Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the rockets.
The Houston Rockets are aiming high in their head coaching pursuit with ESPN’s Marc Stein reporting on Wednesday that the team is interested in the two hottest candidates on the market: Tom Thibodeau and Scott Brooks.
But NBA coaching sources stress Houston has strong interest in the two most coveted coaches on the market: Tom Thibodeau and Scotty Brooks.
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) April 13, 2016
Stein notes that the Rockets are intrigued by Thibodeau’s “no-nonsense” style and by Brooks’ history with both the organization (as a former player) and with superstar guard James Harden (as his former head coach on the Oklahoma City Thunder).
The Rockets, I'm told, are highly intrigued by the structure and discipline Tom Thibodeau could instill after a season of slippage in both.
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) April 13, 2016
Yet Houston would also have great interest in Scotty Brooks, who's not only a popular former Rocket but knows James Harden as well as anyone
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) April 13, 2016
Just one year after earning the No. 2 seed in the West and a berth in the Conference Finals, the Rockets have stumbled to a 40-41 record and appear to be barely sneaking into the playoffs by the skin of their teeth. Head coach Kevin McHale was fired in November after a 4-7 start to the year, but interim head coach J.B. Bickerstaff hasn’t been a lot better with a record of 36-34 since taking over.
Stein also reports, however, that officially getting Houston to the postseason will garner Bickerstaff greater consideration for the full-time position.
Getting Houston to the playoffs, coaching sources say, will inevitably earn J.B. Bickerstaff greater consideration for the full-time post.
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) April 13, 2016
Nevertheless, both Thibodeau and Brooks have experience and track records that Bickerstaff doesn’t and look like stronger contenders for the job, especially if the Rockets want to build a new identity (which right now is that of the NBA’s irritating younger brother). They may have a difficult time making their way to the front of the scrum (the duo has already been linked to coaching jobs in Sacramento, Brooklyn, and New York to name just a few). But Houston can offer a roster with by far more talent and potential than any of those teams, making them perhaps the most compelling prospective head coach opening in the league as the 2015-16 regular season draws to a close.
