Houston Rockets Hire Kevin McHale: Chris Finch to Follow?
After a long, drawn-out process during which nearly every available candidate was interviewed, the Houston Rockets have selected a successor to former head coach Rick Adelman, Kevin McHale.
McHale, the former star big man for the Boston Celtics in the 1980's, will hope to bring playoff basketball back to Houston for the first time in three years.
While McHale was a tremendous player, the Rockets will undoubtedly be criticized for this move as McHale struggled mightily as a general manager and talent evaluator for the Timberwolves, drafting poorly and making equally puzzling signings, eventually leading to his firing.
While he was just 39-55 as a coach in two different stints, his record does not mean much because he was coaching some of the worst teams ever assembled in the NBA.
With the Rockets appearing to be rebuilding through the draft and stressing a youth movement, McHale makes a lot of sense as he can help young big men Jordan Hill, Patrick Patterson and Hasheem Thabeet reach their full potential.
While Rick Adelman consistently relied on veterans such as Brad Miller in front of younger, less proven players, McHale will now be expected to "play the kids," a happy message for players such as Terrence Williams and the aforementioned Hill and Thabeet, who were often left on the bench for games at a time.
Is Chris Finch Next?
Perhaps the most interesting facet of the entire hire does not even revolve around McHale but rather around his assistants, as the Rockets are expected to ask McHale to mentor Chris Finch as his potential successor.
As the Houston Chronicle reported, Rick Adelman was asked to do the same but rejected the offer:
""Though Adelman and Rockets general manager Daryl Morey came together on several issues, Morey wanted Adelman to mentor a successor that Morey and Rockets owner Leslie Alexander would have chosen and put on Adelman’s staff. Adelman was unwilling to make the changes necessary to his staff, arguing in favor of assistants."
"
Given the Rockets' insistence on the mentor role for Adelman, one has to think that an agreement to at least take Finch on as an assistant was part of the Rockets' negotiations with McHale.
With McHale signing a three-year deal with a fourth-year option, the Rockets will have enough time to evaluate Finch at the NBA level to see if he is head coaching material, as well as give Finch enough time to be groomed to be an NBA head coach.
With the Rockets failing to reach the playoffs the last two years, the Rockets realized that they must make changes. While the divorce with Rick Adelman may not necessarily have been one of those necessary changes, the hiring of McHale to replace Adelman represents a commitment to rebuilding that had not been there in years.
Whether Finch succeeds McHale or not, the hire is a step in the right direction for a team in desperate need of some new blood.
