The Houston Rockets faced another postseason disappointing, losing to the Los Angeles Lakers in five games despite having two former MVPs on their roster. With coach Mike D’Antoni not returning to the team, Houston is reportedly considering a “culture reset” to make themselves a serious title contender for the 2021 season.
What exactly does that mean? At this point, it’s not entirely clear but according to The Athletic, GM Daryl Morey will be a part of whatever plan the team has, as owner Tilman Fertitta does not plan to fire Morey. Obviously, the Rockets will need a new coach and the usual suspects of big names have already been linked to the gig, including Jeff Van Gundy and Ty Lue.
But if the Rockets want to get past the Lakers, Clippers, and the rest of the extremely talented Western Conference, they will likely need to make some major roster adjustments before next season. There has even been speculation that the team may look into moving Russell Westbrook but that seems unlikely, as superstar James Harden specifically wanted Westbrook as a teammate.
As for D’Antoni, it appears that his exit from Houston was mostly mutual, as both parties were likely ready to part ways after the underwhelming second-round loss. At 69, D’Antoni could be done coaching altogether but if he wants to continue, he should not have much trouble finding a new job, as he has already been linked to the head-coaching openings for the Indiana Pacers and Philadelphia 76ers.
