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@  YaoMan : (23 October 2015 - 04:49 PM) Zach Lowe seems to think the Rox are the biggest threat to GSW: http://grantland.com...-16-nba-season/
@  cointurtlemoose : (23 October 2015 - 04:36 PM) Hey if yall want a good podcast to listen to, find the Dunc'd On Basketball Podcast on Itunes, Rahat just did a Rockets preview with the host.
@  majik19 : (13 October 2015 - 09:09 PM) Apparently we claimed Arsalan Kazemi off waivers from the Hawks today... yet another undersized (6'7") power forward for Morey's cupboard.
@  Mario Peña : (10 October 2015 - 01:12 PM) If your part if the Red94 Fantasy Basketball League check the thread to vote for the date and time for the draft event. Thanks y'all!
@  jorgeaam : (07 October 2015 - 08:47 PM) Guys we need 1 more owner for the Red94 fantasy league, if interested please comment on the post in the fantasy basketball thread
@  slick shoes : (07 October 2015 - 06:50 PM) Kobe ranked one spot higher than Ariza? Is this based on legacy or...??
@  slick shoes : (07 October 2015 - 04:13 PM) It was hard to keep up with both the Astros and Rockets at the same time. Should be interesting on Thursday with the Texans and Astros on simultaneously.
@  Mario Peña : (07 October 2015 - 04:09 PM) It was fun to have the Rockets on last night! Right now I'm watching the Celtics versus Milan and Alessandro Gentile is impressive.
@  jorgeaam : (06 October 2015 - 07:47 PM) Well, thinking twice about it, I'd rather have him score less and have the team as a whole do better. Lawson should take a lot of his load off
@  jorgeaam : (06 October 2015 - 07:47 PM) Loving that, hope he hits 30 PPG this year
@  thejohnnygold : (06 October 2015 - 06:15 PM) Someone is feeling confident :) : LINK
@  jorgeaam : (06 October 2015 - 05:54 PM) 10 Teams done, will need 2 more
@  Mario Peña : (06 October 2015 - 02:35 PM) Alright guys, if anyone is interested in joining the Red94 fantasy basketball league we could use one more player to get us to 10 teams (or three to get us to 12 teams). Just check the thread in the Fantasy Basketball forum. Thanks!
@  thejohnnygold : (05 October 2015 - 06:23 PM) I use leaguepass here in Austin with no problems...
@  skip 2 my lou : (05 October 2015 - 03:14 PM) Hey fellas, I'm a rocket fan but I live in the heart of Dallas. Does anybody know if I buy NBA Leaguepass if it's too close to be subject to blackouts?
@  Losthief : (02 October 2015 - 02:24 AM) tks jg
@  thejohnnygold : (29 September 2015 - 05:16 AM) FYI, it was media day today. Interviews are up at NBA.com
@  slick shoes : (23 September 2015 - 06:37 PM) kind of late in the day but NBATV is broadcasting classis Rockets games all day today.
@  SadLakerFan : (16 September 2015 - 04:37 AM) Man, as a Laker fan, I'm learning how little you care about the off season when your team sucks. Anyway, a quick moment to remember Moses. Still remember watching the 81 team as a kid - losing record, NBA Finals. I would have cried w/joy if they could have beaten the Celtics.
@  jorgeaam : (15 September 2015 - 08:30 PM) http://bleacherrepor...ist-after-crash

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The Red94 Podcast: Episode 56


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#1 Red94

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    Posted 14 September 2014 - 11:09 PM

    New post: The Red94 Podcast: Episode 56
    By: rahat huq

    In today's episode, we picked our team MVP and LVP for 2014.

    Download this episode (right click and save)


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    #2 Losthief

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    Posted 15 September 2014 - 03:14 AM

    interesting podcast, as for tjones: post hoc ergo propter hoc (like...tjones joined the lineup, we played better sure, but how much of that was just a new line-up getting more comfortable with real game time?)

     

    But bad latin jokes aside; I'd say he was more our MBP, most barometric player :P. MVP for me says who you take away who causes the largest fall; aka I really think taking howard or harden away from us and leaving tjones would of hurt us more than taking tjones out and still having them.


    Edited by Losthief, 15 September 2014 - 03:14 AM.

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    LoSTHieF

    I'd Rather Be Lucky Than Skilled


    #3 Red94

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      Posted 15 September 2014 - 01:52 PM

      Yeah, if that's your definition of MVP--which I guess would be the traditional definition--you'd have to give it to Howard.  Though I guess if Asik were healthy, it would be Harden.  

