Kevin McHale explains how he really feels about the Houston Rockets
One year ago today, Kevin McHale was head coach of the two-seeded Houston Rockets, a two-star powerhouse that eventually made it all the way to the Western Conference Finals. But a few months later, only 11 games into this season, Houston fired McHale after the team got off to a disappointing start.
Appearing at an event to honor three Boston Celtics teams that won the championship (including McHale's 1986 squad), the Hall of Famer gave an interesting response when asked if he misses coaching:
Considering McHale publicly admitted that James Harden entered training camp out of shape and helped contribute to the sluggish start that led to him getting fired, it's fair to assume that Harden—who was also rumored to push for a new head coach—is mainly who he's talking about here.
What's funny is McHale so clearly wasn't the problem. Even after he left, the Rockets continued to spiral down the drain as a lifeless ball club that tries hard only when it feels like it. They don't defend the 3-point line as well as they did under McHale last season, they're careless with the ball and they don't hustle in transition.
At 40-41, if the Rockets lose Wednesday night against the Sacramento Kings, they miss the playoffs. As for McHale, it's unclear if he'll ever get another head coaching job in the NBA, but he's a natural analyzing the game on TV and one of the best power forwards who ever lived. He'll be fine.
The Rockets? Not so much.
