NBA Rumors: Houston Rockets Hiring Frank Vogel


NBA rumors have been swirling around Frank Vogel. He’s become one of the hottest head coaching candidates in the National Basketball Association. Indiana Pacers team president Larry Bird decided not to bring back Vogel after this season. After the news broke, his name has been linked to a majority of the open vacancies in the league. According to Fox Sports, the Houston Rockets were planning to interview Vogel about their vacant head coaching position. He has a very good chance of replacing former head coach Kevin McHale.

The Houston Rockets are currently looking for someone to become the new head coach. The Rockets decided to fire Kevin McHale 11 games into the season. Rockets general manager Daryl Morey believed that the former Boston Celtics legend lost the trust of the players in the locker room. JB Bickerstaff was promoted to become the interim head coach. He led the Rockets to the NBA Playoffs this year. They were defeated by the Golden State Warriors in the first round in five games. Leading the team into the playoffs wasn’t good enough to convince management to give him the job permanently.

NBA coach Kevin McHale
Kevin McHale [Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images]

Earlier this month, Larry Bird decided that it was time for the Indiana Pacers to move on from Frank Vogel. The two have had a difference of opinions on how the team should be run. One of the big reasons why Bird doesn’t want to keep Vogel around is because he refused to run a high-tempo offensive scheme. The former Boston Celtics legend wanted Paul George to play more minutes at the power forward, something the All-Star did not want to do.

Frank Vogel has done an excellent job the past six years as the head coach of the Indiana Pacers. He has won a total of 250 games. He is currently the franchise’s all-time leader in wins. He has led the Pacers to the NBA Playoffs in five of the six seasons. Indiana has been to the Conference Finals twice with Vogel as the head coach. He has proven that he is a young and upcoming coach in the National Basketball Association.

Houston Rockets guard James Harden
James Harden [Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images]

Frank Vogel is a young, defensive-minded head coach. The Houston Rockets took a step backward this season on defense. James Harden might be the worst defender in the NBA. He has shown a lack of interest on that side of the ball. Dwight Howard was once a feared interior rim protector. He’s shown a lack of interest on the court this past season. The Rockets will need help on defense from their next head coach. Vogel is considered a defensive guru.

One of the biggest tasks for the next head coach of the Houston Rockets is to figure out an offensive system that will be built around James Harden. That means Frank Vogel will need to convince his star guard that sharing the ball could result in more victories. A majority of the offense has been run through Harden. At times, he seems only interested in his own scoring. Sometimes, that would result in his teammates standing around because they know they are not going to be getting the ball.

Houston Rockets center Dwight Howard
Dwight Howard [Photo by Thearon W Henderson/Getty Images]

The Houston Rockets will have plenty of money to spend this summer with Dwight Howard opting out of his contract. The Rockets will be able to add the right pieces to help cover James Harden’s defensive miscues. If the team does get Frank Vogel to become the new head coach, Houston should be able to draw some interest in free agency.

The Houston Rockets are in need of a new head coach. When Frank Vogel’s job was in jeopardy in 2011, the Rockets were interested in him. Now that Vogel is back on the market, Houston should have renewed interest in the former Indiana Pacers head coach.

[Photo by Mike McGinnis/Getty Images]

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