       

      The definition I used in selecting Jones was more that he exceeded expectations more than any other player.  Maybe MVP is not the proper classification, upon second thought.


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      #4 timetodienow1234567

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      Posted 15 September 2014 - 03:21 PM

      MSP

      Most surprising player.
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      Why so Serious? :D


      #5 rockets best fan

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      Posted 16 September 2014 - 02:11 AM

      @Rahat/Forrest

      Forrest I agree with you on MVP. D-12 played great last year and got better as the season wore on. as for LVP ........it was a tie IMO between Asik and Lin. both played well below expectations. Rahat I agree with you on Asik and how disappointed I was in his attitude. he was less professional than I expected. Forrest I agree with you on McHale. Rahat McHale wasn't hired to be a go between, a motivational speaker or a figure head. he was hired to be a coach and he stunk at the job.

       

      enjoyed the podcast guys


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      you can only warn a man that the bridge is out.....if he keeps driving he's on his own B)


      #6 Red94

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        Posted 18 September 2014 - 01:30 PM

        RBF: I don't know if we can say he stunk at what he was hired to do.  After all, he did bring in Dwight Howard.  That alone might be worth more than any other coach that was available at the time would have brought.


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        #7 thejohnnygold

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        Posted 18 September 2014 - 04:17 PM

        RBF: I don't know if we can say he stunk at what he was hired to do.  After all, he did bring in Dwight Howard.  That alone might be worth more than any other coach that was available at the time would have brought.

         

        I agree with this.  The Rockets, if one looks closely, do not embody the typical definitions assigned to most known NBA labels.

         

        "Shooting Guard", Head Coach", "General Manager"....even Morey defies his own title.

         

        Without digging too much, Wikipedia defines the NBA GM as such:

         

         

        In the National Basketball Association and Women's National Basketball Association, the general manager or GM of a team typically controls player transactions and bears the primary responsibility on behalf of the team during contract negotiations with players.

        The general manager is also normally the person who hires and fires the coaching staff, including the head coach.

         

        OK, that sounds like Morey--and then he adds coaching responsibilities to himself.  By dictating the stats-driven strategies to the coaches and via personnel decisions he is putting a huge fingerprint on this team and doing so from behind a desk.  He has assumed part of the coach's role.

         

        A short aside--my sister used to work for BMC software in Houston and her job was unique.  Her job was to handle all inter-department communications between the IT/development side of the company and the marketing/advertising side of the company.  She was a middle man and, from the outside looking in, her job was nonessential.

         

        However, from the inside looking out she was invaluable.  She got paid handsomely for being able to speak both departments' "languages".  You see, the nerds simply couldn't talk effectively to the creatives and vice versa.....but she could.  She could understand and translate what the nerds made into a simplified, easy to comprehend version that the creatives could then sell.  Without her, things did not go smoothly.

         

        I see a parallel with McHale.  Morey needs a particular kind of man and McHale has the requisite skills in spades.  He gets the basketball stuff.  I recall him quipping to reporters when asked about how the nerds spend forever crunching numbers, figure out that something is good, and come tell him.  His response, as he chuckles, is, "of course it's good--I could have told you that if you had just asked!"

         

        He gets it.  He speaks their language and is able to convey it to the players in a way that isn't like getting hit over the head with a ream of data soaked paper.  He can massage egos, personalities, and when he speaks players listen.  Big men from KG, to Al Jefferson, to Kevin Love, to Dwight Howard all respect and appreciate how he has helped them along the way.

         

        To imply that McHale is a terrible coach from the outside looking in, and based off of definitions that are not relevant to our situation misses the point.  It is obvious that our coaching tree begins with Morey and his analytics-driven strategies.  McHale has his functions in this Rockets equation and I think he does them pretty well.

         

        Is he a master of the X's and O's?  Nope--we all know that.  We've all read the quote from Phil Jackson talking about his role as a coach and that he hired X's and O's guys to handle that stuff.  Tex Winter is the architect of the triangle offense--not Phil Jackson--but most people do not know that.  Winter handled the "clipboard" and Jackson handled the players.  Obviously, 10 rings later it seems to have worked well.

         

        This team needs an X-O guy to back up McHale.  "That's what McHale is paid to do!  He's the coach!  He sucks!"  Stop that.  It is not.  It's no different than people saying Beverley sucks as a PG because his assist numbers are so low.  That's not his job.

