The Rockets have fired head coach Kevin McHale after getting off to a 4-7 start in the loaded Western Conference, an aggressive move considering McHale led Houston to the Western Conference finals just last season. McHale certainly hasn’t met expectations this season, specifically regarding his integration of Ty Lawson into his system, but the real blame may lie on Khloe Kardashian.
The Houston Rockets fired coach Kevin McHale, league sources tell Yahoo Sports.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) November 18, 2015
James Harden is the team’s heart and soul, and this season he has not resembled the MVP candidate who emerged last year. Harden’s scoring and rebounding have remained the same (27 points, six rebounds), but his field goal percentage has dropped precipitously. Harden is only making 37 percent of his shots this season (26 percent from 3-point range), and he’s been especially trigger-happy from deep (9.4) attempts. That is a clear sign that he’s not as dialed in as he was last year.
Harden's Too Focused On Khloe, And Not On His Defense
Harden has also slipped egregiously on defense (0.2 defensive win shares through 11 games), and failed to co-exist with new point guard Ty Lawson. Their new guard has averaged 36 minutes a night, but is only putting up 8.9 points and 5.6 assists, while shooting a dreadful 27 percent from beyond the arc. So why the loss of focus?
Look no further than the new woman in his life, Khloe Kardashian. Harden’s tabloid exposure has gone through the roof since linking up with Khloe, and she herself has said Harden’s been her “rock” while she has dealt with the near-death of her husband Lamar Odom.
Khloe's Leading On Harden And Lamar
Rumors spread daily about their relationship, and really no athlete has even benefitted on the field/court from dating, or even being mentioned with a Kardashian. Odom’s career bottomed out, Kris Humphries became one of the NBA’s most reviled players after briefly marrying Kim Kardashian. Both Reggie Bush (NFL) and Matt Kemp (MLB) have been roller coasters since their dalliances, and even Lakers rookie D’Angelo Russell, the No. 2 pick in the 2015 Draft, can’t get off the bench in the fourth quarter. He’s been linked to Kendall Jenner, Khloe and Kim’s half-sister and might be destroying his career in its infancy.
It’s unfortunate McHale took the bullet for Harden, but until he’s freed from Khloe’s clutch, it won’t matter who is coaching.
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