The Houston Rockets were unsure of what to do with head coach Mike D'Antoni following the team's loss to the Golden State Warriors in the 2019 NBA playoffs.
Initially, there were rumors that management might look to part ways with D'Antoni. Then, the narrative changed, and the suggestion was that D'Antoni would sign an extension sometime this summer.
Extension talks never came to fruition. As such, D'Antoni enters this season on an expiring contract, which is arguably the least ideal scenario in coaching.
D'Antoni was asked about being on the hot seat prior to the Rockets opener against the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday night, but he countered by saying that in a business like the NBA, everyone on the bench is coaching for their job (via Joe Vardon of The Athletic).
13. Just throwing this out there, because we’re talking about the pressure to win for teams with shots at a title, D’Antoni was asked before the game if, because he’s on a one-year contract, he’s on the hot seat? “You tell me one coach in the NBA that’s not on the hot seat? They’re all on the hot seat,” he said. ”You always are, but that’s life.”
The Rockets led the Bucks by 16 points at the half, but they stormed back into the game in the third quarter.
Behind the hot shooting of Ersan Ilyasova, Milwaukee hung tight before Bucks center Brook Lopez put the nail in the coffin by scoring 11 fourth-quarter points.
From the questions about James Harden and Russell Westbrook coexisting to the championship expectations, can D'Antoni navigate this season under the stress of an expiring contract?
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