Houston Rockets recruit Kelvin Sampson as assistant coach – NBA Update
The Houston Rockets are getting ready for life after Yao Ming and took another step towards restructuring the franchise with the signing of Kelvin Sampson as the lead assistant coach.
Sampson served as assistant at the Milwaukee Bucks last season and has been a sought after commodity throughout the off season, with his name being in the frame of several head coaching jobs around the league. He was strongly linked with the head coaching slot at the Minnesota Timberwolves, who have finally officially fired previous coach Kurt Rambis, but now it appears that Sampson is willing to spend some more time as an assistant.
Sampson would be the right hand of newly signed Rockets head coach and Basketball Hall of Famer Kevin McHale. McHale has a previous coaching experience with the Minnesota Timberwolves where he served in two short tenures. Although, he is a better coach than his record with the Timberwolves suggests, it wouldn’t hurt to have a coach of the calibre of Sampson giving you a helping hand.
Sampson made a name for himself while coaching at college level and became one of the most established trainers on the coaching circuit. After several head coaching stints with college teams, Sampson made his move to the NBA back in 2008, when he joined the Milwaukee Bucks as an assistant coach. His stock has continued to rise since then and he is believed to be a key figure in the good work that has been done at that franchise.
The Rockets have been busy hiring coaching staff this season and also reached an agreement with J.B. Bickerstaff to be an assistant next season. J.B. Bickerstaff is currently part of the backroom staff at the Timberwolves where incidentally his father Bernie Bickerstaff is scheduled for an interview to replace the outgoing Kurt Rambis. The last of Houston’s coaching staff signings is Chris Finch.
With the spate of changes in coaching staff the Rockets look ready to turn a new page and build the franchise that has suffered in recent years due to a weak roster and constant injury worries for their star player, Yao Ming. Yao finally gave up the fight with his aching body as he announced his retirement from the NBA recently, effectively signalling the end of an era at the Houston franchise.
The Rockets will also need a change in their playing personnel if they are to regain some relevance on the NBA scene as there currently isn’t any established star in the side that can help them make the step up in level.
They have taken some steps in that direction with a few intriguing picks in this year’s NBA draft including the highly rated Marcus Morris.
Tags: