The Houston Rockets officially hired Mike D’Antoni as the head coach of the team last week. After a disappointing season led in part by Kevin McHale and JB Bickerstaff, the Rockets needed a new voice in the locker room and D’Antoni appears to be their choice.
For some, the decision is a strange one mainly due to D’Antoni’s reputation as an offense-only coach. That reputation is often unfounded and exaggerated, but MDA-led teams have usually been decisively mediocre on the end of the floor that Houston struggled with the most.
Another cause of concern is the relationship D’Antoni will build with James Harden. The coach has had some public issues in the past with ball-dominant superstars and how he will coach Harden will be an interesting development.
Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski, however, is not worried about it at all. Coach K, who has worked with both D’Antoni and Harden on Team USA, believes that there will be a great connection between the two.
Following from Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle:
“It’s well-conceived,” said Krzyzewski, who had James Harden on the 2012 Olympic and 2014 World Cup champion. “People can be really good on offense or defense in a number of ways. Being smart doesn’t mean speed. Being smart means spacing, good shots, using your personnel properly. We’re all not going to be very good unless we have good players. If you have enough good players and they’re healthy, the spacing of the court, the sharing of the ball, the speed with which he advances it, gives his guys an opportunity to make plays.
“When you have plays and reads it’s the best combination. It’s especially good if you have a special player and they do in James (Harden). It will be interesting to see how that develops because James is not just a really good scorer; James is a heck of a passer. Who knows what their roster will be next year, but it will start with James.
“I’m as high on Mike as I can be. I always want him on my team, with my team, in any way.”
Obviously, when Coach K talks, we should all listen.
Mike D’Antoni is a revolutionary offensive mind. He has led some of the best offensive teams in league history. With James Harden, one of the best players in the league on that end of the floor, MDA may have found a combination of size, scoring, and passing that will create another elite offense. That of course depends on how the roster is built around the star, but the foundation has been built.