         

        I'm still baffled that Sampson has not been replaced.  At this point I am beginning to think someone has been promoted from within.  The obvious choice seems to be JB Bickerstaff...I guess we'll find out pretty soon.

         

        McHale will improve on his play-calling, time management, match-ups, and everything else people rail on him for the same way our players will improve.  It's a process.  It takes time.  All will be well.


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        #8 rockets best fan

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        Posted 19 September 2014 - 04:30 AM

        @Rahat/JG

        TOTALLY DISAGREE...........TOTALLY :lol: while I will concede the fact he did help in the D-12 acquisition, that is about all I can concede. JG I understand what you're saying in describing the role your sister played for this company. however McHale does not understand or speak both languages. he speaks neither. he's not a stat guru and is not an accountable leader for his troops. I am floored you would even mention Phil Jackson and McHale in the same sentence :lol: isn't that like improper grammer or something :lol: true Tex design the triangle and Phil worried about the other stuff, but first.......Phil was never the puppet you are describing McHale to be.......second Phil lead his troops as an accountable leader. I agree JG a man can be an effective coach without handling the X's and O's, but it take a special person to do so. that's a quality McHale doesn't possess. he's to busy putting lip stick all over Harden's and Howard's collective butts to hold them accountable. ask your self this........if JVG was coach do you think Harden not playing defense would be an issue? lack of effort would be an issue?  not running plays the coach called would be an issue?.................of course not. WHY? because he would hold the players accountable that's WHY. I would compare it to a teacher in a classroom. NO LEARNING CAN OCCURE UNTIL THE TEACHER HAS THE COLLECTIVE ATTENTION OF THE GROUP. when D-12 said in his exit interview that to many players had different agendas in the locker room it told me McHale does not have the collective attention of the group. he does not speak their language. I have said many times I don't care if you played the game for a 100 years that alone does not qualify you to be a coach. this talk of HE WILL GET BETTER is nonsense. you may view his tenure with the Rockets as growth, but I view it as FAILURE. each team that has been handed to McHale has under achieved IMO. while these players may be young......they are talented. however they lack leadership because their coach waste his time being a figurehead. we have to depend on the players holding each other accountable because the coach will not. that's pitiful. it's  not that I don't support the players holding each other accountable, it's that unless they do it the job will go undone. answer this............why is it coach K can get Harden to expend effort on defense and McHale can not? because in coach K's system you have to earn your stripes while McHale waste his time rolling out the red carpet. go between? nothing could be further from the truth. leader? how can he lead when he can't even get their attention.

         

        last but by no means least............this idea that McHale is a puppet with no real power being guided by the hand of Morey. GARBAGE. while I will agree Morey does influence the system's objectives I don't believe for one second that McHale is a puppet. ALL GM's have some influence on the way their teams play. they lay out the style and acquire the talent to hopefully carry out the mission. they hire coaches who they think can influence the team the way they want it run. Morey is no different. McHale wasn't brought here for recruitment purposes. wasn't brought here to be a motivation speaker or butt kisser. his job title says HEAD COACH. anything outside of that would be trying to justify his faults by attempting to downgrade his shortcomings as a HEAD COACH. McHale has plenty of influence on the way things are run. now when he starts to use that properly we may see some results, however I doubt he will EVER find his way


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        you can only warn a man that the bridge is out.....if he keeps driving he's on his own B)


        #9 txtdo1411

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        Posted 19 September 2014 - 04:49 PM

        NO LEARNING CAN OCCURE UNTIL THE TEACHER HAS THE COLLECTIVE ATTENTION OF THE GROUP. when D-12 said in his exit interview that to many players had different agendas in the locker room it told me McHale does not have the collective attention of the group. he does not speak their language.

         

        RBF I respectfully disagree with pretty much everything you said in your previous post. Like JG said we, as outsiders looking in, do not know all the specefic details regarding the relationship between Morey and McHale. To say you know otherwise is false, because only McHale and Morey know what is being discussed between the two of them. McHale has taken a team that has had an insane turnover rate (player-wise not actual on court tournovers), as well as being one of, if not, the youngest teams in the league, and been to the playoffs two years in a row. I know we would all like to see the post season success, but in reality we had a very slim chance to beat OKC. You can almost view that series as a positive as we took the #1 overall seed to 6 games, with two of our losses being by a single possession. Remember the year OKC had a young up and coming team with the 8 seed? They took the #1 seed Lakers to six games, and it was viewed by everyone as a success... Not sure why ours is largely viewed as a failure from the fans. 

