Dwight Howard and Terrence Jones (Photo : NBAE via Getty Images)
The Houston Rockets disappointing season will not end up without any casualties.
Most experts predict a drastic shake-up after the team collapsed at the start of the season, imploded and eventually ended up firing head coach Kevin McHale.
They managed to recover, but even when the Western Conference was least competitive, the Rockets could not make the playoffs and coming from a Conference Final finish with the team intact and for the most part, the stars were healthy, the ownership would not take this sitting down.
The report from ESPN had GM Daryl Morey, once thought of as a hoops genius with his analytical style, right on the hot seat.
"Sources told ESPN that the Rockets believe every aspect of the organization - coaching staff, front office and, of course, their roster - must be subject to a thorough review in the wake of Houston's slide to a 38-41 outfit that's at serious risk to miss the playoffs after damaging losses this week to Dallas and Phoenix."
The report continued: "Sources say Morey, whose contract runs through the 2017-18 season, also faces some uncertainty in the wake of the Rockets' struggles. Morey's ever-bold approach to roster assembly won deserved kudos for bringing Harden (October 2012) and Howard (July 2013) to Houston in quick succession, but team chemistry has been a rising concern this season given the well-chronicled deterioration in the Harden/Howard relationship and the failed offseason gamble on guard Ty Lawson."
One of the biggest knocks on Morey is how he goes after players and assembles a team based on analytics, which seems to disregard that players are also human with personality traits to consider.
Dwight Howard and James Harden were not a good fit and despite the two stars' continuing to reaffirm their desire to win with each other, what a player says to the media is often different from their real thoughts and Howard has proven that before in Orlando.
Team site Space City Scoop has evaluated which players may be on the go. They speculate that the free agents, including Dwight Howard, are likely gone. Even those who are restricted, like Donatas Motiejunas and Terrence Jones and players under contract like Trevor Ariza and Corey Brewer.
Another coaching carousel is in the offing and it won't be a surprise if interim coach Bickerstaff won't get the nod for permanent coach, but Morey will most likely get one more chance, but it's not a certainty.
Perhaps no one predicted that the Rockets would be this bad-some sportswriters even had them winning it all. If Morey stays, he has his work cut out for him but he has proven he is capable of building a team without bottoming out.
