Daryl Morey: Rockets Coach Mike D'Antoni is 'One of the Best of All-Time'

Morey: "To me, [D'Antoni is] like one of those players in the past that hadn’t quite won the title yet. I’m hoping this is the year for him."

Rockets head coach Mike D'Antoni has failed to capture the Larry O'Brien Trophy in his 16 years manning an NBA bench, but don't let the lack of a championship obscure his resume. 

D'Antoni is No. 4 all-time in wins among active coaches. He's won 50-plus games seven times, and his teams have reached the playoffs in nine of D'Antoni's 16 seasons as a head coach. Whenever D'Antoni hangs it up, he's all-but-certain to earn a bust in Springfield, Mass. at the Basketball Hall of Fame. Rockets general manager Daryl Morey appears to share the sentiment. 

"Coach D’Antoni is one of the best all-time coaches, in my opinion," Morey told the Houston Chronicle's Jonathan Feigen on Wednesday. "He’s one of the all-time great innovators and a great partner."

The 68-year-old coach has had his fair share of near-misses in his quest for a championship. D'Antoni and the Rockets reached the Western Conference finals in 2018, and he reached the conference finals with the Suns in 2005 and 2006. D'Antoni could end his career in a similar fashion to former Rockets point guard Chris Paul: historically elite, but missing an elusive ring. 

"To me he’s like one of those players in the past that hadn’t quite won the title yet," Morey told Feigen. "I’m hoping this is the year for him."

2020 could be D'Antoni's last year in Houston. He is on the final year of his contract, and extension talks were tabled in May 2019. Morey said he would "love," to keep D'Antoni, but a potential new contract won't be discussed after 2019-20. 

"I’d love for it to keep going," Morey said.  "It takes two to tango, but we’re going to figure that out in the offseason."