Mike D'Antoni Articles - Page 4

NBA teams already in playoff contention are expected to tread carefully during the resumption of the 2019-20 campaign. Houston Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni is going for broke, hoping to win all eight games remaining in the regular season, but not at the cost of running his players through the ground. According to Kelly Iko […]

Houston Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni made a not-so-bold prediction ahead of the restart of the 2019-20 season. With less than a full month left before the NBA restarts at Walt Disney World in Orlando, D’Antoni predicts his star point guard Russell Westbrook will be even more efficient in his return, according to Kelly Iko […]

Houston Rockets guard Austin Rivers has provided us with a preview of what type of game plan his team intends to operate under once the season finally returns. Speaking to Kelly Iko of The Athletic, Rivers started by explaining how one of, if not the most important thing for the Rockets will be moving the […]

Houston Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni will be in Orlando, Florida coaching his team at the “bubble” games. Per Adrian Wojnarowski and Zach Lowe of ESPN, D’Antoni, 69, has received clearance to coach the Rockets in the Orlando restart. Older coaches such as D’Antoni are at further risk of contracting COVID-19. There are still a […]

The Houston Rockets will face some real questions once the 2019-20 NBA season restarts on July 30. Mired in the sixth spot in the West, the Rockets can jockey for position or even slide to the seventh spot if they’re not careful during the remaining eight games of the regular season. These are the three […]

Coaches like Mike D’Antoni and Brett Brown will be fighting for their coaching lives in this truncated resumption of the 2019-20 NBA season. The Houston Rockets coach has his team in sixth place in the West while Brown, who has coached the Sixers for the past six seasons, is in a mirror scenario in the […]

Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey has provided a definitive statement with regards to the team’s stance on head coach Mike D’Antoni potentially not joining the Rockets in the Orlando bubble. D’Antoni is currently the second oldest coach in the league at 69, and there have been legitimate concerns about the veteran coach being vulnerable […]

The NBA’s decision to resume the 2019-20 season at Walt Disney World comes with plenty of contingencies. Among them is the possibility of asking coaches aged 60 or older to keep their distance from players, including in games. That proposal hasn’t sat well with some of the oldest and most respected coaches in the league, […]

Mike D’Antoni and the Houston Rockets’ small-ball experiment was the talk of the NBA back in February. Houston traded center Clint Capela to the Atlanta Hawks as part of a four-team deal that netted them former Minnesota Timberwolves swingman Robert Covington. The move was not only intended to create even more spacing for D’Antoni’s perimeter-centric […]

While some players and coaches are concerned about the absence of fans in the NBA’s return in July, Houston Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni wonders whether it might be a blessing in disguise. D’Antoni stated his belief that some players might actually perform better without fans in the seats, adding there are guys who could […]

James Harden of the Houston Rockets is one of the best players in the NBA, and according to his head coach Mike D’Antoni, once the NBA returns to action in July, Harden will be ready for the challenge: “Probably the worst thing you can do is take basketball away from him. He has used this […]

NBA head coaches Mike D’Antoni of the Houston Rockets and Alvin Gentry of the New Orleans Pelicans were not a fan of the league’s possible mandate when the 2019-20 regular season resumes on July 31. As per Commissioner Adam Silver, coaches aged 65 and up will be forced to wear face masks during games. The […]

Houston Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni has been hit hard by the recent chain of events stemming from the killing of George Floyd, a 46-year-old African American who died of asphyxia after a Minneapolis officer knelt on his neck. Floyd’s death opened the floodgates to nationwide protests in search of racial equality and eliminating police brutality […]

Houston Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni knows what he’s going to get from superstars James Harden and Russell Westbrook on a nightly basis. Most pundits, however, believe the team is lacking a third consistent scorer alongside the two MVPs to seriously contend for a title. For his part though, D’Antoni thinks the Rockets already have […]

Mike D’Antoni and the Houston Rockets were unable to reach an extension last summer, leaving many to wonder if he’ll be back with the team after this season. Some experts believe D’Antoni will be on his way out after this campaign, but team owner Daryl Morey is focusing on the here and now. D’Antoni’s contract […]

Though he’s turning 69 on Friday and at a greater risk of contracting COVID-19, Mike D’Antoni would have no problem with returning to the sidelines as coach of the Houston Rockets if this season resumes. Via ESPN: Rockets sources said that D’Antoni has determined that he would coach if the season resumes in large part […]

Coach Mike D’Antoni is set to become a free agent after the 2019-20 season. While he could still sign an extension with the Houston Rockets, various reports reveal that D’Antoni’s future is still in the balance. As such, the Rockets are rumored to be eyeing Jeff Van Gundy as a possible replacement. There have been […]

In the event that Mike D’Antoni leaves the Houston Rockets, the team is reportedly interested in hiring Tom Thibodeau as head coach. As reported by Marc Berman of the New York Post, several teams “will have strong interest” in Thibodeau as their new head coach. These include the New York Knicks and the Brooklyn Nets, […]

While the NBA brainstorms possible scenarios on how to resume the 2019-20 season, some league officials are concerned about putting older team employees, including coaches, at risk. In an ESPN report by Baxter Holmes, some NBA general managers expressed uneasiness about having older staffers who may be more susceptible to contracting COVID-19 on hand for […]

The Houston Rockets have two championships and 33 total playoff appearances, numbers that speak to how excellent the organization has been over the course of history. Fans usually think of Hakeem Olajuwon, Clyde Drexler, Yao Ming, Charles Barkley, Tracy McGrady, and James Harden when someone brings up the Rockets. Houston has certainly been home to […]

