The Houston Rockets are hoping for a “culture reset of sorts” with their hire of a new head coach to replace outgoing coach Mike D’Antoni, The Athletic‘s Sam Amick and Kelly Iko reported Tuesday.
While GM Daryl Morey is expected to be secure in his position, it’s clear that owner Tilman Fertitta wants some changes after the team’s 2019-20 season came to a disappointing end in the second round of the playoffs.
Amick and Iko identified former Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy (2003-2007) as one candidate, while other media reports have pointed to Los Angeles Clippers assistants Tyronn Lue (who won the NBA title in 2016 as Cleveland’s head coach) and Sam Cassell. Per The Athletic:
They have James Harden and Russell Westbrook on the books for massive money in these next three seasons (with player options in the final campaign), and will look to conduct a culture reset of sorts that, according to a source with knowledge of Fertitta’s thinking, is expected to still include Morey. As for D’Antoni’s replacement, sources say ESPN analyst and former Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy is expected to be a candidate. Other media outlets have named Clippers assistant coach Ty Lue as a candidate as well.
Why did Mike D’Antoni green-light the dramatic announcement of his Rockets departure while he was flying with his (former) team? Because a certain phone call never came.
Details on a hoops divorce that never needed to happen, w/ @KellyIkoNBAhttps://t.co/2itfrvyf4M
— Sam Amick (@sam_amick) September 15, 2020
With Harden and Westbrook both 31 years old, there’s a clear sense of urgency for the Rockets to win now, before the prime years of their All-Star backcourt run out. And with the team seemingly devoid of salary cap room or significant trade assets for the foreseeable future, gambling on a coaching change could make the most sense as they try to finally get over the hump and win their first championship since 1995.
[lawrence-related id=38200]
Known best for his innovative offenses, D’Antoni finished 217-101 (.682) in the regular season and 28-23 (.549) in the playoffs over four years in Houston. D’Antoni has the second-most coaching wins in team history, trailing only Hall of Famer Rudy Tomjanovich, and he ranks No. 1 by winning percentage. Over his four years, the Rockets were the West’s only team to advance beyond the first round of the playoffs in each season, and they had the top winning percentage in the regular season, as well.
After going 41-41 in the season before D’Antoni’s arrival, the Rockets jumped to 55-27 in 2016-17 and 65-17 in 2017-18 (tops in the league, and best in franchise history) over his first two seasons.
[lawrence-related id=37290]
More recently, however, there was a sense that things had stagnated. After reaching the Western Conference Finals in that great 2018 season and nearly knocking out eventual NBA champion Golden State before Chris Paul’s ill-timed hamstring injury, the Rockets bowed out in the second round in 2019 and 2020. Neither series went seven games.
It will now be up to a new head coach (and potentially, an entirely new coaching staff) to try and recapture the earlier momentum.
[lawrence-related id=38245,38213]
[vertical-gallery id=19982]