The 04-05 regular season concluded, and the Warriors weren't first in the West. The Los Angeles Lakers rose to the top amid the new Showtime storm led by Kobe, Nash, and Marion.
Rudy Tomjanovich didn't leave the team due to health reasons as per the original timeline. In fact, his departure from the Lakers in the original timeline likely wasn't truly due to health issues. His stated reason then was "mental and physical exhaustion," which wasn't closely related to his previous bladder cancer.
This was very likely a tactful claim made after Rudy Tomjanovich was let go because the team's performance didn't meet expectations.
In this timeline, Rudy Tomjanovich's Lakers had no such performance issues, and indeed, he persisted.
Moreover, Roger's old acquaintance, Mike D'Antoni, was part of his coaching team.
