Mike D’Antoni won’t return to Rockets

[Roy H.]

Adrian Wojnarowski: ESPN Sources: Houston coach Mike D’Antoni is informing the franchise’s ownership today that he’s becoming a free agent and won’t return to the Rockets next season.

[Donoghus]

Writing was on the wall there.  You could see it coming. 

I'm not envious of that organization's future with all that money wrapped up in Westbrook & Harden.

[Tr1boy]

Adrian Wojnarowski: ESPN Sources: Houston coach Mike D’Antoni is informing the franchise’s ownership today that he’s becoming a free agent and won’t return to the Rockets next season.

Overrated nba coach

Flawed system

[hpantazo]

Adrian Wojnarowski: ESPN Sources: Houston coach Mike D’Antoni is informing the franchise’s ownership today that he’s becoming a free agent and won’t return to the Rockets next season.

Overrated nba coach

Flawed system

Small ball in the NBA is finally fizzling out.

[Who]

I am expecting Indiana to make a run at him.

It is good for Houston. They need to move on. Morey used to build teams with strong depth. He has stopped doing that with D'Antoni there since D'Antoni doesn't bother using the ends of his bench anyways. Houston needs to get back to basics. Build some depth. Stop being so over-reliant on main guys.

[makaveli]

Adrian Wojnarowski: ESPN Sources: Houston coach Mike D’Antoni is informing the franchise’s ownership today that he’s becoming a free agent and won’t return to the Rockets next season.

Overrated nba coach

Flawed system

Small ball in the NBA is finally fizzling out.

that is not small ball, that's supersuper small ball

[Jvalin]

Adrian Wojnarowski: ESPN Sources: Houston coach Mike D’Antoni is informing the franchise’s ownership today that he’s becoming a free agent and won’t return to the Rockets next season.

Overrated nba coach

Flawed system

Small ball in the NBA is finally fizzling out.

Theis is 6'8.
Timelord is 6'8.
Grant is 6'6.

The Raps were starting Gasol at Center who is 6'11 and was almost unplayable throughout the series.

I would argue that small ball is as dominant as ever before. It's just that the Rockets were implementing an extreme strategy. Personally speaking, I'm glad that they lost. I couldn't stand watching their games.

[Who]

Sixers looking at D'Antoni?
Can you think of a worse coach for that team than D'Antoni?

D'Antoni is a one trick pony. He hasn't a hope in hell of being successful with that giant-ball team in Philadelphia.

[liam]

Mike D’Antoni to the Bucks? With Giannis as your five with four shooters around him? 

[Who]

Milwaukee would be an interesting landing spot for D'Antoni. Giannis and D'Antoni could be something special. Start Giannis at center. Use him off the elbows as a playmaker / scorer.

Trade the Lopez brothers for some wings. Play small. Play quick. Unleash Giannis to his most devastating best.

[liam]

Milwaukee would be an interesting landing spot for D'Antoni. Giannis and D'Antoni could be something special. Start Giannis at center. Use him off the elbows as a playmaker / scorer.

Trade the Lopez brothers for some wings. Play small. Play quick. Unleash Giannis to his most devastating best.

He could be really interesting but it's a big risk for The Bucks. They might need to do something like that to keep The Freak.

[liam]

D'Antoni would be a very interesting coach for the Pels, The Kings, The Grizz, and especially for a team like Atlanta.  Atlanta is an all offense team that has nothing to lose by picking up D'Antoni....

[jambr380]

Odd situation, I think it's strange that coach is almost always expected to be on a contract that extends beyond the current season. This has become customary. No matter what, a team ends up paying at least an extra year when it's time to part ways...except in this case. I can't imagine D'Antoni was giving it his all this post-season; not a great situation for the players.

Hard to imagine where he'll end up. Sixers and Indy are teams with multiple bigs. I wouldn't like MIL moving on from Bud to hire him.

[hpantazo]

Sixers looking at D'Antoni?
Can you think of a worse coach for that team than D'Antoni?

D'Antoni is a one trick pony. He hasn't a hope in hell of being successful with that giant-ball team in Philadelphia.

Exactly. He's a very bad fit with Embiid and Horford, unless they are planning to move Horford and play a fast paced game with Simmons.

[wiley]

I don't think it's a failure of small ball.  There system was working and forced the Lakers to go small too. 

The issue is it's hard to beat Lebron James, especially when he's got AD next to him.  I also think Rondo galvanized the Lakers, who were drifting a bit before he came back...he is really an incredible floor leader...taking so much pressure off of James.

Then, the Rockets had one superstar who had to come back from injury after a great season, and he sucked big time.  If Westbrook had been healthy all along, he'd have been better.
And they lost Danuel House to some sort of violation....a wing defender scoring 11 per game and rebounding well, etc...tough loss.

So, to me it's more bad luck and having to meet Lebron.  Winning a finals takes so many things to go right...