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Rockets interview Mike D'Antoni for head coaching vacancy

The current 76ers associate head coach is in Houston to interview with the Rockets.

Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

The Houston Rockets are without a head coach at the moment. The team has watched as potential candidates Tom Thibodeau, Scott Brooks, and Luke Walton have taken other jobs. The Rockets continue to search for an answer at head coach.

The Rockets have brought in former Nuggets, Suns, Knicks, and Lakers head coach Mike D'Antoni. D'Antoni is the current associate head coach under Brett Brown with the 76ers.

ESPN Senior NBA writer Marc Stein is reporting that D'Antoni is in Houston this week to interview for the job.

D'Antoni is known for his time as the head coach of the Phoenix Suns, bringing a fluid, up-tempo, European style to the NBA. During his five seasons with the Suns, D'Antoni had a 389-253 record as a head coach and a 26-25 record in the playoffs. He was named NBA Coach of the Year in 2004-2005 season.

The Suns had the best record in the NBA in 2004-2005 (62-20) and reached the Western Conference Finals in back-to-back seasons (2004-2005, 2005-2006).

D'Antoni has had less success in his last two stops with the Knicks and Lakers. Over six seasons, he had an 188-254 combined record. Each team reached the playoffs once with D'Antoni at the helm but were swept in four games.

D'Antoni could help shape the Rockets offense to a refined free flowing machine, but would have been the kind of a coach that could reach James Harden? Does he bring the level of respect needed to build up the effort level from the current state of the Rockets? D'Antoni feels more like a retread than the answer for the Rockets.