David Hensley
The Signal
Remember when Hakeem “The Dream” Olajuwon was winning back-to-back championships for Clutch City? Remember when the quote “Never underestimate the heart of a champion,” by Rudy Tomjanovich the former Rockets head coach, was commonplace?
This year’s Houston Rockets are trying to bring a championship back to Houston with a new coach and an offense that is scoring points no matter who’s on the court.
For the 2011 season, the Rockets brought in new head coach Kevin McHale, a former Boston Celtic legend and Minnesota Timberwolves head coach. During McHale’s playing career, he has won three NBA titles and was elected to the hall of fame in 1999.
McHale’s performance as head coach in Minnesota was not as profitable as his playing days in Boston; he finished with a 55-66 record as a head coach over the three years he coached there. When he was hired as the Rockets head coach this past year, many fans had their doubts on how it would turn out.
Because McHale was a great player, he has knowledge of the game, but his previous head coaching record indicates that he wouldn’t be able to get the job done as a head coach. There were still many loyal Rockets fans that stood by the hiring choice and wanted to give McHale a shot.
McHale has answered the call and has the Rockets playing great basketball this season. The Rockets are seventh in the NBA in scoring, averaging 98 points a game, and fifth in the NBA in rebounding averaging, 44 a game this year.
Much of the team’s offensive success can be attributed to the way the bench is playing right now. The players are not getting caught up in how many minutes they are playing; instead, they are solely concerned with winning games and doing whatever it takes to bring a title back to Houston.
The Rockets bench is one of the main reasons the team is having some success now. The Rockets bench is sixth in the league in bench scoring, averaging 36 points a game, and shooting 47 percent from the field puts them second in the league for shooting percentage.
McHale has also had to adapt to a condensed season due to the NBA lockout. The Rockets are playing as many as three games in as many nights, and the presence of a good bench allows the players to remain fresh and healthy.
The Rockets are a top five team in the Western Conference and are moving up the standings. McHale has the Rockets team believing they can compete with anyone in the league and has shown he’s not afraid of sticking with his bench to get the job done.
The Rockets look poised to get into the playoffs this year and make a run for the NBA championship. The NBA is “where amazing happens,” and the Rockets are sure to finish this amazing season strong.
