Mike D’Antoni is out as the head coach of the Houston Rockets after a five-match defeat against the Los Angeles Lakers in the second round of the postseason, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wozniacki. Dantoni was not fired because his contract expired at the end of the season, but the coach is informing the team on Sunday that he is going to be a free agent and does not intend to return to Houston.
Dintoni and his wife Laurel shared the following Message With Wozniacki regarding his tenure in Houston.
“It is with great sadness and gratitude that my wife Laurel and I announce that our incredible trip to Houston is over for now and we are moving into a new chapter. Our time here was one of the most memorable experiences of our lives. A wonderful partnership with dear friends, civic-minded leaders and city officials, for the wonderful profits and customers they serve.Laurel and I will forever be indebted to this community for accepting our family.
Mostly, I don’t have the privilege of coaching the entire Fertitta family, Daryl Mori, staff and the incredible and dedicated players, I don’t thank them. Rockets is an N Historical NBA franchise with fantastic fans and we are proud to join you in participating in some success here in Houston.
From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for making us feel like true Houstonians. For that, we will always be really grateful. “
He has reportedly been in the hot seat all season, and the Rockets have let a number of his assistants go to the last se fisson. Rockets G.M. Daryl Moore said the Rockets had hoped to re-sign D’Antono earlier in the postseason, but the expectation around the league was that he needed a deep playoff run to stay in Houston.
Dentoni leaves Houston as the most successful coach in the team’s history, but suffers from poor circumstances. He went 217-101 in four seasons at the hearing, helping James Harden win the 2018 award, but in four postseason runs, he ran twice in Kavi Leonard, LeBron James and the mostly healthy Golden State Warriors. His team was underdog in all four matchups and the Rockets never made it to the NBA Finals under his watch.
Dinto is now expected to be a candidate for several other head-coaching jobs. Indiana Pacers Is interested, According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. He revived his career during a short stint as an assistant under the Brett Brown with the Philadelphia 76ers, and now the 76ers job is open. The New Orleans Pelicans are managed by David Griffin, who worked with Dinto in Phoenix. In all likelihood, he will be the head coach somewhere next season.
Houston, meanwhile, will need to find a coach who will fit its unconventional small roster and get the most out of the James Harden-Russell Westbrook pairing. Given their age and related post-season struggles it won’t be an easy task, but the Rockets were a popular upset choice for a reason on the Lakers. This is, if nothing else, an extremely talented roster that needs more tweaks than over-checking. There’s nothing to say about what the future holds for Houston, but now we know D’Toto won’t be part of it.
