Zach Lowe podcast returns with a discussion on Rockets and firing of McHale

I enjoyed the podcast

 

I am rockets fan first and foremost. You can put words in my mouth to prop up your weak argument about mchale. Clearly, you have to make fun of people's names to make a point. I simply don't have respect for that behavior.

Harden's best year was last year under mchale, and he hasn't been a top 5 player this year overall yet. What exactly are harden's strengths this year, defense, shooting, leadership? I support harden but he has repeatedly said he's the best and that's a laughable statement so far. This season is how him to show he can be a perennial top 5 player since he is in his prime.

 

I have no problem with Harden taking a break from basketball. I'll also give Harden the benefit of the doubt and say he came in out of shape because of the ankle injury Morey said he had during the off season.

I also have no Idea how elite players are supposed to train in the off season. When players say they take breaks from basketball are they still running and working out just not shooting? A one month break out of an almost 5 month off season doesn't cause someone to come into the season out of shape.

 

I think we can turn it around if we get a good disciplinarian coach. Mchale just assumed everybody was going to be in shape. I dont know what kind of coach Bickerstaff is but he needs to bring 10x the work ethic.

 

I think it's more about improving yourself, period. It wouldn't matter, if Harden came in at the correct weight, and all he did was run himself into camp shape 2 or 3 weeks before. Harden has to use the summer to break down his weaknesses, physically and mentally, then work to improve them. That's why you see curry mixing up his drills with cognitive tasks. I think Harden is more traditional in his approach.

The weight will come off in camp, anyway, but what else did he do?

 

Wow, ESPN guy not bagging Dwight. Hell, there are even posters here trying to claim Capela is playing better defense than Dwight this season...Makes me wonder if some are actually watching or just don't understand what they're watching.

 

if they're actually watching they have no clue what defense is

 

I think at the moment that is probably why JB is appealing to Morey. If JB can connect with Harden and be a positive for him then that is worth it.

Not that the Rockets can get a Coach K, but it sounded like he was a good influence on Harden on Team USA. And Harden responded accordingly.

If Harden is going to be mercurial, then the key is to find the right coach to connect with him and push the right buttons.

This team goes as Harden goes.

 

Is it possible to applaud the firing and still think Harden is immature and not ready to be a leader? Also I think the person who really loses is Dwight being he's really paying for his departure of LA & Orlando, with media using this to bash him. The media gave Dwight absolutely no credit for our WCF run last year, yet it's all his fault we've sucked this year and McHale got fired? Um, yea

 

He said that : If Presti had kept Harden Durant would leave now for sure and probably would already have been traded even if they are good friends with Harden.

Which doesnt' bode well for our chances to get Durant in free agency.
But maybe Thorpe is exaggerating things about Harden's personality.

 

I think the vast majority of this forum shares this opinion except from a few Harden only fans and blind homers. And Mchale's wife.

 

Oh ok, thats what I thought I heard...I'd have to disagree with him. I cant see Durant requesting a trade and they'd ship Harden out before KD, anyway, as we saw.

 

Firing a coach ten games after taking the team to the wcf doesn't happen. Regardless of how much credit you give to mchale last season, the context of the situation looks very poorly on our locker room and front office.

Winning cures all and there's still a lot of season left to turn it around.

 

Pretty good podcast and I love Lowe but I'm getting tired of this whole "they have to many unreliable personalities" and "I don't think these guys can focus when it matters" narratives...

Nobody gets to the NBA and sticks around for years without being resilient and being strong mentally... It just doesn't happen, do you know how many people told these guys they would never make it to the NBA? If you are in the league you are not mentally weak it just isn't possible.

 

James harden is getting sandbagged every were. A lot of it is warranted but I don't think he's a locker room cancer like some are making it out to be. I personally think the guy is just so talented he gets in his own head. He immature and needs to grow up and take responsibility that comes with being the best player superstar on the team.

I mean he put up 45/11/8 and 5 stls and didn't even try hard the first 3 quarters. He's been babied by morey Forsure and maybe even mchale at times. We need the pissed off James harden from last years WCF game 2 he balled and was head and shoulders the best player on the court for those first 2 games against the Warriors.

We get that guy who is focused and on a mission watch out NBA.

 

I always refer back to the game against the pacers when he went crazy on both ends of the floor and thought why doesn't he play like this more often. The energy was ridiculous. And the funny thing was it was mainly because of evan turner that pissed him off with the altercation and he went super saiyan after that

 

It happened to Lionel Hollins in Memphis and nobody said a thing about it.

 

I think this is it, right here. Isn't it obvious at this point: Harden's game stepped up while working with Coach K. That is the kind of coaching Harden needs.

I wouldn't be surprised if the time with such a legendary coach further soured Harden's respect for mentor McHale.

 

They didn't fire him they let him expire and he had problems with the owner, the managment and Zbo.

 

Lol we were thinking the the same thing because I almost cited that game also but thought what the heck I'll go with the one were he outplayed the league mvp and possibly even the best player on the planet at the moment.