Chris Finch

[Deadbat]

As it seems like the Rockets will name Chris Finch as an assistant to Kevin McHale and a few people were not really aware of who he was (other than the work he has done with the Vipers) I thought I would offer some history and analysis of Finch.

I have known and been connected with him going right back to his early pro career as a player back in England and have subsequently followed him closely since.


History -

Finch went to College at Franklin and Marshall in Pennsylvania and had a 4 year college career. He was a 6'4'' guard who was an NCAA Div 3 All American. After gaining his degree, he has an option to play with the Harlem Globetrotters opponents, the Washington Generals. However, Finch had said that he would like to go abroad and an offer became available in Britain to play with the Sheffield Forgers of National league division one. Finch could combine this with the continuation of his studies at University in Sheffield. Finch took up the offer and came to Sheffield. Little did he know he would remain for close to 9 years!

After his first season, the Sheffield team put together a bid to enter the premier division and subsequently the Sheffield Sharks were born. In his first year the Sharks surprised everybody and unbelievably won the league. Finch was seen as a key player, with his outstanding outside shooting, solid fundamentals and calming influence. The following season, the Sharks pitted their wits against Europe’s best and were only narrowly defeated by the European champions, Real Madrid. The team remained near the top of the standings and won more honours over the next few seasons. Finch remained a starter and a vital cog in the Sharks system. After a subpar season in 96/97, there were rumours Finch could be released but what happened next probably very surprised him. Coach Jim Brandon felt he was going stale in Sheffield and moved on to a new challenge in Manchester. His recommendation for his successor was surprisingly right under the Sharks noses; Chris Finch.

The Sharks appointed him head coach at the young age of 28 but due to complications over coaching qualifications (he did not have any!) he could not take up his post. So the Sharks began the season with John Belk and Brian Aldred on the sidelines coaching and Finch remained as a player. Eventually early into the season, the problems were resolved and Finch took up his post for the game against the Worthing Bears on the 5th October, 1997 (95-75 victory). The remainder of the 97/98 season had mixed results and despite a talented team, including John Amaechi, the Sharks underachieved somewhat. They did give Finch his first silverware as a head a coach, when they won the uniball Trophy final against the London Towers.

Finch made some excellent acquisitions for the following seasonn and the Sharks raced out of the blocks and played superbly, winning the National Cup and then eventually winning the league in dramatic fashion in Manchester. Finch proved very quickly what a good coach he had become as his team got the better of the so called dream team of the Giants. The Sharks were always contenders for honours over the next few seasons and won the National Cup and Northern Conference. They never finished lower than second as Finch helped continue the franchise’s consistency. When the BBL returned to a single league, The Sharks again managed to get the better of a Nick Nurse outfit, this time the Brighton Bears, to win the league again in 2002/03. The Sharks never did win the playoffs during Finch’s time there as both a player and a coach. It is ironic that the season after he left the club, the Sharks managed to finally accomplice this goal.

It was inevitable that bigger and better opportunities would come up for the talented play caller. Finch wanted to test himself in Europe. When German side Giessen came calling, Finch decided to try and test himself at this higher level. Despite signing quite a few ex BBL players, Finch’s spell in Germany did not work out and when the team struggled he was dismissed. Rumours grew that Finch was going to work with Nick Nurse in some capacity at Brighton for the remainder of the season but Finch was then named coach of Belgian side Bree. He spent the next three seasons coaching Bree and with it took them to the playoff finals twice, winning the league one year and then just missing out this year, 06-07. ands as Finch has won the coach of the year award twice. He coached Brian Lynch, the husband of Tennis star Kim Clijsters and also two players Kelvin Torbert and Jeff Horner who both received invites to the NBA Summer League this off season. It seemed Finch’s love affair with the Belgian game was about to end in acrimony though after a game had to be re-played in the recent Belgium league finals due to an error in the scoring. Finch blasted the league, the officials and it’s future in a move reminiscent to the ones he made towards the British League at the end of his Sharks coaching tenure. However, Finch remained in Belgium coaching Dexia Mons Hainaut and was very successful taking the club to the final of the Euro Challenge (one of the main European tournaments).

