After losing to the Golden State Warriors yet again in the playoffs, Houston Rockets head coach Mike D'Antoni says it's time to “retool a little bit this summer and figure out how to climb the mountain again.”
The Rockets lost to the Warriors in the 2018 Western Conference Finals in seven games and then again in this year's playoffs in the second round in six games.
D'Antoni is proud of the way the Rockets bounced back after starting the season at 11-14, but knows the guys on the team are still hurting after losing in the second round.
Mike D'Antoni on this past season: "Starting the year we struggled. We struggled out of the gate. Combination of a lot of things.The team was trying to find its footing. We had a few injuries, a suspension and different things that just didn't go right. After that we had a lot.." pic.twitter.com/1UmY5AW5A0
— Mark Berman (@MarkBermanFox26) May 24, 2019
Rockets All-Stars James Harden and Chris Paul aren't going anywhere. Center Clint Capela signed a long-term deal with the Rockets last summer. Guard Eric Gordon is eligible to sign a contract extension this offseason, while forward P.J. Tucker has two years left on his deal.
Austin Rivers, who was a good midseason pickup for the Rockets, is an unrestricted free agent this summer. Houston needs to have a solid backup behind Paul since CP3 is prone to injuries. It would also be beneficial for the Rockets to add a third dynamic scorer alongside Harden and Paul. The problem, though, is that those type of players aren't just laying around for the picking.
There are a bunch of superstars who are entering the free agent market this offseason, but the Rockets don't have money to sign any of them. It will be interesting to see what Houston GM Daryl Morey decides to do this summer in terms of improving the roster.
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