The Lakers may not have seen the last of Mike D'Antoni -- albeit from the other side of the court.
The coach, who had the Suns on the verge of the NBA Finals in the mid-2000s but suffered through dismal stops with the Knicks and Lakers, is a potential candidate to replace ousted Kevin McHale in Houston, according to Complex.com.
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D'Antoni would inherit a squad that would be similar to the one he had in Phoenix -- an offensive-minded squad led by a potential MVP candidate guard in James Harden. He is second among favorites for the job in Houston, according to the report
"OK, so Mike D'Antoni already coached [Dwight] Howard once and we all know how that turned out," Complex.com wrote. "But this should be a different Dwight, and perhaps a different D'Antoni. In Harden, he would actually have a capable, elite scorer in his prime. Ty Lawson is capable of running a high-octane offense. As for defense, well, you can't have everything."
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Former Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy, former Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau and current Hornets coach Steve Clifford are the early candidates for the job, according to Yahoo Sports. Houston promoted assistant J.B. Bickerstaff to interim coach, and he'll have the chance to secure the job on a full-time basis, according to Yahoo.
The Lakers may have their own coaching controversy if coach Byron Scott doesn't transform his team into a more competitive unit after its 2-9 start. Scott has steadfastly refused to play rookie guard D'Angelo Russell, the No. 2 player in the draft, in the fourth quarter of games.
Scott is being accused of wearing out 37-year-old Kobe Bryant and has said that he will not sacrifice wins for player development. But Los Angeles, however, does not appear to be a playoff team, and Scott should be focused on building a base for the team's exposure.
The Rockets pulling the trigger on their coaching change put the Lakers at a disadvantage if they decide to buy out the remainder of Scott's contract.
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