Rockets to interview Warriors assistant for open head coaching job
By Ian Levy
The Rockets just completed a losing season with a stunning amount of regression for their young players. They may be looking at a Warriors assistant as the answer.
The Houston Rockets knew they were going to lose a lot of games this season — with an extremely young roster and an eye on the 2023 NBA Draft and Victor Wembanyama, their win-loss record wasn’t the measure of success. What made the season a failure was the utter lack of development for their young players.
Highly-touted rookie Jabari Smith Jr. shot just 40.8 percent from the field and 30.7 percent from the 3-point line. Jalen Green made no meaningful improvement as a defender and saw his shooting percentages decline across the board. Their offensive structure was most notable for its complete lack of player and ball movement and its utter lack of success.
It was no surprise that the team decided to part ways with head coach Stephen Silas at the season’s end and it’s no surprise they’re looking at a highly-regarded developmental coach as a potential replacement.
Rockets will reportedly interview Warriors’ assistant Kenny Atkinson
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Rockets have will interview Kenny Atkinson as a potential replacement. Atkinson was well-regarded for his skills in player development and delivered on that promise as the head coach of the Brooklyn Nets, helping build a young and mostly marginal roster into a serious competitor before they pivoted with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.
After leaving the Nets, Atkinson spent a year as an assistant with the Clippers and the last two working as an assistant under Steve Kerr with the Warriors. He also accepted the head coach opening with the Charlotte Hornets before changing his mind and deciding to remain with the Warriors.
On paper, the Rockets may be a much better situation than the Hornets for Atkinson. They have a ton of young talent, with my depth. They also have a 14 percent chance of landing the No. 1 pick in this draft, and even if they miss out on that they’ll likely add another very talented prospect. However, it’s not clear what exactly Atkinson is looking for right now and there’s a good chance he’ll have more than one opening to consider this offseason.
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