HoopsHype.com Rumors

Machado made the Rockets opening night roster when the Rockets waived veteran guard Shaun Livingston on Monday. Rockets coach Kevin McHale had given Livingston extensive praise and playing time last week, but the Rockets opted to go with Machado and Toney Douglas as backup point guards. With the release of Livingston along with the players the Rockets had determined to let go on Sunday — Lazar Hayward, Gary Forbes, Jon Brockman and JaJuan Johnson – the Rockets moved $7.5 million under the luxury tax. All five had guaranteed deals, though just $1 million of the $3.5 million remaining on Livingston’s contract was guaranteed. After the roster moves, the Rockets will be an average of just 23.6-years-old on opening night, with just 1.93 seasons of NBA experience. Houston Chronicle

Houston Rockets, Toney Douglas, Kevin McHale, Jon Brockman, Shaun Livingston, Gary Forbes, JaJuan Johnson, Lazar Hayward 

McHale thought so highly of his new shooting guard, little else seemed to be an issue worth his concern. This was not a new revelation. “I’m a big fan of his,” McHale said. “I loved him coming out of Arizona State. I like the way he plays. He has a pace to his game I like. I think he plays at a speed where he can repeat things over and over again. He’s not playing at a warp speed. He plays under control. “When I was working at TNT, we used to always laugh. Chris Webber and I said he plays an old-man game. He really takes his time and goes when he wants to go. He’s a sophisticated player.” Houston Chronicle

Houston Rockets, Oklahoma City Thunder, Trade, Kevin McHale, James Harden 

Without post-up options, the Rockets still want to fast break as often as possible. Even when there is not a break available, they do not want to slow down to call plays. That often leads to pick-and-roll offense, which suits Harden well. “We’re still going to run,” McHale said. “We’re still going to push the pace and get up and down. How we play should really fit how he plays. He’s a multi-dimensional player. I think with how we play, the standard NBA package of dribble-pass-shoot, you look pretty good when there’s open space and an ability to play downhill on people. I’m anticipating he’s going to do really well. Houston Chronicle

Houston Rockets, Oklahoma City Thunder, Trade, Kevin McHale, James Harden 

On the other side, Jeremy Lin says he wasn’t caught off guard like the rest of us were by the blockbuster trade, because unlike Durant, Lin was informed of the possibility – telling reporters with a big smile after Sundays open practice: “I wasn’t as shocked, because I had heard about possibly happening. But, I was just like ‘I’m hoping that it happens’, I didn’t know, but I was like ‘I think it would be a great deal for us, it would help us’. When I found out last night…I was pretty excited” beyondthebuzzer.com

Houston Rockets, Oklahoma City Thunder, Trade, Kevin McHale, James Harden, Jeremy Lin 

Ric Bucher: It took two tries, but Rockets coach Kevin McHale, sources say, now has a guard he actually likes. Twitter @RicBucher

Houston Rockets, Oklahoma City Thunder, Trade, Kevin McHale, James Harden 

“They had all kinds of forwards out there,” McHale said. “I think it’s a sad state when you can’t (find) enough centers in our league anymore to fill up the roster. I don’t know if it’s a position-less game. If Moses Malone was playing right now and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Robert Parish, you’d have centers. I don’t know where they went. They went the way of the dinosaur, I think". Houston Chronicle

Houston Rockets, Kevin McHale, Robert Parish, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Moses Malone 

“If you put LeBron James on Moses Malone, everyone would go, ‘What an interesting matchup.’ You do it for a while and LeBron would come over and say, ‘You got to take me off this guy.’ It’s just different. There’s just not a lot of them right now.” Houston Chronicle

