Mike D'Antoni Could Reportedly Be Fired if Rockets Don't Win NBA Finals This Year

It is no secret that the Houston Rockets have underperformed over the past few seasons. With perennial MVP candidate James Harden and a host of quality rotation pieces surrounding him (including Chris Paul up until this past offseason), the Rockets have had the talent to have made the NBA Finals, despite the Warriors dynasty in their way.

However, the Rockets have made it to the Western Conference Finals just once in the three years with coach Mike D'Antoni at the helm.

According to a report, the Rockets' coach is on the hot seat. If the team does not win a championship this year, management could reportedly let their coach go in favor of a fresh face.

This year, the Rockets are fourth in the West with a 15-7 record, but could improve more if the system better included Russell Westbrook, who is shooting 40 percent from the field and 22 percent from the 3-point line.

D'Antoni has piloted some of the most innovative NBA offenses in the past 15 years, most notably the seven-seconds-or-less Suns and the Melo-led Knicks, but never enjoyed the success he wanted with those teams in the postseason. This trend seems to have followed him to Houston, and management has had enough, according to RealGM.

While the "live by the three, die by the three" mantra that the Houston Rockets have been following has led them towards the top of the regular season standings every year, in order to have playoff success, D'Antoni needs to adapt in the postseason when defenses tighten their rotations.

Thus far, he's proven unable to do so.