![]() Sports | Astros farm report: Several prospects off to hot start in 2023 should be increasingly used as a rim protector rather than a skating big on the perimeter. There will likely be alternative ways to use Alperen Sengün as a defender-perhaps Houston will hedge a majority of pick-and-rolls next season rather than sag into constant drop coverage-and Jabari Smith Jr. A large part of those struggles needs to be attributed to the shortcomings (and youth) of the roster, though perhaps the next coach can put Houston's defense in a more advantageous spot. I won't pretend to be some sort of X's and O's genius, but even semi-regular watchers of the Rockets became accustomed to a bit of a stale schematic design from Silas and the team's coaching staff for extended stretches of last season. Mike Stobe/Getty Images Deliver defensive ingenuity Head Coach Nick Nurse of the Toronto Raptors in action against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Decemin New York City. Regardless, placing the point guard in the right position to succeed is paramount for Udoka, Nurse, Vogel or a candidate without a Finals berth on their resume. Perhaps they look to mesh a collection of young, talented, unproven pieces. Perhaps the Rockets go back to Harden ball next season. 2 pick, it could add G League Ignite guard Scoot Henderson, who would be at least a platoon option with Porter for lead guard duties for the 2023-24 season. A James Harden return is very (I'm tempted to go with an all-caps VERY) possible this summer, and if Houston lands the No. But Houston's next coach must either grow Porter into a suitable leading man, or hit the ground running with the franchise's next point guard. This isn't a total shot at Porter, who is a talented under-24 player who should still have a lengthy career as a rotation regular in the backcourt and even on the wing. paired a solid final 19 games post-toe-injury with a pretty disastrous first 40, in which he averaged 3.6 turnovers to 5.6 assists per game. 27 offense in 2022-23, their lack of capable point guard play reared its ugly head. But as the Rockets limped to a 60-loss season and the league's No. The next coach will acquire a roster not bereft of talent given the back-to-back top-three draft picks and additional impact acquisitions by Stone outside the lottery. Ezra Shaw/Getty Images Fix the point guard situation Head coach Ime Udoka of the Boston Celtics reacts to a foul call on Grant Williams #12 during the third quarter against the Golden State Warriors in Game Five of the 2022 NBA Finals at Chase Center on Jin San Francisco, California. Instead, we can offer some key criteria necessary for the Rockets' next coach, identifying if these three fit the mold. We won't pretend to know who exactly is the best candidate for the lead gig in Houston at the moment. And as the Rockets look to seriously kickstart their rebuild in 2022-23, the hiring of any of the three coaches would represent a step in the right direction. All three coaches sport Finals experience. Such an assumption was further confirmed Friday.ĮSPN's Adrian Wojarowski has reported the Rockets are expected to hold second interviews with former Lakers coach Frank Vogel and former Celtics coach Ime Udoka in the coming week, and a first interview is expected for now-dismissed Raptors coach Nick Nurse. Stone was relatively pointed in his response, noting he wants a coach who "has a real vision for how to implement our young guys, how to incorporate some veterans." Stone added he wants a coach with a "dynamic presence and vision," and while he didn't expressly note as such during his presser, he hinted that the Rockets were likely to add a coach with previous experience leading a team. Houston Rockets general manager Rafael Stone was posed with a relatively simple question at his end-of-season press conference in early April: what does he want in the franchise's next head coach? LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers slaps hands with Head coach Frank Vogel of the Los Angeles Lakers in the second half in Game Three of the first round of the playoffs between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Portland Trail Blazers at the AdventHealth Arena at the ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex on Augin Lake Buena Vista, Florida.
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