Houston Rockets Make Wise Decision To Extend Kevin McHale
Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports
The Houston Rockets signed coach Kevin McHale to a three-year contract extension which guarantees him $12 million over the duration of the contract. This was a very wise decision by Rockets general manager Daryl Morey, as McHale has taken the Rockets from an afterthought to a contender in less than three years.
Over the last three years, the Rockets have been one of the most dramatically improved teams in the NBA. McHale has played an integral role in transforming the Rockets franchise into one with a winning attitude, which all started with the acquisition of All-Star, and potential MVP candidate, James Harden.
Harden went from sixth-man to superstar within one year after being traded to Houston, and he has coach McHale to thank. McHale centered the Rockets’ offense around Harden, getting the most out of Harden’s abilities and motivating him to continue improving. Such improvements caught the attention of center Dwight Howard, who joined forces with McHale and Harden last season.
In their first season as a unit, McHale coached Harden, Howard and the Rockets to the fifth-best record in the NBA, fourth in the Western Conference. The Rockets took flight at the beginning of their 2014-15 campaign and have launched off to a 20-7 record with four games remaining in December.
Surprisingly, the Rockets are still improving. Houston recently acquired shooting guard Corey Brewer from the Minnesota Timberwolves, increasing their depth. In addition, recently-released power forward Josh Smith has agreed to join the Rockets. Smith, who played AAU basketball with Howard as a kid, will create a lethal frontcourt for Houston.
If the Rockets can stay healthy, they will be one of the NBA’s best teams going into the playoffs. Under the direction of coach McHale, Houston continues to win basketball games, and they are only getting better. The Rockets made a wise decision to extend their head coach.
Dan Marmaduke is a Chicago Cubs, NFL, and NBA Blogger for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @MarmadukeSports and add him to your network on Google
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