According to numerous reports from the major outlets and the Houston Chronicle, Mike D’Antoni appears to be the leading candidate to land the Houston Rockets head coaching position.
Mike D'Antoni has landed a second interview with the Houston Rockets for their coaching vacancy, according to league coaching sources.
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) May 18, 2016
Other candidates who have interviewed recently include Frank Vogel and Jeff Van Gundy. Gundy is no longer being considered according to Adrian Wojnarowski:
Sources: Jeff Van Gundy is no longer a candidate for the Rockets job. Though JVG had interest in reunion, two sides never sat down to talk.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojVerticalNBA) May 18, 2016
The Rockets have been conducting their search for weeks and it appears as though they are ready to make a decision in the next few days.
D’Antoni has struggled in his past two coaching stints in New York and Los Angeles after having great success as the creator of the Seven Seconds or Less Phoenix Suns teams of the mid-2000s.
He has been working as an assistant with the Philadelphia 76ers since mid last season when Jerry Colangelo took over basketball operations.
This would be an absolute terrible decision for the Rockets in my opinion, as D’Antoni’s teams haven’t had the best chemistry in New York and LA. He is a stubborn, offensive-minded coach that pays almost no attention to the defensive side of the ball or developing a bench. The Rockets are currently a below average defensive team, with poor chemistry and a lot of talent and depth. That seems like a horrible coach and team fit.
Mike D’Antoni and Dwight Howard did not mesh well as player and coach in D’Antoni’s system and his hire could mean D12 is gone this summer.
Frank Vogel or an up and coming assistant with a defensive minded approach seems like the right candidate for the Rockets, not a defensively challenged re-tread who has failed in his last two coaching opportunities.
