Rockets don’t exactly sound ready to make a coaching change

Although rumors are swirling that the Houston Rockets are determined to make a coaching change, the Rockets don’t exactly sound like a team that is ready to make such a move.

When reports first surfaced that the Houston Rockets were exploring their options regarding a coaching change at the end of the season, many took those rumors and ran with them. All of a sudden it became largely forgotten that the Rockets’ head coaching job is already occupied, which shouldn’t have been the case.

In spite of that, speculation became an interpretation of a guaranteed change, and especially within the past few weeks.  This is because the Rockets were linked to coaching free agents Tom Thibodeau and Jeff Van Gundy, which made the national media assume that the Rockets were destined to part ways with current coach Mike D’Antoni.

This speculation disregarded the recent comments made by Rockets general manager Daryl Morey, who would ultimately be making the decision on the Rockets’ coaching position. We sought to issue a reminder of the support Morey gave for MDA, as the Rockets’ executive stated that he wouldn’t have been able to pull off the Clint Capela for Robert Covington trade were it not for D’Antoni.

Morey followed that up recently by stating that D’Antoni is a “wizard” and “a hell of a coach,” which are also comments that can’t be ignored. Although those aren’t exactly comments one would anticipate from a GM on the brink of replacing said coach, they seemed to go largely unnoticed in the eyes of the national media.

We continued to hear reports citing the Rockets’ failed contract negotiations with D’Antoni and his representation, although the Rockets haven’t said anything publicly about the contract talks since last summer. In spite of that, we heard last week that both sides had reached an impasse and accepted the fact that a new contract simply wasn’t going to happen after the season.

Next: Morey speaks