Screw you les. It was never about an offensive or defensive coach.

Not saying you are wrong but it probably makes sense to wait until we see what roster we end up with and how we track early in the season.

Just saying.

 

Holding Harden accountable...holding players accountable? You want an IRS agent? You want a Schoolmarm?

Maybe it's about having a coach with conviction, with a vision, with an actual ******* plan that gets all the players to buy in and bond.

 

Playing better defense is not the same thing as hiring a defensive head coach. You realize that, right?

 

Les has been jerking off to thoughts of Steve Nash for years and now he finally gets to try and make his fantasy a reality, except we don't have Steve Nash so...

 

Jermee Linnn!!! My sponsorship with Chinese Deodorant Olde Spices is about to end. Sign here!!!!

 

It's about getting the team to buy in. That's the most important thing.

 

What specifically do you mean when you say you want coaches to "hold players accountable"? What would you like a coach to do?

 

I have to agree with dinkeypunch in this: talking about getting an offensive-minded or defensive-minded coach misses the mark. Les' fetish for exciting styles of play that will sell tickets misses the mark. The point should be to get a coach with strong leadership and problem-solving skills that can organize and deploy his players in a way that makes them as effective as possible. Somehow, Les doesn't seem to be pursuing that, which is what has been so frustrating - the Rockets want leadership from the GM instead of the coach, and they second-guess coaching solutions.

JVG had good leadership and problem-solving skills (though one can quibble that maybe his solutions weren't optimal). But, the solution he settled on was a high focus on defense and a slow pace. So Les canned him, not because he couldn't lead the team to victory but because they didn't run enough while doing it.

Adelman also, I think, had good leadership and problem-solving skills. His solutions were more on offense, which pleased his bosses, but his teams' defenses were getting better too. But, Les canned him because he wouldn't let Morey lead.

I can't decide what the problem with McHale was. Maybe he's not so great on either count. On the one hand, he seemed externally to have natural leadership while still deferring to Morey, but on the other hand he seemed to lose the confidence of the team at the beginning of the season. On problem-solving, he doesn't seem to be great. When Harden was clicking, he looked good. When Harden didn't click, he didn't know how to fix it.

Ultimately, I think the problem with the team is with the unified GM leadership approach -- the idea that Morey would decide on the roster portfolio, decide the playing style, even decide how the NBDL affiliate would play, and the head coach would be his lieutenant who simply executes on his strategy. I actually like that idea in theory, but it doesn't seem to be working. Maybe it's a bad idea. Maybe Morey doesn't have the requisite skills to execute. Or maybe it's just a matter of finding the right lieutenant. I think it's actually option 2. The unified approach worked for Pop and Riley. But those guys had the skills to actually do both the GM and coach jobs, even during the times they held only one of them. Morey can do the GM job, but he doesn't have the skillset to step in and be a coach. So I think the Rockets' approach is wrong for the personnel -- and the personnel I mean is Morey. If they're going to keep Morey, they need a smart coach who can be independent and is trusted to find his own way to win.

 

Harden is a grown ass man. These players don't need daddies to tell them what to do. He's a free agent in 2 years. Last thing you want to do is rub him the wrong way with some disciplinarian, hard assed coach. Not everyone responds well to that.

 

Players get tired of fat old men chanting defense, defense, defense!

 

Honestly its all about this if you want to get technical. /thread

 

You're saying Harden is a bad employee who won't be managed and will up and quit on you if you try. Therefore you shouldn't try being a leader to him? He's a grown man and can take responsibility for himself, but that doesn't mean he should do whatever he thinks is best. Basketball is a team sport and the whole team will be most successful if they work as a unit, which means everyone needs to follow the leader. If Harden can't follow the leader, he won't be successful.

Incidentally, I think he can and does follow the leader. But I object to the idea that it's better to avoid offending a player than to make him do what he has to do. If he won't do what he has to do, we're better off without him.

 

It starts in training camp. This last season' camp was a disaster based on the out-of-shape player(s) and lack of unity/cohesion.

Let's hope we get off to a better start this coming season.

 

Your right in your passage, however today's NBA (REFS) bow down to the stars and award them with no calls, or trips to the line. The league is star driven and you must have them on your team to be successful in the NBA. Detroit Pistons squad was a rare example of the NBA allowing such a Champion. Soon they were an afterthought once King James arrived. Bottom line is you have to baby your star players, because their egos are so fragile. Not every franchise can enjoy the maturity of a Tim Duncun.

 

I think the La Clipper come back, and rockets western confrence trip was amazing, Mr.Alexander and Morey has done a good job, but you know how things go, when company or team suffers, management is one to blame. So you have to revamp your personnel and make things better.

I mean he started by going out there and finding a coach who is offensive minded, ala warriors are. Defense is what people want, then you goto a person who coached a team defensively, memphis stands out, Hollins and Jeff stand out. I mean the summer isnt over, and you can see les is tired of it, he wants to win more than anybody here, im sure.. Lets see if he can find the right team to put around harden, and will see how this summer camp goes. It could very well work out for everyone near the end of the year