Congrats from Houston

[Joe Boo]

man, what an amazing series. I've definitely been somewhat sleep-deprived the last two weeks with the late starts, frequent overtimes, and inability to sleep after the adrenaline rush at the end of every close game.

while I definitely think the Rockets could have played better, I simply cannot get over how well Portland played. Aldridge and Lillard are legit superstars and played like it. Matthews did as well at guarding Harden as anyone I've seen this season.

And perhaps the biggest mismatch of the entire season was Stotts vs. McHale. I felt like McHale was getting pantsed on national tv on a nightly basis.

so no excuses, just a hat tip to a team that outplayed my team. I can't stand either the spurs or mavs, so best of luck to you guys in round 2.

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

On the plus side, at least you'll fire McHale and attempt to dump Lin now. It was a great series and I appreciate the Houston fans passion. Many were annoyed by it, but I didn't mind it so much. Always a good fan base.

 

[magnifier661]

Thank you brother! It's nice to see classy Houston fans. Some of the others are really giving your fan base a terrible name.

I actually wished this was a wcf matchup. More dramatic and deserving.

I've been on record saying "the winner of this series is going to the finals". I still believe it

 

[Joe Boo]

Thank you brother! It's nice to see classy Houston fans. Some of the others are really giving your fan base a terrible name.

every fan base has it's share of idiots/bad fans. Houston is no exception. and the internet has made it worse. at least before the internet, the village idiots stayed in their own village.

I'm definitely hoping we move on from McHale. Nice guy and I do think he's had a positive impact on Dwight's post-game, but he's just not a good enough all-around coach to be with a contender, which I like to think we can be.

 

[BLAZINGGIANTS]

I'd like to tell you to "F off" because I've deal with enough shitty Rox fans that can't give Lillard, Aldridge, or the Blazers any credit, blame the series loss on the refs, etc. But thanks for the note. It's nice to hear something classy from a Rox fan. It was a good, entertaining series, and you guys have the pieces to do some serious damage.

Good luck...

Next year.

 

[DaLincolnJones]

Hello, and welcome.

I am in total agreement with you. This has been the most entertaining series that I have seen in years. I honestly believe that this could have gone either way.

You state that the Rockets could have played better, and many Blazer fans believe that the Blazers did not play their best ball, but I would contend thatthe style of play was dictated by the effort on defense by both teams.

Your club did well, and good luck in the future, with the exception of playing the Blazers.

 

[Superbeard]

Thank you brother! It's nice to see classy Houston fans. Some of the others are really giving your fan base a terrible name.

I actually wished this was a wcf matchup. More dramatic and deserving.

I've been on record saying "the winner of this series is going to the finals". I still believe it

It's certainly possible for you guys. The West is up for grabs this year.

LMA is going to have a bunch of tough battles either against Duncan or Dirk and then likely against Blake. Should be fun if you guys continue on through to the finals. It has a good chance of happening, I wouldn't doubt this team...especially when it comes to hitting shots in the clutch.

 

[Denny Crane]

The Rockets need to let it bake. You'll be fine.

 

[magnifier661]

The Rockets need to let it bake. You'll be fine.

I agree. They just had the worst possible first round match up. This could have easily been a wcf showdown. Both very deserving...

 

[Stevenson]

The Blazers were only inches better. That's it, but that was enough. Incredible series.

 

[Boob-No-More]

And perhaps the biggest mismatch of the entire season was Stotts vs. McHale. I felt like McHale was getting pantsed on national tv on a nightly basis.

Trust me, as the fan of a team that suffered through Nate McMillan as a head coach, I feel your pain. McMillan's inability to make in-game, or even in-series adjustments, got us thoroughly abused in the playoffs every time. His steadfast refusal to front Yao during Game 1 (or any game) during the 2009 playoffs was painful to watch. As a result, Yao didn't miss a shot, scored 24 points in 24 minutes, the Blazers suffered a humiliating 27-point loss at home, lost home court advantage and lost the series.

The very next year, thanks to Andre Miller torching Steve Nash for 31 points in Game 1, the Blazers stole HCA from the Phoenix Suns. In Game 2, Alvin Gentry put Grant Hill on Miller to slow him down and disrupt the Blazers' offense. This meant Nash was guarding 6'8" Nicolas Batum, who had scored 18 points in Game 1 with Hill guarding him. McMillan never countered. He never even tried to post up Batum against Nash*. Blazers give back HCA and lose the series in 6 games.