Houston Rockets, LeBron James, Kevin McHale, Moses Malone 

Rookie forward Royce White did not attend media day on Monday and did not travel with the Rockets to McAllen for the start of two-a-day practices because of what the team termed “a personnel matter.” The Rockets would not elaborate. Asked when he expected White to join the team, coach Kevin McHale said, “I have no idea.” The anxiety issues of White, an All-American at Iowa State last season, were a factor as he slid in the draft before the Rockets selected him with the 16th pick. White, who had been in workouts with teammates last month and even joked about his fear of flying at a team function for season-ticket holders last week, told KRIV-TV that he and his doctors were formulating a plan to deal with his anxiety issues. But White did not say why such a plan was still undetermined or when he would be with the team. Houston Chronicle

Houston Rockets, Kevin McHale, Royce White 

The Rockets were clearly displeased to have one of their rookies choose not to attend training camp. Asked if White’s absence should be considered excused, Rockets general manager Daryl Morey paused for 10 seconds and said, “I think no comment.” Houston Chronicle

Houston Rockets, Kevin McHale, Daryl Morey, Royce White 

Mychal Thompson: Respected Kevin McHale immensely. When I first met him as a freshman at Minnesota, I realized how talented and special a player he was. He was a very confident player and carried that over into the NBA. One of my favorite players to go against because I had so much respect for him and his abilities. He was a great winner, and we will always be good friends off the court. Now on the court, we wanted to kill each other [laughs]. I had a lot of respect for him and he was one of the toughest guys I had to go against. SLAM

Los Angeles Lakers, Kevin McHale, Mychal Thompson 

It will not be easy. He won’t meet with the resistance that challenged him last season. He also won’t have the certainty that comes with veterans. He will have the time he did not last season, but he will have so much to accomplish, no amount of time likely would be enough. For now, roughly two weeks before his first true training camp as an NBA coach, normalcy will have to do. “It’s much more comfortable just knowing that we’re here, planning with the coaches, having players coming in and out, being able to talk to them about what we’re envisioning,” McHale, 54, said. “We’re just getting a comfort level with each other as opposed to having the lockout lifted, two days and then getting started.” Houston Chronicle

Houston Rockets, Coaching, Kevin McHale 

“I think that takes time,” McHale said. “Starting anew, just being around the guys helps. They got to realize that this is a job and it’s a hard job and there are times you are going to get on them, but it’s never personal. “It’s different, but there is an excitement level to it with so many young guys you can mold and push in a direction you want. Last year, we almost had a work stoppage. I thought we were going to have a union picket line like we were working too hard. These guys, you push them, you tell them, ‘I need one more,’ they’re very willing workers. We got there last year, but it took probably two months.” Houston Chronicle

Houston Rockets, Coaching, Kevin McHale 

McHale won titles with the Boston Celtics and played alongside Larry Bird, Robert Parish, Dennis Johnson and Danny Ainge. "I know it looks like the offense is the missing part of my game now," Asik said, "but I believe in myself I can improve that. "I am working hard every day. "In Chicago, I didn't show too much because I was playing very nervous. I just did what they asked me. I'm sure … I can improve that. "I am very happy I will be with Kevin McHale, a legendary post player. I think I will learn a lot from him and will get better." FIBA.com

Boston Celtics, Houston Rockets, Omer Asik, Kevin McHale 

Kevin McHale: Last year at the end of the year there were some guys that I’d really grown close to and felt that I knew if you asked them to lay it all on the line that they’d fight for you and they’d fight for each other. At the end of the day, that’s what this league is all about. We’ve got to get these guys willing to fight for each other and go out there and fight for the win. Whatever it takes to make that happen, they’ll do it. Again, that is not the sexy, ‘Oh you’re in the NBA, you get paid.’ That’s why half these clowns in this league don’t win anything. They don’t realize that it comes down to how hard you’re willing to fight for each other. It’s your team. How hard are you willing to fight for it? What are you willing to do to win that game that night and then what are you willing to do to win that game the next night? You do that 82 times, then you do it another twenty-something times in the playoffs if you’re lucky and you win a championship. Because the answer is: Whatever it takes. When you have a team that says, ‘I’ll do whatever it takes to win,’ you’re moving in the right direction. NBA.com

