Kevin McHale Lifts Rockets to New Heights

Kevin McHale, the Rockets beleaguered head coach, currently captains one of the best teams in the Western Conference despite missing three of five starters, chief among them Dwight Howard, for long stretches in this early season. Often when one thinks of the Houston Rockets coaching staff they find fault with McHale for some form or another. Whether you call into question his rotations, his player selection, his dedication to X’s and O’s, McHale undoubtedly excels in his ability to extract value from his players.

Nov 17, 2014; Memphis, TN, USA; Houston Rockets head coach Kevin McHale motions to his team during the second half against the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum. Memphis defeated Houston 119-93. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports

To be perfectly clear, that’s not that he uses the players you want when you want to use them or that certain rotations make sense. The players he has on the floor tend to develop, tend to yield production, and tend to give McHale everything they have. This was a quality that Rick Adelman received adulation for throughout his tenure with the undersized and scrappy Houston squad. It’s a quality that speaks to leaders of men. They’re not always the subject area experts, very rarely are specialists and experts the captains of the ship. The captain just needs to make sure he knows the way things work and then he assigns a specialist to see it gets done.

That’s exactly what McHale has done with his assistant coaches. It’s precisely what Greg Popovich does with his assistants. In the pantheon of great coaches, undoubtedly the best coaches have been those who manage egos and inspire their players, not the ones with iron clad X’s and O’s understandings. Phil Jackson is best known for his calm nature and ability to harness egos like Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant. Red Auerbech was known for breaking egos and conforming his players to a system that made sure people got their due when they were owed it. Players would lay themselves out for guys like Auerbech. Even transcending the NBA, great coaches like Bill Belichick, Tom Landry, and Curly Lambeau were guys who inspired you to go to war for them, not guys who knew every step in that war.

That is where McHale has shown to excel as a leader. Do the Rockets get loose and a bit undisciplined? Yes. Does McHale hold his players accountable in press conferences and bluntly state the problems? Absolutely. The Rockets are one of the younger teams in the NBA (Once you discount geriatrics Jason Terry and Francisco Garcia). McHale is the perfect coach for younger players. He doesn’t sugar coat, he throws a joke out, but he doesn’t sell his players out and lets them make their own mistakes. McHale lets his players figure it out and grow organically that way. Two players speak volumes to such a mentality and its payoff.

Chandler Parsons is definitive proof of McHale’s caliber as a coach. If we are to extend credibility to Rick Carlisle for the Mavericks victory over the Heat in the 2011 NBA finals we need to stay consistent. Mavericks fans have turned on Chandler Parsons, who came in paid like a first option player to realistically fill the role of third piece. Exactly the same role Parsons played in Houston.

Apr 2, 2014; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Houston Rockets head coach Kevin McHale gives instructions to forward Chandler Parsons (25) during a timeout against the Toronto Raptors at Air Canada Centre. The Raptors beat the Rockets 107-103. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports

In Houston, Parsons saw a lower usage percentage than he does in Dallas with a PER (15.9 to 14.6), true shooting percentage (57% to 52%), and better effective shooting percentage (54% to 49%). With a similar role in Dallas, Parsons has failed to contribute at the same level he was able to in Houston. All of his averages are below where he was last year, and to an extent, below his career averages.

It’s only been a fraction of a season but if we afford Carlisle room in the pantheon of best coaches in the NBA, we have to question why Parsons is struggling under a better coach with a similar role, in a slower system. McHale necessarily understood that certain things could be masked via pace but he extracted maximum value out of Parsons by making sure Parsons was a tertiary ball handler with a focus on supplementing his stars, not being one. While Carlisle may be attempting to appease Cuban by making sure his maximum salary asset gets the most burn possible, it must be said that McHale never struggled to get Parsons to look like a legitimate NBA investment prior to his departure.

Speaking of legitimate NBA investments, Donatas Motiejunas, a personal bane, has come into his own logging big minutes with this depleted roster. Motiejunas has upped his overall rebounds nearly two-fold (3.6 per game to 5.9) with 10 additional minutes of action. While Motiejunas’ rebounding leaves much to be desired, his offensive production has stabilized, a pleasant change from “wildly erratic” throughout his career.

Perhaps the most telling part about McHale’s quality as a coach is the fact that the Rockets have reduced their pace from last season and Motiejunas has become a major beneficiary. The slowed down pace and adjustment of his role has allowed Motiejunas to post improved true shooting and effective field goal percentages which help to offset his increased turnovers (2.6 per 100 possessions to 3.2). Motiejunas, by the way, is averaging his best offensive and defensive ratings of his career (103 and 100, per 100 possessions, respectively).

The production (and subsequent regression) of Chandler Parsons and the general emergence of consistency from Moteijunas speak to McHale’s ability to put players in a place where they can succeed and grow organically. That’s not even paying lip service to his use of Patrick Patterson, Marcus Morris, Patrick Beverley, and other rookies/young players. For all of the barbs thrown McHale’s way, not a single one can include player development or willingness to allow players to make a case for more time. Most importantly, McHale has managed to do as much while posting a winning record in Houston.

Kevin McHale Is Guiding The Rockets To Victory

By Brandon Davis | Dec 9, 2014