc/Pop/Carlisle are way better coaches but we wont be able to hire any of them. Is he a horrible head coach? I don't think so, he is middle of the pack and getting better. The players seem to like him and he has done an admirable job this year IMO.
