Just over a week after another playoff run fizzled, the Houston Rockets are moving on from associate head coach Jeff Bzdelik, who helped improve the team’s defense this past season.
Bzdelik, 66, came out of retirement a month after the season started to help head coach Mike D’Antoni improve the team’s all-around game. The better play helped the Rockets finish fourth in the Western Conference.
But the Rockets still were unable to make a title run, falling in the Western Conference semifinals to the Golden State Warriors.
“Jeff’s contract was up. It will not be renewed,” Rockets general manager Daryl Morey said, according to the Houston Chronicle. “We’re looking for any way to improve. That goes for players, coaches, front office, everything.”
The Rockets were just 1-5 to start the season, before winning eight of their next 10 games to open the November. They went on to a 53-29 record before defeating the Utah Jazz in the first round of the playoffs.
But the Rockets failed to hold Golden State under 104 points in any of the six games in the second round and fell 118-113 in the deciding sixth game.
–Field Level Media
