Exactly this sticks like a massive cover your ass move, because MDA, Harden Rivers several Rockets players were asking for the repauy and were making the sign with their fingers in the air, plus why else would Mike take that time out. The whole thing reeks of deception and massive CYA bull ****
Are they really protesting? If so it has a legitimate chance of starting the game at 104-89 and finishing again. DD
What slippery slope? They outright didnt count a basket that went in. Its not just your average missed call. This type of call is almost never missed
I am in no way saying that MDA is the GOAT. He certainly has his flaws. I just think he gets a bad rap. It's easy to see us lose a game and call for his head. So, let's address some of the things you mentioned: 1) The (our) record is also largely due to the talent we've had. I'll also cite Phil Jackson and Popovich using that same logic. Phil Jackson - Micheal Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O'Neal, do THEY sound familiar? NOW, let's go back to Phil Jackson in NY, WITHOUT the TOP tier talent. What happened? Trainwreck. FIRED and run out of town Popovich - How many rings has HE won since Tim Duncan (and company) retired? A product of the 'talent'? Someone just cited Vogel in L.A. - Yes, they have a great record. But he also has LeBron and AD. Does that make him a good coach or a 'lucky' coach? I'm not saying these are 'bad' coaches. They've had their successes for sure. But to say D'Antoni who took us to the brink of winning it all, sucks because of some bad circumstances TO ME, doesn't make him a bad coach 2) Its also telling when the best defense of MDA is that we on CF dont have a great replacement in mind. Maybe that's because it's EXTREMELY difficult to replace a Tier 1 coach with a .700 record. Doing so with someone out of a broadcast booth with a mediocre history and record is an extreme gamble. Wouldn't YOU agree? If you know anything about poker, you likely know that a full house is a VERY good hand to hold. Replacing a coach with such a record with a 'guess' from a broadcast booth (as you suggested) would be like holding a full house in a game of 5 card draw and discarding 2 cards thinking you can come up with a 'better' hand and win it ALL. Logic says NOT. Hold on to your HOT hand. That's all I'm saying. This talk about "Fire MDA' and replace him with 'some guy in a suit' just doesn't fly. 3) Giving James the ball is a no brainer My, don't we have short memories? Remember the names Kevin McHale and JB Bickerstaff? THEY TOO were coaching the team and had James Harden on the roster. James was good then, but NOT what he is today. THE DIFFERENCE? I believe that is Mike D'Antoni. Whether most like you choose to believe it, he DOES have an effective and successful system (if given the right personnel to work with). HELL, he even made Jeremy Lin and the Knicks into as sensation! (Until Carmelo came back from his injury, which proves the point about the 'right 'personnel) No, James Harden wasn't really a household name or future HoF until MDA came along. Remember how everyone was SO surprised that he named James as the 'point guard'? James Harden POINT GUARD?? He's a shooting guard, NOT a ball handler!! So, what has happened since? I believe we became #3 seed in the West. Next season, we got CP, went to #1 seed, went 7 games against 'the greatest team ever assembled' James Harden becomes MVP candidate, also wins MVP. MDA wins Coach of the Year. Rockets set NBA franchise records in 3 pointers. James Harden is setting records almost daily. James Harden equals Oscar Robertson in recording 35pts and 5 assists in 7 straight games, and the list goes on and on. . . . So, can anyone just 'give James the ball'? YES. But, can 'anyone' obtain a .700 winning percentage? Kevin McHale and JBB say, NO. Look, D'Antoni is not be the GOAT, That's not why I defend him. I just remember we've had MUCH worse coaches and can do MUCH worse by 'gambling' on a 'maybe'. Sure, I also question some of his decisions, but I DON'T question his success. Just because he hasn't won a ring doesn't make him a terrible coach. I'm all for sticking with a full house unless I know FOR SURE we have 4 of a kind waiting in the wings
Forget the win... what if league could give rockets something more useful like salary cap. I know highly unlikely. But I know damn sure they do not want to replsy or give the rockets the win. Just casuses too much drama.
The 'offensive machine' you are referring to, IS Mike D'Antoni's creation. It's HIS machine that's made James Harden the SUPERSTAR he is today. HIS system is rather revolutionary and an anomaly. The W's have a similar system and the Bucks are trying to emulate it. But, you hear all the time about how the Rockets take the most 3's, have eliminated the midrange shots. That's ALL Mike D'Antoni. That's not him 'inheriting' a 'best offensive machine', that's him CREATING a 'top offensive machine'. There's a BIG difference. I get it. You want another coach. .700 is NOT good enough for you. My only point is that there are WORSE coaches and systems out there. Is a new coach and system going to click with James? Maybe. Maybe NOT Sounds as if you may get your wish as MDA has not received a contract extension as of yet. But, careful what you wish for.