Houston Rockets, Kevin McHale 

KM: There are always going to be guys who are willing to play really hard until it gets uncomfortable. And then there are those guys who, when it gets really uncomfortable, they dig even deeper. Then there are the guys who – and I hate to say this but it’s true – look at you and say, ‘Come on, dude, I’m making some good money and I’m only going to play so hard.’ I think you can figure out which group you win more with. That’s why veteran teams tend to win more. It takes you a long time to figure it out because no one is telling you that. You have people whispering in your ear when you’re in college, ‘Oh, wait ‘til you get to the NBA, you’re going to get paid and get cars and live here.’ They’re telling you about all this stuff you’re going to get but they don’t tell you about how hard it is. NBA.com

Houston Rockets, Kevin McHale 

If you were to ask LeBron James if his mindset is different now than it was five years ago I bet he’d tell you just how different it is. He found out that nothing else mattered except winning. For all his talent, if he was to achieve what he wanted to achieve nothing else mattered except winning. There’s nothing else. That’s all there is. But sometimes it’s hard to get players to see that. You have to experience it, man. You have to get your heart broken and you have to lose some tough games and have a lot of stuff happen before you get that real hard, hard finish. That’s why we have to try to do everything we can to get our young guys to that point as quickly as we can. NBA.com

Houston Rockets, Miami Heat, LeBron James, Kevin McHale 

Kevin McHale: Again, ideally if you asked me how I’d like to play I’d say that I’d like to have a big guy to throw the ball to and pound the hell out of the other team. If you don’t have those guys then it’s very hard to do that. I don’t foresee those guys being on our team right now, so we’re probably going to have to create offense from the outside-in even though I’d prefer my offense from the inside-out. I’d rather be a team that’s a great rebounding, great pound-it-inside, throw it out for jump shots after you’ve explored pounding it inside type of team. But those teams in the NBA are few and far between these days. So we’re just going to have to do whatever fits our team the best. If our best playmaker is our two-man then we’ll run a ton of stuff that will allow him to make plays. If our best playmaker is our four-man, then we’ll run a ton of stuff for him to make plays. The object is not to run your offense, the object is to run an offense that fits your team. I’m not playing, so it doesn’t matter what I like; it matters what these guys can and can’t do. I’ve never believed in a one-size-fits-all offense. I always believed that was a copout. I always thought whenever I heard that: ‘You’ve got Kareem and you’re a high-post offensive coach so you’re going to put Kareem Abdul-Jabbar at the high-post? That doesn’t make much sense.’ So I think you have to adapt to your players. NBA.com

Houston Rockets, Coaching, Kevin McHale 

After meeting with Rockets officials in Las Vegas, including dinner with coach Kevin McHale, Omer Asik returned to Chicago and signed his three-year, $25.1 million offer sheet Friday. Chicago Tribune

Chicago Bulls, Houston Rockets, Free Agency, Omer Asik, Kevin McHale 

The Bulls will have until 10:59 p.m. on the third day from when they receive the offer sheet to match or decline the terms, which include a $14,898,000 salary in 2014-15. Though attempts to present the offer sheet were made, the Bulls have yet to receive it. Chicago Tribune

Chicago Bulls, Houston Rockets, Free Agency, Omer Asik, Kevin McHale 

McHale, who won three N.B.A. titles as a player, told Lin to get ready for a journey, one that would be different from his whirlwind in New York. Lin is expected to become the Rockets’ starting point guard next season. McHale also said Lin would be the Rockets’ leader — even though he is a 23-year-old point guard who has 25 starts in his career with the Knicks. “He’s going to have to make a lot of decisions in our offense,” McHale said. “We have a young team, so he’s going to have to be a leader for us.” New York Times

Houston Rockets, Kevin McHale, Jeremy Lin