*Well, he DID learn, but it took him 5 months. In the 2010 season opener, on the first two Blazers' possessions, Batum posted up Nash and scored two easy baskets. After scoring 6 easy points in the first 6 minutes, Gentry was forced to put Hill back on Batum, the Blazers controlled the game and won by 14. Nash was a HORRIBLE defender - which is why Gentry pulled him off Andre Miller. There is NO WAY Nash could guard Batum, but Nate never even tried to exploit that miss-match during that series. His reasoning: the Blazers hadn't run any post ups for Batum during the regular season, so they weren't going to try anything new during the playoffs.

I could go on about Nate's all-Roy-ISO-all-the-time offense. He was so inflexible, he even ran the same offense when Roy was injured. He simply ran the same plays for whoever he had available, Jerryd Bayless, Jamaal Crawford, etc. He even tried to run it for Andre Miller. None of those guys were Brandon Roy, so the results were disastrous. Shit, he even ran the Roy ISO against Phoenix when they were playing a zone. Great motivator and classy guy, but a horrible, horrible head coach.

In any case, EVERY time the Blazers made the post season under McMillan, I just knew they were going to get totally out-coached - and they did.

The good news for you is, McHale may not be a good head coach, but he's a great big man coach. His work in Minnesota helped Kevin Love go from an undersized, nonathletic 14 PPG role player into a guy averaging 26 ppg. His work, (and Hakeem's) has definitely helped Dwight Howard's low post offense. I was extremely impressed with Dwight's low post scoring in this series. In the past, I always thought of Dwight as an unskilled big man that relied totally on his freakish athleticism. In Orlando and LA, he was NEVER the type of player you could run your offense through. In this series, he was exactly that. His work in the 4th quarter last night was dominant. The footwork and ability to score with either hand were something I've never seen from Dwight in the past.

So, as a head coach, McHale may have held you back this year, but Dwight's improved low post game, will serve you better in seasons to come. You guys certainly have the pieces. Now, you just need a better Xs and Os guy to take you to the next level.

I said it for before the series started, Terry Stotts vs. Kevin McHale is the biggest advantage we will have in this series. For the first time since the early 1990s, I went into the post season not dreading being out-coached. I don't care if it was Phil Jackson or Greg Popocich vs. Mike Dunleavy or Rick Adelman vs. Nate McMillan, in years past, I always KNEW we were going to be out-coached. Not this year.

So, as a Rockets' fan, do you think the outcome of this series would have been different if Rick was still coaching your team instead of McHale. I know Rick didn't have a lot of success in Minnesota (but their roster is extremely flawed - a PG who can't shoot to save his life and big men who don't play a lick of defense), but he's definitely a better Xs and Os coach than McHale. Those teams he coached in Sacramento were an absolute joy to watch. The ball movement and player movement were a thing of beauty. I can't help but think he would have gotten more out of this roster, especially in the post season, than Kevin McHale did.

so no excuses, just a hat tip to a team that outplayed my team. I can't stand either the spurs or mavs, so best of luck to you guys in round 2.

Thanks! The good news is Aldridge plays his best against the Texas teams. He grew up idolizing Duncan and loves to go head-to-head against him. He grew up in Dallas and has had many of the best games of his career against the Mavs. Should be a fun series and I like our chances against either opponent.

BNM

 

[mook]

Trust me, as the fan of a team that suffered through Nate McMillan as a head coach, I feel your pain. McMillan's inability to make in-game, or even in-series adjustments, got us thoroughly abused in the playoffs every time. His steadfast refusal to front Yao during Game 1 (or any game) during the 2009 playoffs was painful to watch. As a result, Yao didn't miss a shot, scored 24 points in 24 minutes, the Blazers suffered a humiliating 27-point loss at home, lost home court advantage and lost the series.

The very next year, thanks to Andre Miller torching Steve Nash for 31 points in Game 1, the Blazers stole HCA from the Phoenix Suns. In Game 2, Alvin Gentry put Grant Hill on Miller to slow him down and disrupt the Blazers' offense. This meant Nash was guarding 6'8" Nicolas Batum, who had scored 18 points in Game 1 with Hill guarding him. McMillan never countered. He never even tried to post up Batum against Nash*. Blazers give back HCA and lose the series in 6 games.