Houston Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni and his wife have donated $100,000 to the local COVID-19 Recovery Fund. The Rockets coach spoke to Mark Berman of Fox 26 about the donation: “The city of Houston, everybody right now is in the same boat. We’re trying to help out where we can. When you go to […]

Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey took a big risk at the NBA trade deadline by trading away starting center Clint Capela in a four-team deal exchange for defensive forward Robert Covington. The trade left Houston without a starting-caliber big man on the roster as they transition to an ultra-small small-ball lineup. However, in a […]

The coronavirus outbreak in the United States, among other countries, has caused a severe cutback in media availability along with new protocols in the NBA along with many other major sports leagues in North America. Besides members of media disallowed entry in locker rooms pre- and post-game now, the NBA has also set a perimeter […]

It sounds crazy, but the 2019-20 NBA regular season is in the home stretch, as the playoffs start in just under six weeks. We are starting to get to a point now where it’s like, “Let’s just get to the playoffs already,” because it seems like we know who is contending and who isn’t and who […]

The Houston Rockets suffered a heavy home defeat on Sunday night, as they were humiliated by the Orlando Magic, 126-106. To make matters worse, this was their fourth straight defeat in what was a horrible week for the team. Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni opened up about his squad’s recent losing skid and admitted that […]

Kenny Atkinson is out as head coach of the Brooklyn Nets. Atkinson and the Nets’ front office mutually agreed to part ways on Saturday in spite of Atkinson’s success manning the bench. He led the Nets to a surprising playoff appearance last year while helping keep them in contention this season despite significant injuries. Nevertheless, […]

Houston Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni is pretty confused why the Brooklyn Nets parted ways with Kenny Atkinson on Saturday. Houston Rockets coach Mike D'Antoni on Brooklyn Nets coach Kenny Atkinson losing his job: "The only thing he's done there in the last two years, for sure, is overachieve. I don't know what else he […]

The Houston Rockets are considered heavy favorites to make a deep run for the Larry O’Brien trophy, but their most recent losses rained on what was a dominant display of terrific basketball. Mike D’Antoni tried to clear the air and doubled down on his ultra-offensive tactic. Luis Ortiz of Telemundo Houston uploaded a video of […]

Los Angeles Lakers veteran big man Dwight Howard has chimed in on team owner Jeanie Buss’ criticism of former Lakers coach Mike D’Antoni. According to Buss, she believes that D’Antoni was the main reason why Howard’s first stint with the Lakers some years ago did not work out. For his part, however, Howard has refused […]

You can’t even count all of the differences between Dwight Howard’s first and second stints with the Los Angeles Lakers. The first time around back during the 2012-13 campaign, Howard had his issues in Los Angeles and clashed with his teammates, from Kobe Bryant to Steve Nash, as a result. Howard posted good numbers, averaging […]

Houston Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni and Milwaukee Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer have been named the NBA Western and Eastern Conference Coaches of the Month, respectively, for games played in February. The Rockets went 9-2 in February, while the Bucks went 10-1: Houston #Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni and Milwaukee Bucks head coach Mike […]

The Houston Rockets have been the anomaly franchise in the NBA for the past few years. Head coach Mike D’Antoni prioritizes floor spacing, perimeter shooting and getting out in transition, three factors that have made the Rockets one of the most high-scoring teams in the league. The Rockets set the record for most three-point attempts […]

Mike D’Antoni was likely very ahead of his time when he implemented the pace-and-space offense with the Phoenix Suns, one he ran to perfection with dime maestro Steve Nash. Yet the two regret not doubling down on it and exploring it to its limits. During a recent sit-down, Nash and his old coach talked about […]

Since trading starting center Clint Capela to the Atlanta Hawks at the trade deadline and embracing the ultimate small-ball lineup, the Houston Rockets are 2-2. Despite their lack of traditional size, Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni isn’t worried. Small-ball #Rockets inviting post-up possessions with their group of “linebacker” defenders: “We don’t have those long, tall […]

For Houston Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni, if opposing teams continue fielding centers against Russell Westbrook, then the former MVP will get in the Hall of Fame a lot quicker. Per Mark Berman of Fox 26, D’Antoni shared his thoughts after the Rockets’ heartbreaking 114-113 loss to the Utah Jazz on Sunday. In the defeat, […]

Houston Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni spoke about the decision to trade former center Clint Capela and bring in Robert Covington ahead of Sunday’s game against the Utah Jazz. D’Antoni said the acquisition of Covington will go further in terms of the ability to “maximize” the potential of the team: Mike D’Antoni on the #Rockets […]

The Clint Capela trade looked like a moment of madness, but Mike D’Antoni and the Houston Rockets may have made a masterstroke after the small-ball Houston Rockets took down the Los Angeles Lakers in convincing fashion on Thursday night. The 121-111 victory saw the Rockets triumph over LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and the rest of […]

Houston Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni addressed Clint Capela’s nagging heel contusion with reporters on Friday ahead of their showdown with the Dallas Mavericks. For D’Antoni, Capela “shouldn’t come back until he’s pain free.” Mike D’Antoni on Clint Capela’s nagging heel contusion: “He shouldn’t come back until he’s pain free.” Capela has been in and […]

The Houston Rockets were fazed with a difficult proposition, scheduled to play back-to-back games in the wake of Kobe Bryant’s sudden death on Sunday morning. Mike D’Antoni’s squad had to lace them up only minutes after Bryant, 41, was confirmed dead at the scene, with no time to reschedule or postpone their game against the […]