NBA Rumors: Houston Rockets' Dwight Howard Looks To Improve James Harden, Ty Lawson Plays; Coach Kevin McHale Leaves Team

By Mitch de Leon
Dwight Howard Houston Rockets
Dwight Howard Houston Rockets

The Houston Rockets incurred their fourth consecutive loss this NBA season courtesy of the Boston Celtics saw a shocking turn of events. In what could only be described as an unexpected move, the Houston Rockets management opted to fire head coach Kevin McHale. According to reports, the decision was made following the series of losses the once championship contenders accumulated this NBA season.

"The team was not responding to Kevin," explained Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey via ESPN, referring to their decision to fire McHale this early in the season. He added, "There is no time in the West."

For his part, Houston Rockets owner Leslie Alexander also sat down with ESPN to explain the move. According to Alexander, the decision to fire McHale became justifiable once he started watching the games of the Houston Rockets early this season.

He said, "I'm watching the games, I'm watching us lose by huge amounts and not playing hard. Then I watched the Boston game, and before the game starts, I know we're going to lose. I knew I was going to lose to Dallas, and I thought we'd lose the game before that. Then we played Boston, and I was 100 percent sure we'd lose even when we were up, I knew we were going to lose."

"So, I'm watching the games, I know we're not playing hard or good defense, not moving the ball well, it doesn't look like a good team, we look very ragged and then when they got up on us in the fourth quarter when we were up by 15 or so -- I didn't watch the fourth quarter," Alexander further explained. He added, "First time I never watched a quarter of my team's play, I knew we were going to lose. I don't like to watch losing. It's no fun losing. At that point, a decision needs to be made here."

Meanwhile, McHale himself admitted that his strategies and the way the players responded to his calls were no longer working. "We just weren't playing with any juice, with any rhythm. We haven't been able to get the problems solved," he shared via the Houston Chronicle. He went on to say, "We probably had more meetings in last six weeks than in my previous four years here. It wasn't working."

As for the players, reports disclosed that the Houston Rockets held a players-only meeting to address their concerns. In an interview with ESPN, NBA star Dwight Howard shared that the discussion was beneficial for their team. He added that they communicated well with one another and addressed the pressing concerns plaguing their NBA team. Howard further noted that the move to hold the meeting is aimed to bolster their chances of getting back in the game and eliminating the losing streak haunting their basketball squad.

"It is embarrassing," Howard said, referring to the performance of the Houston Rockets this season. He added, "We hate to lose but at the same time we have a long season, and we can't think negative when we lose. We have to try and find the positive in any situation. You keep thinking negative; and then negative things will continue to happen to you. You got to stay positive and fight through it. All this stuff will build our character."

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