*Well, he DID learn, but it took him 5 months. In the 2010 season opener, on the first two Blazers' possessions, Batum posted up Nash and scored two easy baskets. After scoring 6 easy points in the first 6 minutes, Gentry was forced to put Hill back on Batum, the Blazers controlled the game and won by 14. Nash was a HORRIBLE defender - which is why Gentry pulled him off Andre Miller. There is NO WAY Nash could guard Batum, but Nate never even tried to exploit that miss-match during that series. His reasoning: the Blazers hadn't run any post ups for Batum during the regular season, so they weren't going to try anything new during the playoffs.

I could go on about Nate's all-Roy-ISO-all-the-time offense. He was so inflexible, he even ran the same offense when Roy was injured. He simply ran the same plays for whoever he had available, Jerryd Bayless, Jamaal Crawford, etc. He even tried to run it for Andre Miller. None of those guys were Brandon Roy, so the results were disastrous. Shit, he even ran the Roy ISO against Phoenix when they were playing a zone. Great motivator and classy guy, but a horrible, horrible head coach.

In any case, EVERY time the Blazers made the post season under McMillan, I just knew they were going to get totally out-coached - and they did.

The good news for you is, McHale may not be a good head coach, but he's a great big man coach. His work in Minnesota helped Kevin Love go from an undersized, nonathletic 14 PPG role player into a guy averaging 26 ppg. His work, (and Hakeem's) has definitely helped Dwight Howard's low post offense. I was extremely impressed with Dwight's low post scoring in this series. In the past, I always thought of Dwight as an unskilled big man that relied totally on his freakish athleticism. In Orlando and LA, he was NEVER the type of player you could run your offense through. In this series, he was exactly that. His work in the 4th quarter last night was dominant. The footwork and ability to score with either hand were something I've never seen from Dwight in the past.

So, as a head coach, McHale may have held you back this year, but Dwight's improved low post game, will serve you better in seasons to come. You guys certainly have the pieces. Now, you just need a better Xs and Os guy to take you to the next level.

I said it for before the series started, Terry Stotts vs. Kevin McHale is the biggest advantage we will have in this series. For the first time since the early 1990s, I went into the post season not dreading being out-coached. I don't care if it was Phil Jackson or Greg Popocich vs. Mike Dunleavy or Rick Adelman vs. Nate McMillan, in years past, I always KNEW we were going to be out-coached. Not this year.

So, as a Rockets' fan, do you think the outcome of this series would have been different if Rick was still coaching your team instead of McHale. I know Rick didn't have a lot of success in Minnesota (but their roster is extremely flawed - a PG who can't shoot to save his life and big men who don't play a lick of defense), but he's definitely a better Xs and Os coach than McHale. Those teams he coached in Sacramento were an absolute joy to watch. The ball movement and player movement were a thing of beauty. I can't help but think he would have gotten more out of this roster, especially in the post season, than Kevin McHale did.



Thanks! The good news is Aldridge plays his best against the Texas teams. He grew up idolizing Duncan and loves to go head-to-head against him. He grew up in Dallas and has had many of the best games of his career against the Mavs. Should be a fun series and I like our chances against either opponent.

BNM

Great post about Dwight, Nate and McHale.

The point about how we didn't post up Batum because we didn't ever try it in the regular season is very germane in this series. McHale wasn't very comfortable running Asik and Howard together because....they hadn't played much together in the regular season.

In both situations, the question isn't, "Should the coach risk doing something new in the playoffs?" The question instead should be, "Why the hell didn't you try using these guys more like this during the regular season so we wouldn't be wondering if it could work in the playoffs?" Great coaches get this shit figured out well ahead of time so the entire team knows exactly what they can do in the playoffs. (Mo Cheeks had the same problem years ago in trying to decide if Zach Randolph could be a starter, and it took us facing playoff elimination before he would finally do the obvious.)

One reason Portland won is that it didn't try to do anything it wasn't. We had a system of players, rotations, plays and roles all completely nailed down by the time the playoffs rolled around. We were able to exploit mismatches by changing things up in game and between games, but we never did something that hadn't been battle-tested in the regular season.

