Hoops Habit
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Houston Rockets: Top 5 Candidates to Replace Kevin McHale

By Maxwell Ogden

April 18, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; ESPN broadcaster Mark Jackson (left), broadcaster Jeff Van Gundy (center), and broadcaster Mike Breen (right) talk before game one of the first round of the NBA Playoffs between the Golden State Warriors and the New Orleans Pelicans at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
April 18, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; ESPN broadcaster Mark Jackson (left), broadcaster Jeff Van Gundy (center), and broadcaster Mike Breen (right) talk before game one of the first round of the NBA Playoffs between the Golden State Warriors and the New Orleans Pelicans at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jan 23, 2015; Dallas, TX, USA; ESPN broadcaster Jeff Van Gundy before the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Chicago Bulls at the American Airlines Center. The Bulls defeated the Mavericks 102-98. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 23, 2015; Dallas, TX, USA; ESPN broadcaster Jeff Van Gundy before the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Chicago Bulls at the American Airlines Center. The Bulls defeated the Mavericks 102-98. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports /

4. Jeff Van Gundy

Why not?

Jeff Van Gundy is one of the most popular men in the NBA. Both as an announcer and an experienced head coach, Van Gundy won the basketball community over with his brutal honesty and undeniably solid success rate.

Van Gundy reached the playoffs in nine of his 10 completed seasons as an NBA head coach.

From 2003 to 2007, Van Gundy led none other than the Houston Rockets to three postseason appearances in four seasons. Houston won 50-plus games in two of those campaigns, including a 52-win 2006-07 campaign.

Van Gundy never made it out of the first round with the Rockets, but he reached the 1999 NBA Finals with the New York Knicks.

Van Gundy and Dwight Howard could clash given D-12’s history with the former’s brother, Stan Van Gundy. As a team that’s looking to restore its defensive tenacity, however, Houston can’t help but consider Jeff Van Gundy as an option.

Perhaps Van Gundy can take James Harden and Howard to a level Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming never reached.

Next: The (Dis)Respected

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