The Houston Rockets are expected to interview ex-Cavaliers coach David Blatt for its vacant head coaching position, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post:
The Knicks believe Blatt will be a head coach next season — whether in the NBA or overseas. Blatt is expected to be interviewed for the vacancies with the Rockets and Kings, Sacramento being run by former European great Vlade Divac.
Blatt, often praised for his success overseas with Maccabi Tel Aviv and the Russian National Team, joined the NBA as a first year head coach with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2014. During his first season, Blatt guided the Cavaliers to the NBA Finals with a 53-29 (.646) record. The Cavs ultimately lost that series to the Golden State Warriors 4-2, leaving many to start questioning the job security of David Blatt in Cleveland.
Entering this season, Blatt had started off on shaky ground. With several reported locker room issues, a mistrust with Superstar LeBron James, amongst many more problems, the Cavaliers made the decision to fire Blatt in late January. Cleveland replaced David Blatt with Tyronn Lue, an assistant under Blatt during his brief two-season stint.
Regardless of how his tenure ended, David Blatt finished his reign with an 83-40 coaching record. While this may not necessarily appeal to one LeBron James, it certainly appeals to numerous executives and franchises searching for a new head coach.
That leads us to the Houston Rockets. With Houston’s disappointing season finally ending last week after a 4-1 series loss to the Golden State Warriors, GM Daryl Morey and company will now shift their focus to finding a permanent head coach. They likely will be seeking an experienced leader that helps bring stability and a brand new attitude to the locker room, a locker room severely lacking in these areas.
Whether it was James Harden traveling by himself to road games, Dwight Howard reportedly expressing a desire traded, or a trade sending sharpshooter Marcus Thornton out of town, the Rockets have emulated the very definition of chaos all throughout the year. Passing on Tom Thibodeau may have been a mistake, but David Blatt is amongst the top candidates available for a head coaching job at the moment.
With Blatt drawing league-wide interest from teams seeking a new head coach, the Rockets must act quickly. If not, they once again run the risk of losing out on a top-level head coach, something they must have in order to take the next step and improve.
David Blatt is scheduled to meet with the Sacramento Kings today, as well. Last week, Blatt reportedly met with Knicks President Phil Jackson in a phone interview to discuss the possibility of joining the team as head coach.
New York, Sacramento, Houston, and Brooklyn are in the mix for teams needing a head coach. It’s entirely possible that other teams join this group, particularly the Indiana Pacers. After losing a hard fought seven game series to the Toronto Raptors, Pacers head coach Frank Vogel is reportedly on shaky ground. In fact, contract negotiations between the two sides have not even started, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical.
With several teams needing a head coach ahead of free agency, the time to strike is now. David Blatt, a veteran Basketball mind, is available for hire. Where he lands, however, is still awaiting its answer as July’s free agency continues to approach faster and faster each day.