As if blowing a 22 point lead and a 16 pt 4th quarter lead and both stars playing "poorly" isnt bad/embarrassing enough, guess the rockets are going to repeat their mistake from last playoffs and whine and complain about the refs. Maybe send/create another memo/audit of all the miss points again! It was so we'll received last time lol.
Kevin McHale and JB Bickerstaff say hello. They each had James Harden and didn't accomplish anything close to what Mike D'Antoni has done. Are you saying that Mike D'Antoni did not make James Harden into an MVP superstar? But, rather the other way around? James made MDA into a Coach of the Year? LOL Remember when everyone chuckled and paused when they heard D'Antoni say he was going to make James Harden our 'point guard'?? James Harden? Point guard?? YEP So, what has happened since that time? EVERYTHING. . . James became a future HoF'er. MOSTLY because of Mike D'Antoni's system and confidence in James. Does James carry the team? Sure. But, doesn't Giannis carry HIS team and coach to some degree? How about Kawhi? How about LeBron? etc. . . So, what 'mistakes' has D'Antoni made in the past 18 months that you are referring to?
Rockets mindset is just bad overall, being too arrogant in overlooking like its a easy win, plus Mike DAntoni have a 6 man rotation in Heavy Minutes while Gregg Popovich plays 10 players even minutes, more rest = fresher legs in 2 Overtimes. Got Outcoached, Outmanaged.
I think it is time for the Rockets Players to be realistic and just play for pay checks only. Not play for a NBA Championship, just Quit like Tracy McGrady does. The League is so rigged in the Playoffs that Small Market Teams will never Win a NBA Championship. Even in Free Agency it is rigged and normalized so much to betray and leave the team of being with 10 years. Since LeBron James made it do Normal to Backstabbing his own Hometown Team. Free Agency, Media pushes LA or NY Promotion to the Free Agents.
Your point about other coaches and talent is well taken. It hard to disentangle who is adding what Lets look at the NYK situation tho. Melo, while def not on the same level as Harden , was able to help lead the nuggets to winning 54 and then 53 games in the west. Then he goes to NY who finishes 42-40 ... the nuggets that year finished 50-32* . The next year ( after an offseason to get acclimated) MDA goes 18-24 and gets fired. Mike woodson finshes 18-6 Denver goes 38-28 that year. The year before the melo trade MDA coached the knicks ( had many young players, not good overall talent) they went 32-50 The full year after MDA is fired the Knicks go 54-28. From the outside, it looks like Melo as the leading player is capable of leading your team to 50 wins. He did it both in denver and in new york. He did this both with a coach who is considered really good in Goerge Karl ( nuggets went 57-25 that year) and with a guy who is considered not so good in woodson. There are way too many differences in the roster fro year to year to fully control for talent , but it looks like Melo and the knicks definitely underachieved with MDA. Im not saying MDA should have won a chip with melo, or even 55 games. But you said something important , its that MDA has a good system. I think thats true. But i also think that MDA cant adapt his system to talent. It may be that Harden is great for MDA's system. But Harden also might be great no matter what system he is in. Can you really tell me that you dont think James would be as good if he was being coached by Carlisle or Pop ? He may not be putting up the stats, but he's be making winning plays all the same. And at the end of the day thats what its about. You say MDA is a full house, but i think its closer to 3 of a kind. I dont think hes one of the 5 best coaches in the NBA , i dont think he's top 10. Harden won 56 games under mchale in 14-15. We won 57 under MDA in 16-17 . LEts forget 15-16 lol as JBB was truly an awful coach. It wasnt until we got Cp3 that the rockets became juggernauts. I think in this case , talent is driving MDA's results more than MDA is driving us. I think the W-L record during McHale's tenure and the example in NYK is a decent case for this. One final example is in PHX. 07-8 was his last year there . they went 55-27 and had a 113 ORTG in 08-9 their roster was a year older and they shut down STAT after 60 games. They went 46-36 and had a 113 ORTG So in the year after he left , they had an older roster ( previous year at deadline they traded marion for Shaq) , shut down amare , and still had the same offensive rating. Im just not seeing that he's a coach that lifts a team up. If anything , the evidence suggests he underperforms.
so when the people blame harden(and mda and morey) for being a playoffs choker and not having a ring, they base all this on the judgement of guys such as this one? not on harden's and Rockets basketball play on the court?
Buddy, MDA DID win the ring, its just that the refs(and silver) didnt see (and didnt give it to him), just like the hardens dunk they didnt count Cant blame MDA for what the rigging refs do...
They didnt make the playoffs that year. Not only that, Alvin Gentry then took over and ran Mike's exact same system and they went to the WCF.
