NBA Rumors 2016: Houston Rockets to Evaluate GM, Coach After the Season
The Houston Rockets' season is almost over and sadly for their fans, they're likely going to miss the playoffs this year. After losing to the Phoenix Suns last Thursday and the Utah Jazz winning over the Denver Nuggets, the eighth and last remaining spot in the Western Conference is no longer a toss-up, unless of course the Rockets win their last two games and the Jazz lose theirs.
With the kind of lineup the team has, it is quite sad to see them unravel after all those misfortunes and team troubles. And after firing former head coach Kevin McHale early in the season and attempting so hard to trade All-Star Dwight Howard but ultimately failing, the front office is now looking at evaluating the team, more specifically general manager Daryl Morey and interim head coach J.B. Bickerstaff.
A report from ESPN's Marc Stein and Calvin Watkins is saying that Houston is looking at doing a comprehensive evaluation after a failure of a season. Multiple sources are saying that the said evaluation will be directed to everyone, including the front office, roster, and the coaching staff.
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This line of talk is more like a preemptive act of making major team changes and it is highly possible that Morey and Bickerstaff may be on their way out. But the two aren't the only ones who might find themselves looking for another job next season. It is a well-known fact that Howard is going to opt for free agency after this season, which is why the team desperately wanted to trade him to avoid losing him without getting anything in return. But even that didn't work out.
Morey on the other hand has a contract that ends in 2018, but the kind of struggle the team is facing right now under his watch may put him at a compromising position. He is responsible for bringing in Harden and Howard to Houston in less than a year, but the team's lack of cohesion and chemistry is evident with both stars leading.
Everyone might be able to keep their jobs if the Rockets eventually find themselves clinching the last spot, but it also means facing the league-leading Golden State Warriors in the first round.