         

        The Portland series is what it is... I would agree with most that it should be viewed as a failure, but not just on Mchale. It was a failure because of Harden, Jones, Lin, the Refs, Aldridge going bananas, Bev's injury, a halfcourt buzzer beating 3, etc...  There is a lot to take away from that series, but to say McHale is a horrible coach, and use that series as your main proof, is very short sighted. It was a 4-5 seed match up, with two very talented teams, and Portland (along with a little help... still frustrated with how they officiated that series) got the best of us. It happens. Spurs lost to the Grizzlies in the first round a few years back, is Pop any less of a coach for it? I know there were a lot of extenuating circumstances with that series, but were there not with ours? If we continue to not have post season success, then I am fine with deciding to make a change at HC. But after two years where only one of the series was "winnable", I do not believe we have enough information to say McHale is a failure. 

         

        Lastly for the quote of yours above, it is not McHale's fault that Asik wanted out immediately after signing Dwight. It is not McHale's fault that Lin was not the player we thought we were getting when we signed him away from the Knicks. He can't help that Parsons wanted to be greedy and get paid (not blaming Parsons for wanting to get his when he could, but I think it is pretty clear last year was always about Parsons getting himself paid). McHale can't be held responsible for players being unhappy with their current situations. If anyone is at fault it is Morey for continuously shaking up the roster. McHale is responsible for trying to make it work on the court, which he did wonderfully by moving Asik and Lin out of the starting lineup for Jones and Beverely. It pissed Lin and Asik off, but what did you want McHale to do? Let the team's record suffer so everyone can "be on the same page"? Players did have different agendas last year, but to lay that at McHale's feet is completely misguided in my opinion. 


        Edited by txtdo1411, 19 September 2014 - 04:57 PM.

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        #10 thejohnnygold

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        Posted 19 September 2014 - 05:53 PM

        Two things.

         

        One, I did not mean to imply that McHale is a "puppet" coach.  I do not think that is the case.

         

        Two, you keep using the title "head coach" and judging him from that standard definition of what a head coach should be.  Well then, I guess every coach should sit down and watch Hoosiers with their eyelids taped open until they are properly "programmed" on how to be a coach.

         

        My point is that one must re-define head coach in their mind before being able to appreciate what it is McHale does for us.  He is no Norman Dale.  He isn't Coach Carter.  He isn't Bobby Knight.  Neither was Phil Jackson.  Phil Jackson didn't shout at people...he would passive aggressively call them out in the media.  You know who else does that?  McHale.  I will compare McHale to Phil--not based on accomplishment (that would be foolish); rather, I will draw comparisons to their approach and their apparent roles.  Jackson famously refused to call timeouts when his team struggled preferring to let them fail and fail until they figured it out--making them accountable for themselves....sound familiar?

         

        This idea goes back thousands of years....Marcus Aurelius, in his memoirs (which is one of the foundations of stoicism), was talking about helping/teaching others and surmised that, "a man should learn to stand upright, not be held upright".  I agree with this and fully support a coach that puts the onus on the players to grow up, be men, and hold themselves accountable for achieving their own goals.  You know what I call a person who constantly needs someone following them around telling them what to do and how to do it in order to act right?  A momma's boy.   :lol:

         

        People forget how Phil held Kobe accountable....by letting him throw his tantrums, act out, not play right, be selfish, impish, and generally a terrible teammate.  Ultimately, Kobe figured out he was the jerk and, to a certain degree, came around.  Check out his game logs from that season HERE.  Remember when he refused to shoot to make a point that his teammates sucked.  Phil just let him do it.

         

        Phil didn't have to shout at him, bench him, or whatever you think a head coach should have done.  No, instead he gave him enough rope to eventually hang himself with.  Equally effective--especially for someone as arrogant as Kobe who needs to come to realizations on his own--he is too stubborn and prideful to listen to anyone else.  Given the things we hear coming out of James' mouth it makes sense that we could be dealing with a similar personality.  He has to learn on his own--and he will.

         

        As for the defense, I still contend that not all of it was pure failure on Harden's part--I think there was a certain degree of strategy involved in not picking up ticky-tack fouls.  It doesn't excuse everything, but I think that idea combined with the team's insistence on over-helping in the lane led to many "bad" defensive plays for him that people just throw on the pile of "Harden Sucks".

