A quick change at top
Owner seeks a new voice to turn it around
Rockets owner Leslie Alexander, seeking a “new voice and someone to turn the team around,” fired coach Kevin McHale on Wednesday, just 11 games into a season that began with championship aspirations but instead started with waves of lopsided losses.
McHale, less than a year removed from leading the Rockets to their best season in nearly two decades and landing a new contract, lost the confidence of his players, and Alexander didn’t think the coach would get it back.
“The team was not responding to Kevin McHale,” Rockets coach general manager Daryl Morey said. “We had to make the tough call, and we had to make it soon. There is no time in the tough Western Conference to wait for a turnaround.”
The Rockets, who reached the Western Conference finals last season, are the first team to lose
The team was obviously not responding … I’ve never seen my team in the 23 years (as owner) play as poorly and with less effort.” — Leslie Alexander
its opening three games by 20 points each and are 11th in the conference even after Wednesday’s overtime win against Portland. Alexander determined that the lack of consistent improvement in the first three weeks of the season indicated that players had tuned out their coach. Team not responding
“The team was obviously not responding — on offense, on defense — they weren’t playing hard,” Alexander said. “It continued for a while. I considered four or five games losing by 20 points something we can’t take here. I’ve never seen my team in the 23 years (as owner) play as poorly and with less effort.
“I’m not attributing it to the coach. I’m attributing it to circumstances. Who knows whose control it is? But I had to do something to make a change. It couldn’t keep going on like this. Do I want to watch us lose over and over and over again?”
The Rockets replaced McHale with top assistant J.B. Bickerstaff in the hopes Bickerstaff would reach a team that had no longer responded to McHale. Bickerstaff was hired as an interim coach, but the team is not looking for a replacement to take over this season.
“We know this team can win at a very high level,” Morey said. “That team was still being put together. Second, it’s not just losing. It’s not just 4-7. It’s the way we’re losing, by how much, by how the team is responding. All those things go into a very tough decision, but I obviously believe was the right decision.
“If you’re a team coming off a Western Conference finals run and you’re a team with mostly the same group, it was not working. We will change until it’s working.
“Mr. Alexander does not accept losing. I don’t accept losing. The players, no one accepts losing. We’ve been the fifth-most winning franchise since Mr. Alexander has owned the team. We’re going to do whatever it takes to win.”
The decision points directly to the expectation that comes with coaching superstars, with the Rockets believing the combination of James Harden and Dwight Howard should make them championship contenders.
Howard has played well, but the center has been in and out of the lineup while the Rockets work to limit his workload after last season’s knee issues.
Harden, last season’s NBA MVP runner-up, has put up good numbers, but the guard has shot poorly and returned to the defensive issues he had before last season’s breakthrough season. He seemed especially dispirited in Monday’s 111-95 loss to Boston.
“We’re building around James Harden and Dwight Howard,” Morey said. “We know they’re winners. We know we can win with them. I’m not concerned with them.
“We’re just trying to win. You have to have stars to win in the NBA. We need everyone to respond. It’s not about stars. The team was not responding.”
Alexander, Morey and Rockets president Tad Brown discussed the move Tuesday, opted to sleep on it and then met with McHale on Wednesday. McHale said he could have turned the Rockets around, but he understood the decision.
“We were starting to address some of the issues that were the reason I was let go,” McHale said. “We just weren’t playing with any juice, with any rhythm. We haven’t been able to get the problems solved.
“We probably had more meetings in the last six weeks than in my previous four years here. It wasn’t working. We got off to a terrible start to the season. I would have obviously liked the opportunity to solve the problems. But I’ve been in the position (as a general manager) to have to let people go. They are trying to do what they think is best for the organization.”
McHale will earn $12 million for the remaining three guaranteed seasons, including this season, on his contract. Alexander said he did not regret giving McHale the contract extension 11 months ago because the coach earned a new deal with the Rockets’ success last season.
Last season’s run to the Western Conference finals, along with the addition this season of point guard Ty Lawson, led increased expectations.
However, the Rockets have struggled to overcome injuries. Lawson has been slow to adjust to playing next to Harden. A team that shoots more 3-pointers than any in NBA history, is second-to-last in 3-point shooting.
The Rockets still expect a turnaround, and Morey said he would not stop at changing coaches if the team continues to fall short. Bottom-line decision
“This was very tough,” Morey said. “The bottom line is we believe in this team. We believe in the players we have. We know this team can win. We aren’t in a good place. We’re going to make changes until we win. That’s the bottom line.
“We had to make the tough call of what is the best thing to be done to get our season on track. I’m very confident we can turn this around.”
Alexander was not so sure. His confidence left with the coach he showed the door.
“I won’t have confidence until it happens,” Alexander said. “I’m not confident right now, no. How can I be confident?”