Sources: Les Alexander has brought up a coaching change to Morey if things dont go as planned

Yeah! I was hoping to hear that Morey or Les were in the locker rooms after the game with a cardboard box with McHale's stuff in there.

 

I wish there were a simple answer to your great question, but I don't know if there is one. Please, let me know if you have an idea. Theoretically, if you let McHale go, additional issues may arise like a domino effect. Or, McHale walks and the team finds a new sense of urgency and willpower. Ideally, even though it's not my personal favorite, Kevin figures out a way to reach his team again and, together, they turn this thing around. That works better financially and, as many posters have reminded me, coaching changes at the beginning of the season don't always yield positive outcomes. Morey has a difficult decision to make if things continue to go down the drain.

Personally, with the players' and owner's expectations for this year, I think you turn the page on McHale. He may still have some coaching juice left, but in my observation, he can no longer reach our guys because his words no longer carry or inspire our roster, nor do they hold the same weight they may have held over the last season or so.

Unfortunately, there is no quick method to fix or even alleviate our current state of affairs. No matter what, the team is going to have to adjust in ways that were unexpected. Consider the adjustments that will have to be made just to correct this losing streak, just to catch up in the standings. That part is complex on its own, but the Rockets greatest problem might take a good part of the season just to break even. From a fan standpoint, it's plain disappointing.

What we've all seen from the players is very, very troubling. If you take away the coaching problems for a moment, a significant portion of the team isn't showing the same attitude or approach to the game that we've become accustomed to seeing. When you watch the games on TV, it looks awful, but when you see the game live without the commercials and commentators giving their perspective, any objective fan can see the disconnect from the players.

That disconnect starts with preparation and the identity, system and team-constructed norms that a coaching staff creates and later facilitates. I don't know what Kevin is dealing with personally, but for whatever reason, the team identity this year is either nonexistent or McHale and co. haven't paid enough detail into the chemistry and "team vision" that is built before and after games. I'm tired of the excuse that the "guys didn't play much together during preseason." That doesn't excuse ANY coach or team from enforcing a set of values and goals for a team and individual players, both for the season and before every single game.

What I witnessed at the Pepsi Center the other night was downright disturbing because I saw behavior that I can only describe as indifferent. The problem with all of that is the contagious effect of drive and intensity. When your leaders aren't playing with consistent energy, both in terms of body language and offensive/defensive output, the rest of the team feeds off of it. We've all seen what has happened when James' game is struggling: The rest of our guys struggle or start deferring for various reasons.

We're all used to seeing James' approach to the game as being somewhat calm and reserved. Eventually, over the course of 48 minutes, he slowly but surely shows the passionate side of a leader and an MVP-caliber player. The same could be said about Dwight.

This season, like so many on this BBS have mentioned, James doesn't seem to have the same urgency and desire to impose his will and take over the games.
When our opponents go on runs or when the game is on that line of winnable versus out of contention, James hasn't shown that relentless perseverance from years before. I'm not going to claim that he gives up, but I would assert that he's not nearly as vocal or decisive as last year.

Of course, James has to accept part of the blame, but one could argue that he's being asked to carry the team, and Mchale, on his back, game after game. Maybe it's too much to shoulder after doing it last year for half of the season.

The point is that our roster was upgraded to give James more help and put him in a position where he would be unguardable. Dwight was supposed to be in a position where he had an infinite pick of weapons to kick the ball out, when or if he was doubled. It hasn't happened.

We can't blame Kevin for the shots not falling. We can't blame Kevin for errors made by Montrez or Clint. Those are things that happen to all teams.

What we can attribute responsibility to, in terms of McHale as a coach, is the lack of in-game preparation (rotations/time outs/mismatches), lack of player accountability, but most importantly, a complete disregard to creating a COHESIVE, consistently-persevering and passionate team identity, where everyone accepts their roles and buys into a team goal over individual feats.

Like all battles, things may eventually get worse before we see any light.

 

If we are still playing like this without any change, I think Howard will leave Rockets after this season.

 

Thanks, Codman

 

Thank you codman your insight and inside info are very appreciated.

 

Dwight is a goner with mchale I believe. But the real question is with the way we are playing would KD still be interested in coming to Houston?

 

Doubt Durant makes his decision based on 10 games, but to answer your question...not in the slightest if this keeps up.

 

This is why if we keep playing like this, Les may not wait until season's end to fire McHale. Hopefully.

We have just gone from a top 5 free agent destination to middle of the pack.

 

10 games in Western Conference could possibly make a team fall out of playoffs.

 

Thanx Codman for your input and take care.
I'm sorry you had to sit through such a bad experience of a game.

Well..apart from their friendship why would he? So to see Harden monopolise the ball and not give any effort in defence at all?

..so in the star wars movies they say every Jedi is malakas? :grin: LMAO

 

It makes zero sense that Durant leaving tough-minded Westbrook for soft-minded Harden.

 

Doesn't look like it this year. Now that's in the East.
Because the bottom 2/3 of the western conference appears much weaker both on how they perform and in results so far. The Pelicans, Mavs, Blazers are all bad and so is Memphis. Denver won't manage to hang out much longer and same for Minny probably. (at least if Towns doesn't explode even more into a star). The Suns defence is awful and Utah still can't score well. Sacramento is a trainwreck.
There's no way the Rockets miss the playoffs even if their defence doesn't improve much. After that though, in the playoffs where good defence is required..

 

Sure. That's why I said if this keeps up. The Rockets look terrible so far, but they're not dead yet. We'll see if they decide to wake up.

 

We need to give this coach and group a chance to work it out, 10 games in is too early to do something drastic. It appears the players are out of shape/rhythm and we got behind with the bad training camp.

 

It's gamble. If you wait too long, even if you've got a new coach, it'll be hard to gel on time come the playoffs. If you don't wait too much, you might be waiting for something that will never come at all. Looking at the recent games, I'd give the team another 10 games. If the team struggles, then it's time to change coaches.

 

Codman, great post. Totally agree with you that the Rockets look indifferent and that is really troubling.

When the offense isn't going right it looks like the players start to pout and it affects their defense.

So, you could make the argument that the offensive system (the system to integrate Lawson and Harden together) just hasn't materialized and thus leaves the Rockets with bad shots. It looks like the just "added Lawson" to the system they had last year. That isn't going to get it done.

Adding Lawson was to take away some of the offensive burden from Harden which in turn would give him more energy for defense. AND make it easier offensively. But right now nothing has changed. Maybe Harden is rebelling at the fact that nothing has changed.

 

all cyberx haters can suck it....

that is all

 

cyberx >>>> woj.

Any idea if this is temp change ?

 

Cyber, can you confirm this but I've heard that Thibs is our absolute last resort.