         

        I know there is little chance you will ever change your mind on McHale, but I still enjoy discussing it.  :P


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        #11 rockets best fan

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        Posted 20 September 2014 - 02:09 AM

        @JG/txtdo1411

        you already know I'm going to disagree with your posts. txtdo1411 to believe McHale had nothing to do with the disconnect that occurred in the locker room last year would be sticking your head in the sand and ignoring the problem. who's job is it to have the team focused and ready to play? McHale? I totally disagree the OKC series should be viewed as anything but failure. after Westbrook went down we had no business losing the series. however even if I was going to view it positively the Portland series would have swiped out any doubt where the fault should lay. you can blame it on lucky shots, Harden, LMA or ref's, but the bottom line is McHale was always one step behind Stotts in making adjustment. THAT'S WHY WE LOST. it wasn't because of the 4-5 seed matchup. we kicked Portland's butt during the year, but come playoff time we were unable to do so. we had the same players and they did too, however we were outplayed because when the pressure was on our coach CRUMBLED like a collapsed house of cards. you have a right to your opinion, but you won't be able to justify McHale's FAILURE to me. excuses don't cut it in my book. you either get the job done or change is needed. this is a result business and our coach isn't reeling in the results. it's that simple

         

        JG I don't think McHale is even remotely close to Phil Jackson in any category. on no grounds. he may think he is trying to operate in the mold of Phil but he is sadly mistaken. he's an imposter..........McHale has no ability to handle his players the way Jackson has in the past. letting players figure it out while he accepts failure is the main reason he should be fired. I see you have made a point several times to redefine what it is McHale is suppose to be doing for us. HE IS THE HEAD COACH. there is no way around it. that's his job. I shouldn't have to think outside the box to justify his shortcomings. if he wants some other role with this team then he should apply for it. the title he now holds has a job description. McHale is so lost he couldn't find tits at the men's club :lol: you already know I'm not one for excuses. either put up or get the hell out of the way. McHale is a anvil to our goals. I say cut off the dead weight.  


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        you can only warn a man that the bridge is out.....if he keeps driving he's on his own B)


        #12 thejohnnygold

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        Posted 20 September 2014 - 03:53 PM

        @RBF--I'm not saying McHale is trying to be Jackson...I think he just naturally is inclined that way.  Jackson let Kobe fail....should he have been fired?  Did it not lead to more championships?

         

        I think you are being very selective with your ability to adapt your definitions.  Morey is not a pure GM.  Harden is not a pure SG.  But that's what the media guide says!  I guess we better judge them based on that rather than the fact we know things get done differently around here.  Take off your blinders.  McHale may not measure up, but to use a rubric that doesn't apply to him is unfair, biased, and misses the mark.  How do you reconcile your respect of Morey and his vision, direction, decision making, and obvious clear eye for talent with his repeated decision to stick with McHale?  Morey leaves no stone unturned--if McHale wasn't the guy he would have sent him away long ago...or never brought him here in the first place.

         

        I think it's interesting that you believe we should have won that OKC series.  

         

        Let's look at our roster versus theirs.....

         

        Rookie PG - check

        First year starter at SG - check

        2nd year SF - check

        rookie PF - check

        first year center - check

         

        (Remember, we lost our starting PG too...but since it was Lin and you think he's worthless that doesn't matter, right?)

         

        So, that's Bev, Harden, Parsons, Jones/Delfino, Asik versus.....

         

        2nd year PG for OKC (who, it ends up is pretty good and people are already saying he is about to score a $10M+ deal)

         

        defensive stud at SG for OKC  (bad news for us since we run our offense from that position)

         

        KEVIN DURANT

         

        SERGE IBAKA

         

        Combo of Perk/Collison/Adams (all of which can handle Asik on defense and since OKC doesn't run their offense through the post he was no help there....but, hey, why would any of that matter.....we should have won except for that bum, McHale!  Give me a break.  You are in a very small percentile of people who could actually believe that.

         

        Hey, while we're ignoring everything--let's not forget their years of experience together, the fact they have far more playoff experience, and are an older, more mature team in general with veteran leadership from none other than Derek Fisher doing his usual thing.  You're right, McHale screwed that whole thing up.


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        #13 rockets best fan

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        Posted 20 September 2014 - 05:09 PM

        @JG

        YES we should have won the OKC series. the power of momentum is a hell of a thing. like a boxer who landed a blow that stun the champ, if we had followed our good blow up with the left right left combo we could have knock them out. instead we were so surprised we landed a stunning blow that we didn't follow up with the right action. at the time we played them Adams was not yet with them. their center was Perkins/Collison. you think all rookies/second year players are worthless? being young isn't an indictment against being able to produce stellar play as long as good leadership exist or is present. so just because we were young doesn't mean we should just throw in the towel. Adams was a rookie this year and yet he was able to help OKC win some games........why? because there is good leadership in the locker room to help focus and channel his energy that's why. YES we were young, but not without talent.

