Mike D'Antoni's revered offensive system looks different from his vintage system with the Steve Nash-led Phoenix Suns. These days, there's less of the rapid ball movement and more of the isolation and individual creation leading to open three-point looks. Bombs away.
D'Antoni allows his two excellent guards, James Harden and Chris Paul, to do their thing—and typically, they either create a good look for themselves, draw a foul, or kick it out for a good look for one of Houston's many dead-eye long-range shooters. It's working out great for D'Antoni, who led Houston to the West's No. 1 seed and is seeking his first trip to the NBA Finals.
In a new Bleacher Report feature, D'Antoni's wife, Laurel, shared how she's seen her husband's perspective and system change in his time with the Rockets—largely because he has found his basketball soul mate in the Beard.
"He's just morphed because of his players," Laurel says of D'Antoni. "My husband is in looove with James Harden. I mean, I would like to have a little bit of that love that he's giving James Harden in my household. But I understand why. Because Mike said he's the best offensive player he's ever, ever, ever coached."
Howard Beck of B/R also spoke with Nash about how D'Antoni has "morphed."
"I think it's just Mike's ability to read his team, the evolution of the game, the pieces that he has and how they fit together," Nash said. "So in some ways, I'm not surprised. That's part of Mike's brilliance, is his ability to adapt and adjust and tweak, according to who he has and how the pieces fit together."
Harden had one of the best offensive seasons we've ever seen from an NBA guard. He averaged 30.4 points (No. 1 in the league) and 8.8 assists (No. 3). It would be a shock if anyone other than him won MVP at June's NBA Awards.
D'Antoni, Harden, and the Rockets will take on the No. 2 seed Golden State Warriors in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals Monday at 9 p.m. ET.
