The Houston Rockets finally made a move after a horrible start at 4-7. They fired their head coach, Kevin McHale, the same guy who led them to the WCF last season.
Is he really the problem? In a recent report by Bleacher Report, teammates are actually frustrated with the play of their franchise star, James Harden. Although harden has had some great games this season, it was overshadowed by his inconsistencies and his old habits are apparently back again which is playing bad defense.
"According to Jeff Zillgitt and Sam Amick of USA Today, Rockets players have grown unhappy with guard James Harden's on-court play and 'aloofness.'"
Now, it will all depend to their new interim head coach, J.B. Bickerstaff to patch things up. Although the coach is excited for the opportunity, he is extremely saddened by the fact that one of the man he looks up to is no longer around.
"He did everything in his power to protect me, to protect my family," Bickerstaff told Yahoo Sports, referring to Kevin McHale. "He went out on a limb to support me."
Moving forward, what was his first step in changing the culture inside the Rockets' locker room?
"In my conversation with each and every one of them, I said, 'I'm going to coach you,'" Bickerstaff told Yahoo. "We aren't going to let things slide. We won't get better unless you allow this staff to coach you."
Lastly, he is extremely excited about the chance of coaching a team with bonafide superstars as that opportunity doesn't come by often.
"Let's face it," Bickerstaff told Yahoo, "first-time assistant coaches normally don't walk into jobs with two perennial All-Stars on a team that just got bounced in the Western finals. Normally, they get a job in the middle of a year, playing for lottery balls. I'm fortunate, very fortunate. You don't win without talent, but your talent has to have purpose."
