Should They Keep Mike D’Antoni?
Mike D’Antoni has had a lot of success as the Rockets’ head coach over the last four seasons, leading them to the playoffs every year, including a 40-24 record in 2019-20. If the season did resume and they went straight into the postseason, Houston would enter as a sixth seed in the West.
However, D’Antoni has failed to lead the Rockets to the NBA Finals. He took them to the Conference Finals in 2017-18, where they lost to the eventual NBA champions, the Golden State Warriors, in seven games.
With Westbrook now on board as well, there’s more of a feeling that Houston has what it takes to compete for a title, but there are still other necessary pieces they must add. With D’Antoni’s contract set to expire this summer, should the Rockets extend him?
He has won a lot of games with the organization, but is it time to move on to another coach? If Houston decided to hire someone else, you better believe that Harden wouldn’t have the same freedom to take 12 three’s per night and basically do whatever he wants with the rock in his hands.
At 69 years old, D’Antoni isn’t young anymore. But he knows how to get the most out of these players. Signing him to a new deal would be the smartest decision, because after all, D’Antoni holds a 213-97 record as the head coach of the Rockets, making him one of the most successful coaches in franchise history.