         

        speaking on the Morey issue.........what's not pure GM about Morey? I don't like all of his decisions, but he is a good GM. I see no conflict in still being happy with his overall performance, but not liking his decision to keep McHale. loyalty to his bad chosen coach is a bad decision, however it's one of the few he has made that I don't agree with and I suspect he will get it right after McHale flops again. loyalty isn't a bad trait. it's just that in this instance it's misguided.

         

        as for thinking that we are some kind of hybrid that the NBA has never seen before.........huh :huh:. Harden isn't the first SG who played a little PG and unconventional thinking has always existed in the NBA. Morey may be a leading edge of the stat infusion the NBA has undergone, but in the word of your boy McHale......anyone could have told you that shots at the rim and open 3 pointers are good shots. we aren't as different as you seem to believe. it doesn't require much out of the box thinking to understand our approach. trying to explain shortcomings by saying we are a different breed is missing the mark. Yes we do have differences in the way we do some things, but last I checked we still put 5 guys in before the ball is tipped at center court.  the goal is still to put the ball through the hoop more times than the opposition is it not? you can try to make it complicated, but basketball is still a simple game. any number of combinations or systems will win the title provided the right leadership and talent exist. we have talent, however we are short on leadership. explaining that away by saying we are a hybrid is way off base to me.


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        you can only warn a man that the bridge is out.....if he keeps driving he's on his own B)


        #14 txtdo1411

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        Posted 20 September 2014 - 07:08 PM

        @JG/txtdo1411

        you already know I'm going to disagree with your posts. txtdo1411 to believe McHale had nothing to do with the disconnect that occurred in the locker room last year would be sticking your head in the sand and ignoring the problem. who's job is it to have the team focused and ready to play? McHale? I totally disagree the OKC series should be viewed as anything but failure. after Westbrook went down we had no business losing the series. however even if I was going to view it positively the Portland series would have swiped out any doubt where the fault should lay. you can blame it on lucky shots, Harden, LMA or ref's, but the bottom line is McHale was always one step behind Stotts in making adjustment. THAT'S WHY WE LOST. it wasn't because of the 4-5 seed matchup. we kicked Portland's butt during the year, but come playoff time we were unable to do so. we had the same players and they did too, however we were outplayed because when the pressure was on our coach CRUMBLED like a collapsed house of cards. you have a right to your opinion, but you won't be able to justify McHale's FAILURE to me. excuses don't cut it in my book. you either get the job done or change is needed. this is a result business and our coach isn't reeling in the results. it's that simple.

         

        Reading this post we will never see even close to eye to eye on McHale. That's fine. I just don't understand how you can blame disgruntled players on McHale. Asik was unhappy as soon as we signed Dwight. Before training camp even started, but yea it's McFail's fault...

         

        We didn't "kick Portland's butt" during the year. That series very easily could have been tied 2-2 at the end of the regular season. The reason it wasn't, was because of Harden going off and making some clutch shots. That didn't happen during the playoffs obviously. As much as you want to think we have far superior talent, it is not that cut and dry. We had a banged up PG, a SG who played far below his standards, a sf who couldn't make a layup in the second half of games to save his life, and a pf that was rendered completely useless the entire series. Center is the only position we had a clear advantage at that series, and it showed as Dwight tore it up. The positions we are weakest at (PG and PF), they have two star players. 

         

        I know you are going to read this post and say all I am doing is making excuses. That is not the goal of my post. I am not trying to say McHale is the best coach ever. All I am saying is that you can not lay a series defeat at any one persons feet. There are a ton of factors that go into a single game, and way more factors in a 7 game series. I guess McHale should've gone on the court game 1, and secured the offensive rebound we needed to win. 


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        #15 thejohnnygold

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        Posted 20 September 2014 - 08:45 PM

        Here is the video showing the two tip-ins Portland needed to tie game 1 with seconds left mentioned above.  LINK

         

        In another game this was McHale's fault too, right?

         

        oopslin.gif

         

        Likely determined the outcome of that game (to the chagrin of Lin fans).

         

         

        RBF--If the world were as simple as you want to paint it there would be no surprises and everything would go according to plan.  I am not "over-complicating" anything--turns out, life is pretty complex all on its own.  I choose to recognize that.