It just didn't happen like that for the Rockets. James Harden can't just wake up in the playoffs and decide to be a decent defender. Asik and Howard can't just be thrown together and expect to work perfectly from get-go. Shockingly, they never really did figure out how to run a decent Howard/Harden pick and roll, despite Lopez being a pretty mediocre defender when placed in that position. (How is it even possible that the Howard/Harden p-n-r is nonexistent, given how well Harden passes/dribbles/shoots, and how good Howard should be at diving to the basket? Howard has indeed learned a lot from Olajuwon. Now it's time for him to go pick Karl Malone's brain.)

Consistency is Portland's single greatest strength. You know exactly what all our key guys are going to give you most nights. If and when the Rockets get that, they are going to be a scary team.

 

[magnifier661]

Great post about Dwight, Nate and McHale.

The point about how we didn't post up Batum because we didn't ever try it in the regular season is very germane in this series. McHale wasn't very comfortable running Asik and Howard together because....they hadn't played much together in the regular season.

In both situations, the question isn't, "Should the coach risk doing something new in the playoffs?" The question instead should be, "Why the hell didn't you try using these guys more like this during the regular season so we wouldn't be wondering if it could work in the playoffs?" Great coaches get this shit figured out well ahead of time so the entire team knows exactly what they can do in the playoffs. (Mo Cheeks had the same problem years ago in trying to decide if Zach Randolph could be a starter, and it took us facing playoff elimination before he would finally do the obvious.)

One reason Portland won is that it didn't try to do anything it wasn't. We had a system of players, rotations, plays and roles all completely nailed down by the time the playoffs rolled around. We were able to exploit mismatches by changing things up in game and between games, but we never did something that hadn't been battle-tested in the regular season.

It just didn't happen like that for the Rockets. James Harden can't just wake up in the playoffs and decide to be a decent defender. Asik and Howard can't just be thrown together and expect to work perfectly from get-go. Shockingly, they never really did figure out how to run a decent Howard/Harden pick and roll, despite Lopez being a pretty mediocre defender when placed in that position. (How is it even possible that the Howard/Harden p-n-r is nonexistent, given how well Harden passes/dribbles/shoots, and how good Howard should be at diving to the basket? Howard has indeed learned a lot from Olajuwon. Now it's time for him to go pick Karl Malone's brain.)

Consistency is Portland's single greatest strength. You know exactly what all our key guys are going to give you most nights. If and when the Rockets get that, they are going to be a scary team.

Could u imagine if they had pop or Phil Jackson as coach? They would be crazy good

 

[maxiep]

man, what an amazing series. I've definitely been somewhat sleep-deprived the last two weeks with the late starts, frequent overtimes, and inability to sleep after the adrenaline rush at the end of every close game.

while I definitely think the Rockets could have played better, I simply cannot get over how well Portland played. Aldridge and Lillard are legit superstars and played like it. Matthews did as well at guarding Harden as anyone I've seen this season.

And perhaps the biggest mismatch of the entire season was Stotts vs. McHale. I felt like McHale was getting pantsed on national tv on a nightly basis.

so no excuses, just a hat tip to a team that outplayed my team. I can't stand either the spurs or mavs, so best of luck to you guys in round 2.

As I have posted before, I have a soft spot in my heart for the Rockets. Mostly because Clyde achieved with you what he never could with us, but also because you saw a great team destroyed by injuries.

I still can't believe what a series it was. The Rockets to me always felt like they were one or two plays from breaking games open. Harden and Howard are just so talented. We happened to be playing well at the right time, while it took your team a few games to get in the groove with everyone healthy. Even then, Beverley was only about 70%.

A tip of the cap to a damn fine team. It's a shame anyone had to lose this series.

 

[Joe Boo]

So, as a Rockets' fan, do you think the outcome of this series would have been different if Rick was still coaching your team instead of McHale. I know Rick didn't have a lot of success in Minnesota (but their roster is extremely flawed - a PG who can't shoot to save his life and big men who don't play a lick of defense), but he's definitely a better Xs and Os coach than McHale. Those teams he coached in Sacramento were an absolute joy to watch. The ball movement and player movement were a thing of beauty. I can't help but think he would have gotten more out of this roster, especially in the post season, than Kevin McHale did.

