Incoming Houston Rockets head coach Mike D'Antoni. (Photo : Getty Images)
The Houston Rockets have finally ended their coaching search but there seems to be no cause for celebration let alone a honeymoon stage.
The Rockets will reportedly offer a three-year contract with the coach known for his "Seven seconds or less" offense with the Phoenix Suns that thrived with Steve Nash.
In hiring D'Antoni, the team has established their priorities and it did not seem to sit well with their fan base, as team site The Dream Shake writer Ethan Rothstein gave a scathing reaction as he called it "a terrible hire" and fired shots straight at team owner Leslie Alexander.
"Maintain the offense." Yes, the Rockets have chosen a coach with the hope that the offense is the same, and intend to hire assistants to improve the area of the team that needs help. This is logic in Leslie Alexander's world, where he'd rather watch his team play uptempo basketball than, you know, win games."
Even Stephen A. Smith of ESPN First Take did not think it was a good hire because he quoted GM Daryl Morey saying that defense will be a priority for the team this offseason. Hiring Mike D'Antoni did not seem to fit that agenda.
Smith also said that D'Antoni is a "great salesman" because he continues to get high profile jobs (Knicks, Lakers, Rockets) despite his weakness on the other side of the court and his blemished 188-254 record (combined Knicks-Lakers) in the last six seasons.
Still, the big question when it comes to coaching in the NBA nowadays is how the coach gets along with the team's superstar. It has been an issue with the Sacramento Kings and the Cleveland Cavaliers and now that Houston is handing over the reins to James Harden, it will matter to their team.
An ESPN Insider feature asked the question on whether Harden and D'Antoni will "click or clash" and Kevin Pelton answered that they may agree on the "pace and space" but D'Antoni will try to limit Harden's isolation plays.
"Still, expect D'Antoni to encourage Harden to be more of a facilitator and less of a ball stopper. Bryant's 2012-13 campaign might serve as a template for how Harden could play under D'Antoni," Pelton replied.
Just how much will D'Antoni "encourage?" He has encountered huge egos before (Kobe Bryant, Carmelo Anthony) but without a true playmaker looking to pass first, they could struggle.
Also, Pelton agrees that defense is still a must: "So as simpatico as D'Antoni and Morey appear on offense, for their partnership to succeed at a high level they're both going to need to break new ground defensively."
