GBR – Great Britain boss Finch: Rockets’ opportunity too good to turn down

MONS (2010 FIBA World Championship) - Great Britain boss Chris Finch has been in Europe for the last 16 years either playing or coaching basketball.
 
That's about to change.
 
Finch this week decided to leave Dexia Mons-Hainaut in Belgium for the United States to coach the developmental team of the Houston Rockets, the NBDL’s Rio Grande Valley Vipers.
 
The American will retain the reins of Britain's national team and could end up leading them at next year’s FIBA World Championship in Turkey if the Brits receive a wild card for the 24-team event.
 
Finch gave this interview to Jeff Taylor for FIBA.com.
 
FIBA: Chris, does your departure from Europe and Dexia Mons-Hainaut hinder you in any way with respect to coaching Great Britain?
 
Chris Finch: I don't view it as a plus or minus. I have 16 years in Europe and that's not going away overnight. There are some advantages - I can come over in the spring when the NBDL season ends and spend a couple of weeks seeing our players, which I couldn’t do when I was bound up by Mons.
 
 
FIBA: What specifically is your status with Great Britain and what about the wild card? Is this something that Great Britain is really hoping for?
 
Chris Finch: I'm still under contract. I signed a new contract this year through the Olympics. The wild card is something that the powers that be are going to discuss. I can't discuss anymore about it.
 
 
FIBA: You’ve had time to think about Britain’s EuroBasket. You lost all three games you played. Have you had any new thoughts on the experience?
 
Chris Finch: The further you get away from it, the more you see things for what they were. I thought we were good, not great. I thought if we played great, we had a chance. We were flat emotionally in the third game (against Serbia), which was disappointing.
 
 
FIBA: What does Britain have to do to get better?
 
Chris Finch: The obvious thing is you need your best players. And, the collective experience of going through what we went through this year does help us. What we have learned is a mountain of information. Now, the challenge is to put what we learned into play. I have a meeting on Monday (with British Basketball) to discuss the way forward.
 
 
FIBA: Is there any consolation knowing that the teams that beat you – Slovenia, Spain and Serbia – reached the Semi-Finals? Spain, a team you nearly upset, beat Serbia in the Final.
 
Chris Finch: I'm not one that tries to justify poor results, and obviously we had a tough group. That doesn't need to be harped on. I was a little disappointed with how we played. Our preparations were poor due to injuries or other things. We never got into a rhythm due to a variety of things. Next time, we won't have the same issues.
 
 
FIBA: So even though Britain lost all three of their games, it was definitely a step forward for the national program?
 
Chris Finch: It was a step forward. It showed us that even without Luol (Deng), and Ben Gordon - if he ever decides to join the program - we're not a million miles away. We just need more commitment from our players, more dedication from our staff - that's what it will take. We're dealing with a small pool of talent and need it to be 100% dedicated.
 
 
FIBA: How difficult was it to take the decision to leave Europe and Dexia Mons-Hainaut?
 
Chris Finch: It was difficult. The reason it was so difficult is because my wife and I were so happy. It’s a great club and they've been good to me and we've had success. It's a good situation, but the opportunity to go home and the opportunity to work in a first class organization like the Rockets, and considering what it might lead to, I had to take it.
 
 
FIBA: Tell us about the set-up with Houston and the team you are coaching, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers?
 
Chris Finch: The Rockets take on all basketball operations. They'll run personnel, all basketball people. The local ownership runs the business operation and Houston is looking to further develop their players, and coaches. They also want to be somewhat experimental, try things they can't try out at the big level. I'm employed by the Rockets and work with their personnel guys and upper management. Geographically, I’ll be apart from them but will be doing development and working with them on a daily basis.
 
 
FIBA: Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey has a reputation for thinking outside the box, or doing things unconventionally.
 
Chris Finch: One of the big attractive points, if Daryl wasn't quite such a guy, I probably don't get as much consideration. I don't come from the normal NBA candidate world. They were looking for someone outside the box, and he likes me bringing in different ideas. Britain’s style of play is a hybrid of European and American basketball and that's something the Rockets were looking at.
 
 
FIBA:  What about Dexia? How do they move forward when you built the team, picking the players you wanted to play your style of game? Will they be able to adapt to a new coach?
 
Chris Finch: The team was built in a certain way, but I think we (Dexia) have fairly multi-dimensional guys. We try to play loose, give them freedom. But they're experienced, talented and they have complementary games. I think we have a balanced team. Leaving a team at this time or in the middle of the season is never good, but the players have been supportive. I like this team a lot.
 
 
FIBA