The Rockets' coaching staff will look very different next season.
Houston parted ways with several members of its coaching staff Friday, including James Harden's trainer Irv Roland, according to a report from the Houston Chronicle, which cites unidentified league sources.
Roland has worked extensively with James Harden for years, even before joining the Rockets development staff under John Lucas when Mike D'Antoni was hired in 2016. Cho has been with the Rockets for more than a decade.
— Jonathan Feigen (@Jonathan_Feigen) May 25, 2019
Roland was Houston's head of player development and worked with the reigning MVP for years, even before he joined the Rockets in 2016. Assistant coaches Roy Rogers, Mitch Vanya and video coordinator John Cho have reportedly been let go as well.
According to the New York Times' Marc Stein, there is speculation that the firing of staff could be an attempt to push head coach Mike D'Antoni out the door.
New owner Tilman Fertitta told @Jonathan_Feigen earlier this month he intends to keep Mike D'Antoni as Houston's coach, but the flurry of changes imposed on D'Antoni's staff has some in the coaching community wondering if the Rockets are trying to nudge D'Antoni toward the exit https://t.co/aeTgeUpkHx
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) May 25, 2019
However, D'Antoni has remained hopeful in his pursuit of a long-term extension with the Rockets.
D'Antoni, for his part, has said in numerous interviews that he remains hopeful of securing a multi-year extension from the Rockets after a three-season run in which Houston has been widely regarded as the league's second-best team. MDA has only one season left on his contract
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) May 25, 2019
The Rockets have gone 173-73 since D'Antoni took over in 2016. They just haven't been able to overcome the unstoppable force that is the Warriors in the postseason. Houston appears to be making serious changes in an attempt to step things up next year.
The team's owner Tilman Fertitta hinted at possible adjustments following the Rockets' elimination at the hands of Golden State in this season's NBA playoffs.
“I know we have a team good enough to win 55 games, but that’s not good enough," Fertitta said earlier this month. "We need to have a team we know we’ll get to the Western Conference finals. Then, you need a little luck to win a championship. We will do whatever it takes this offseason to improve ourselves.”