I don't think there's any question that Adelman would've fared better with this team. It's a shame that he basically left because he was tired of Morey tinkering with the roster, only to have Harden and then Howard basically fall into our lap.

The biggest thing is the lack of adjustments. Part of that was compounded because Sampson left about a month ago. I always felt he was a better X's and O's guy than McHale. During the season, if Harden was struggling, Sampson was always good at finding ways to get him some easy buckets to get that confidence back.

But like I said, there were plenty of other reasons this thing didn't go our way. By no means is it all on McHale's shoulders. Which I guess is good because I understand now that he's coming back next year. Oh well...

 

[PDXFonz]

Espn reporting mchale will return next season. Salt in the wounds for rockets fans, lol!

 

[Natebishop3]

I don't understand the Lin hate.

Then again, if I had essentially traded Dragic for Lin I guess I would be pretty upset as well. He's also making way too much money. I think he is a decent player, but he's not a star by any means.

 

[KeepOnRollin]

I don't understand the Lin hate.

Then again, if I had essentially traded Dragic for Lin I guess I would be pretty upset as well. He's also making way too much money. I think he is a decent player, but he's not a star by any means.

Lin is their Mo (in fan's eyes) but way overpaid. Can you imagine how bad you would be if we paid Mo that much?

 

[Natebishop3]

Lin is their Mo (in fan's eyes) but way overpaid. Can you imagine how bad you would be if we paid Mo that much?

I think Lin is the better player, but he's being paid All-Star money

 

[Superbeard]

Espn reporting mchale will return next season. Salt in the wounds for rockets fans, lol!

Yep. Worse than the shot.

I now wish you guys would have swept us convincingly.

I hope this is one of those things where they are just saying this now. Rockets have no shot at a title with Mchale as coach

 

[Natebishop3]

Yep. Worse than the shot.

I now wish you guys would have swept us convincingly.

I hope this is one of those things where they are just saying this now. Rockets have no shot at a title with Mchale as coach

I'm just curious, what what changes would you liked to have seen McHale make?

 

[Wizard Mentor]

Ouch!

Espn reporting mchale will return next season. Salt in the wounds for rockets fans, lol!

 

[jlprk]

McHale is an excellent coach. Anyone connected to the Timberwolves gets tainted for life by Minny ninnies. He taught Garnett everything he knows, has already taught Howard new moves, and would have made a man out of Aldridge had we hired him as I advised during the McMillan era.

In the last 17 months he lost his daughter and mother, so he often looks dewy-eyed. You'll do worse if you fire him.

 

[riverman]

man, what an amazing series. I've definitely been somewhat sleep-deprived the last two weeks with the late starts, frequent overtimes, and inability to sleep after the adrenaline rush at the end of every close game.

while I definitely think the Rockets could have played better, I simply cannot get over how well Portland played. Aldridge and Lillard are legit superstars and played like it. Matthews did as well at guarding Harden as anyone I've seen this season.

And perhaps the biggest mismatch of the entire season was Stotts vs. McHale. I felt like McHale was getting pantsed on national tv on a nightly basis.

so no excuses, just a hat tip to a team that outplayed my team. I can't stand either the spurs or mavs, so best of luck to you guys in round 2.

Well said Joe Boo! Appreciate the thread. I knew we were OK when they miked up McHale and Stotts and McHale was clearly flustered while Stotts was totally controlled and focused.

 

[Further]

Joe, thaT was one hell of a series, and I'm as or more worried about Houston in the future than any other western team. You guys need harden to mature (I know that's usually said about Howard) and then the Rockets will be in contention for years. Hopefully next year we meet in the WCF.

 

[Superbeard]

I'm just curious, what what changes would you liked to have seen McHale make?

I'd like to see more of a offense. Players move off the ball and plays being run. Rocket fans have watched game after game of this man just letting one guy work. Even when we needed points, what did we do? We posted up Howard and the 4 other players just watched. No screens or no one moving. It is a far cry from the Yao - Adelman days that's for sure.

Or we'd just ISO Harden top of the key...all four other players watching. In fact no matter who gets the ball this is the plan. Playoffs they started to use a PnR a lot more but that was a rarity throughout the season.

I feel the game could be made so much easier for a guy like Harden who has the vision he has if there is a moving offense in place.