Finch's success in Belgium and after his previous experiences in Britain saw him named the head coach of the Britain national team and he has helped completely transform this programme getting players to play that were not even interested before and the team has now become very competitive making it to two European Championships; the first was a few years ago and they nearly beat Spain and generally surprised. They play in Lithuania this summer in the 2011 EuroBasket and of course will play in London in the 2012 Olympics. Finch has got together a team that features limited talent (Luol Deng, Joel Freeland, Robert Archibald, Andrew Betts, Mensa Bonsu all have some kind of NBA link) and made them respectable and competitive.

Finch then got the head coaching position at the Rio Grande Vipers and the last two seasons has got the team to the Finals twice and helpd develop/nurture many NBA players. He has been involved in both NBA Development league All Star games and continued to show his abilities.

Coaching Ability/Philosophy -

I have not seen much of the Vipers games but from my many years of watching Finch with the Sharks and also for the GB national team; Finch has progressed tremendously but he always had raw talent. He knows the game inside out and his knowledge of the X's and O's is excellent. He has always preached excellent team defence and his teams have been notoriously hard to score on and he has thrown some quite novel kind of defensive systems/traps and lineups out to confuse and hound opponents. Offensively his teams have always played team ball and have always liked to play inside - outside basketball. His Sharks teams featured some incredible outsside shooting but always played as a part of a system and despite having some great players; the ethos was always for the team. The thing that sepearates Finch from many is his hard work and commitment to passion. Whenever they speak about Tom Thibodeau at the Bulls and how much work he puts in then I always think of Finch from his days at Sheffield whgen he would travel all over the country wathcing opponents and would spend hours and hours wwatching game film. His whole life seemed to be basketball and coaching and he seemed determined to make it. Many would have laughed when he was coach in such a poor league as Britain that he may evetually woind up as an NBA coach at any level but I actually thought he would go on and make it at the top level. He is the best coach I ever saw/was involved with in Briatin and although biased even all the opponents and fans of other teams knew Finch' was a step above veryone else. His teams are always prepared, always disciplined and always play to the team concept. They play defence and if things dont work at the other end he can adapt and makes smart in game decisions.

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Hope some of that was of use for those who have never heard of Finch or who he was. Maybe he wont be another Thibodeau and undoubedtbly needs several yeaers as an assistant in this league before being consideed for a head coaching gig but the guy is a real talent and Rockets will benefit from having him around. He could be a real gem in years to come.

[Aaron Brooks]

Thanks for the write-up. Many of us were intrigued by him when we found out Morey pushed for him to be an assistant, but we didn't know anything about him except that he coached RGV. If you don't mind me asking, what is your connection with him?

[Deadbat]

My connection is a friend and a journalist who covered basketball and worked for publications in britain when Finch was over there. He may remember me now, he may not?!!

However, I probably saw most of the games he played and coaching when he was in Britain (for around 7/8 years) and I have been involved at an arms length in covering Great Britain Basketball.

Finch is a great guy and although I am biased I would be delighted to see him keep moving up and developing as a coach even if it means eventually he has to give up the national team job he is involved in over here. Hopefully he can remain coach for the Olympics next year at the very least but would not surprise me to see him coaching the Rockets or another NBA head coaching job in the next 5 years.

[Mr. E]

Thank you for all of that info! He's quite the interesting topic amongst Rockets fans right now.

[TMU]

Thanks for your analysis.

Isn't he one of the main reasons why Adelman got fired? Correct me if I'm wrong on this but I heard that Morey and Les wanted to name Finch as assistant head coach and Adelman refused.

[MaxRider]

Thanks for your analysis.

Isn't he one of the main reasons why Adelman got fired? Correct me if I'm wrong on this but I heard that Morey and Les wanted to name Finch as assistant head coach and Adelman refused.

that's what i read too
les and morey wanted him act as adelman's assistant and eventually become the head coach

[x-]

That's quite a write-up. Thanks for sharing.

It was reported that the Rockets wanted Finch to join Adelmans staff and be his successor, however, looking at the McHale hire and our current search for a lead assistant, it seems as if the Rockets threw that idea out of the window as soon as Adelman left.

Still, I think the Rockets feel like Finch is a NBA coach in the making and I wouldn't rule out him one day becoming the next Rockets head coach.

[College Boy]

Well he certainly sounds like a good guy to cheer for. If the players can believe in him, I'm all for it. I just hope he doesn't Will Muschamp us.