         

        "you think all rookies/second year players are worthless".  Really?  That's what you took from my post?  Or is that what you need to say in order to devalue my stance and strengthen your own?  Come on.  At least attack what I am actually saying and not whatever you feel inclined to invent.

         

        Hybrid?  Whatever.  Not what I said--just what you hear.  The point missed you.  I suppose anything I say that doesn't involve McHale sucks just sounds like this:

         

         

        You're just missing everything I'm saying by a mile and taking it out to left field before bashing it.  That means it's time to wrap this up for me.  I can't debate when nothing I say is even getting across.  


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        #16 rockets best fan

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        Posted 21 September 2014 - 03:05 AM

        @JG

        hybrid is exactly what you called us..................if not explain these statements to me

        1. to imply McHale is a terrible coach from the outside looking in, and based off definitions that are not relevant to our situation misses the point. it is obvious our coaching tree begins with Morey and his analytics-driven strategies.

        2. my point is that one must re-define head coach in their mind before being able to appreciate what it is McHale does for us.

        3. "Shooting guard" Head Coach" General Manager".....even Morey defies his own title.

        4.after giving the definition of general manager you unleash this gem.........OK that sounds like Morey-- and then he adds coaching responsibilities to himself. by dictating the stat-driven strategies to the coaches and via personnel decisions he is putting a huge finger print on this team and doing so from behind a desk. he has assumed part of the coaches role.

        5. you keep judging him from that standard definition of what a head coach should be

        6.I think you are being very selective in with your ability to adapt your definitions. Morey is not a pure GM. Harden is not a pure SG. but that's what the media guides says. I guess we better judge them based on that rather than the fact we know things get done differently around here

         

        all of these are your statements on this subject. sounds like your calling us some unconventional hybrid to me. after rereading what do you think? if that's not what you mean then spell out what you're saying because it sure sounds like that to me.


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        you can only warn a man that the bridge is out.....if he keeps driving he's on his own B)


        #17 rockets best fan

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        Posted 21 September 2014 - 03:38 AM

        @txtdo1411

        you think McHale is the only coach who has had to deal with distractions in the locker room? the Clippers had more distractions last year yet made it to the WCF under Doc Rivers. it's not the fact distractions won't happen.......it's how they are dealt with when they occur. Doc was able to keep his players focused during the turmoil........McHale was not even though the distractions he had were less severe. you think McHale is the first coach who has had a player on his team who really didn't want to be there? nobody says problems won't arise. it how you deal with them when they arise. our coach allowed the bad vibes to infect the whole locker room. to me that failure of the HEAD COACH to control his locker room. to lead his troops beyond the distractions. true you hit the nail right on the head in saying we will never agree on this man. to me he is a imposter masquerading as a head coach. his qualifications are well short of what we need and I see NO hope of him becoming what we need. YOU KNOW YOU HAVE A BAD COACH WHEN THE NATIONAL MEDIA IS MAKING JOKES ABOUT HIM. you think all of these basketball minds could be wrong?........it's possible, but not likely. chances are they are looking at some of the same shortcomings I am and scratching their collective heads much like me when looking at some of his decision making.


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        you can only warn a man that the bridge is out.....if he keeps driving he's on his own B)


        #18 thejohnnygold

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        Posted 21 September 2014 - 03:37 PM

        @JG

        hybrid is exactly what you called us..................if not explain these statements to me

        1. to imply McHale is a terrible coach from the outside looking in, and based off definitions that are not relevant to our situation misses the point. it is obvious our coaching tree begins with Morey and his analytics-driven strategies.

        2. my point is that one must re-define head coach in their mind before being able to appreciate what it is McHale does for us.

        3. "Shooting guard" Head Coach" General Manager".....even Morey defies his own title.

        4.after giving the definition of general manager you unleash this gem.........OK that sounds like Morey-- and then he adds coaching responsibilities to himself. by dictating the stat-driven strategies to the coaches and via personnel decisions he is putting a huge finger print on this team and doing so from behind a desk. he has assumed part of the coaches role.

        5. you keep judging him from that standard definition of what a head coach should be

        6.I think you are being very selective in with your ability to adapt your definitions. Morey is not a pure GM. Harden is not a pure SG. but that's what the media guides says. I guess we better judge them based on that rather than the fact we know things get done differently around here

         

        all of these are your statements on this subject. sounds like your calling us some unconventional hybrid to me. after rereading what do you think? if that's not what you mean then spell out what you're saying because it sure sounds like that to me.

