The Houston Rockets are currently in the midst of a second-round series against the Los Angeles Lakers. While a championship this season is still certainly within reach, Rockets general manager Daryl Morey is already looking ahead.
Rockets head coach Mike D'Antoni's deal expires at the end of the season. Asked whether bringing him back will be a top priority for the franchise, Morey had this to say to Mark Medina of USA TODAY Sports:
“It’s probably No. 1 That’s a fair way to put it,” Morey told USA TODAY Sports. “We have all our key players signed. I think Mike coming back is super important.”
Houston's title aspirations will certainly fall in the hands of All-Star guards James Harden and Russell Westbrook. Still, D'Antoni will likely get some blame should they fall short again.
Nonetheless, D'Antoni is responsible for engineering Houston's unique offensive attack. The 69-year-old pioneered the Seven Seconds or Less Phoenix Suns in the mid-2000s, and we're seeing the micro-ball edition here with the Rockets.
Over four seasons, D'Antoni has had tremendous success leading the Harden era. The Mullens, West Virginia native has tallied an impressive record of 217-101.
D'Antoni and Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta failed to reach an agreement when the former refused to a take a one-year extension. Nonetheless, it seems like Morey still believes that the two-time NBA Coach of the Year should remain calling the shots on the sidelines for Houston.
Of course, this may hinge on how the Rockets perform the rest of the postseason. After nearly blowing their first-round series against the Oklahoma City Thunder in disastrous fashion, Houston started strong against the Lakers with a dominant Game 1 victory.