Also team defense IMO is always a reflection of the coach, and the Rockets was horrible.

I mean there were two times when he decided that Harden should guard Lopez...those were 4 points that he gifted the Blazers because he didn't want to play Motiejunas a few minutes (who has played well all season but for some reason was in the doghouse for the playoffs. We could have used him great this series IMO)

McHale is an excellent coach. Anyone connected to the Timberwolves gets tainted for life by Minny ninnies. He taught Garnett everything he knows, has already taught Howard new moves, and would have made a man out of Aldridge had we hired him as I advised during the McMillan era.

In the last 17 months he lost his daughter and mother, so he often looks dewy-eyed. You'll do worse if you fire him.

Rockets have a secret weapon when it comes to big men. A coach named Carol Dawson. He does excellent work with the big men and Howard has had Hakeem in his ear the entire season.

I'm not doubting McHale had something to do with Dwight's improved post game...and if that's the case then that would mean Mchale would make a excellent assistant coach. Head coach...I Just can't see it.

I hope I'm wrong and come October I'll be rooting for him to succeed...but I'm expecting another disappointing exit from the post-season.

 

[Drttimmy]

I still can't believe what a series it was. The Rockets to me always felt like they were one or two plays from breaking games open. Harden and Howard are just so talented. We happened to be playing well at the right time, while it took your team a few games to get in the groove with everyone healthy. Even then, Beverley was only about 70%.

What's so scary about Houston is they probably get more easy, higher% shot attempts than any team in the league, resulting in those big type runs you allude to. It seemed eerily familiar to playing those Shaq/Kobe teams, except this time we had a stone cold killer finishing for us and McHale is no Phil Jackson.

 

[riverman]

I don't understand the Lin hate.

Then again, if I had essentially traded Dragic for Lin I guess I would be pretty upset as well. He's also making way too much money. I think he is a decent player, but he's not a star by any means.

I like Lin as a player. He's not a superstar by any stretch but he's paid because a billion asian fans will buy all the Lin jerseys and products the Rockets can market. He's not losing them any money at all.

 

[Fun in the Sun]

I just can't stand the way Lin acts on the court. He makes a good play and he looks like he won the lottery, a foul is called on his team he looks like he is in tears, it's just not very professional. Just why I don't like Lin.

I don't understand the Lin hate.

Then again, if I had essentially traded Dragic for Lin I guess I would be pretty upset as well. He's also making way too much money. I think he is a decent player, but he's not a star by any means.

 

[Natebishop3]

I'd like to see more of a offense. Players move off the ball and plays being run. Rocket fans have watched game after game of this man just letting one guy work. Even when we needed points, what did we do? We posted up Howard and the 4 other players just watched. No screens or no one moving. It is a far cry from the Yao - Adelman days that's for sure.

Or we'd just ISO Harden top of the key...all four other players watching. In fact no matter who gets the ball this is the plan. Playoffs they started to use a PnR a lot more but that was a rarity throughout the season.

I feel the game could be made so much easier for a guy like Harden who has the vision he has if there is a moving offense in place.

Also team defense IMO is always a reflection of the coach, and the Rockets was horrible.

I mean there were two times when he decided that Harden should guard Lopez...those were 4 points that he gifted the Blazers because he didn't want to play Motiejunas a few minutes (who has played well all season but for some reason was in the doghouse for the playoffs. We could have used him great this series IMO)



Rockets have a secret weapon when it comes to big men. A coach named Carol Dawson. He does excellent work with the big men and Howard has had Hakeem in his ear the entire season.

I'm not doubting McHale had something to do with Dwight's improved post game...and if that's the case then that would mean Mchale would make a excellent assistant coach. Head coach...I Just can't see it.

I hope I'm wrong and come October I'll be rooting for him to succeed...but I'm expecting another disappointing exit from the post-season.

Trust me, we know exactly what you're talking about. Nate McMillan was the exact same way. Just completely unimaginative offense. It would drive us nuts because once a team figured out how to stop the Brandon Roy iso, that was it. I also find it interesting that you bring up that move he made in the 4th when he put Harden on Lopez. That just seemed like a horrible decision. Lopez obviously isn't a Dwight Howard, but he's completely capable of scoring. McHale basically gave us six free points when nobody else on our team could score.