         

        All I'm saying is try to free your mind from its shackles.  Don't be bound by convention and definition.  I'm not saying we invented the wheel.  It doesn't matter.  Apparently McHale, is a joke that I don't get.  Some people won't be happy until our coach looks more like this:

         

        080912-r-lee-ermy.jpg


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        #19 txtdo1411

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        Posted 21 September 2014 - 04:37 PM

        @txtdo1411
        you think McHale is the only coach who has had to deal with distractions in the locker room? the Clippers had more distractions last year yet made it to the WCF under Doc Rivers. it's not the fact distractions won't happen.......it's how they are dealt with when they occur. Doc was able to keep his players focused during the turmoil........McHale was not even though the distractions he had were less severe. you think McHale is the first coach who has had a player on his team who really didn't want to be there? nobody says problems won't arise. it how you deal with them when they arise. our coach allowed the bad vibes to infect the whole locker room. to me that failure of the HEAD COACH to control his locker room. to lead his troops beyond the distractions. true you hit the nail right on the head in saying we will never agree on this man. to me he is a imposter masquerading as a head coach. his qualifications are well short of what we need and I see NO hope of him becoming what we need. YOU KNOW YOU HAVE A BAD COACH WHEN THE NATIONAL MEDIA IS MAKING JOKES ABOUT HIM. you think all of these basketball minds could be wrong?........it's possible, but not likely. chances are they are looking at some of the same shortcomings I am and scratching their collective heads much like me when looking at some of his decision making.


        Obviously I don't believe McHale is the first coach to have locker room distractions. Come on man you know that is not the point I was making. You want to use the incredible doc rivers and the clippers as an example on how to handle adversity? They barely won one damn series against the Warriors and then lost in the second round. That is with a more talented team, AND a team that has been together far longer than ours. Oh and their coach is, by default, leaps and bounds better than ours...

        Also, using the national media to support your point is a petty move. You know just as much as I do that all these pundits do is take the flavor of the week and run with it. All these "great basketball minds" have probably watched a total of 20 rockets games in the last two years. Yet they know McHale sucks, but somehow Morey (the guy that actually lives and breathes rockets basketball) fails to see it?
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        #20 Losthief

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        Posted 21 September 2014 - 08:38 PM

        my question is who are we getting to replace mchale if he's let go?

         

        All the top tier coaches want/have gm responsibilities now (doc, phil, svg, kidd (not top tier yet tho), etc etc). So, we have morey, he is NOT giving up personnel decisions, and all the young guns and top guys from the old guard are expecting that. So again...who is out there that we haven't had already that is willing to take the job/role we have available?

         

        And once you have that list, is any one of those guys leaps and bounds better as both a figurehead and tactician than Mchale? Or do we just need to find a tactician under Mchale to run the X and O's?

         

        The answer might be out there, I'm not saying it isn't, but I just don't see it right now. If we could get pop, carlisle, doc, thibs, or someone like that I would love to and would be all aboard.

         

        from here: http://hangtime.blog...ing-job-market/

        (Aug 28, 2014)

         

         

        There are a lot of coaching free agents still on the board, both former head coaches and notable assistants. Among the former, we have George Karl, Jeff Van Gundy, Scott Skiles, Mike Woodson, Doug Collins, Vinny Del Negro, Mike Brown, Mike D’Antoni, Keith Smart, Avery Johnson, P.J. Carlesimo, Lawrence Frank and Maurice Cheeks.

        The latter group, even bigger, includes Jack Sikma, Mario Elie, Terry Porter, T.R. Dunn, Igor Kokoskov, Scott Williams, Bill Peterson, Bernie Bickerstaff, Brian Hill, Bob Ociepka  and, hey, Rasheed Wallace. Actually, you could go dozens deep with solid coaching pros who once were in but now are out, the one place few of them want to be.

         

        None of those guys scream to me to be that much better than Mchale. And some of those are already hired/employed as assistants, like keith smart, mario elie, etc. I guess George Karl might be a slight improvement? Mario Elie might be cool for the history there? But none of them make me sit up and go, we have to have THAT guy, where I think its really worth starting over in the middle of Howard and Harden's primes.

         

        p.s. I do think Mchale is not a great coach at all, serviceable maybe, a plus to the team tho? no, maybe a net neutral tho.


        Edited by Losthief, 21 September 2014 - 08:40 PM.

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