“This is Houston to Adelman: Please Approach the Dock.”

Since the rumors surrounding the possible departure of Jeff Van Gundy as coach are swirling in Houston after another first round exit by the Rockets, it’s really no surprise to read about the possibility of Rick Adelman interviewing for the position.

If Van Gundy is on the way out (which would be a shame), Adelman is a damn fine candidate for the job — he should never have been fired in Sacramento in the first place, considering the motley crew of players he’s had to deal with, and looking at what Eric Musselman did in his short, undistinguished tenure with the Kings last year should have only validated Adelman’s status as a coach with the league.

Van Gundy has a time frame to make a decision about returning, and the Rockets can let him go without paying him after June 30th.  Rumor has it the new Rockets GM would like to run a more Phoenix Suns-like system, for lack of a better term, and Van Gundy’s defensive emphasis is the complete opposite of that.  How you would be able to run it with Yao Ming in the post is what worries me — Yao is one of hte last remnants of the traditional low-post center in a league where coaches are interested in eschewing them (despite the fact that the last few NBA champions still have that traditional post presence, all the way back to Shaq with the Lakers). However, if you are looking for someone to run a more open offensive system, you can’t go wrong with Adelman, who was at the helm for those Drexler-led Portland teams in the early 90s.

He may not get you a championship ring, but he’ll get you to the playoffs, and there’s a damn good chance he’ll get you past the first round, too.

Reports: Ademan interviews for Van Gundy’s job [AP via ESPN]