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Rockets not hurry for quick pace game, says head coach D'Antoni

Xinhua, September 28, 2016 Adjust font size:

Houston Rockets head coach Mike D'Antoni emphasized on the importance of not hurrying up for quick pace through a telephone interview here on Tuesday.

"We want to play quick, but we don't want to hurry. We want to make sure that things are done right at the quick pace," said D'Antoni, who steered the Phoenix Suns into the Western Conference finals with Steve Nash and Amare Stoudemire in 2004-05 and 2005-06.

"It's a little difference for people to think that quick pace is running all the time. We've got to keep the ball movement. We have James Harden, one of the best players in the league without doubt, but we also have many underrated players. We are excited about who we have. We just have to come together as a team, learn each other, add new pieces, and use our uptempo, high scoring and good defense as a team.

"We all know that a coach with great defense will win the champion, but you can't win at 0-0. You've got to score, and stop the other team, so we have to do the both," he added.

It's reported that D'Antoni will put the team's namecard Harden on PG position, while D'Antoni talked more about how to show Harden's best efficiency.

"We will play like the Golden State Warriors, with Draymond Green as the point guard for most time. Basketball has changed, and we want to make sure that everybody has his role to play, shoot or pass. Everybody will have multiple positions. James will play as the point guard, or off the ball. We just try to get him in the position where he is the most effective," commented D'Antoni.

The Rockets will play two China Games with the New Orleans Pelicans in Shanghai and Beijing on October 9 and 12 respectively. D'Antoni and other Rockets guys have a chance of meeting Chinese big guy Yao Ming, who was a former Rockets player and a Hall of Famer.

"Yao means a lot to the Houston organization and the Houston city. Congratulations on him for the Hall of Fame. It's a great honor," said D'Antoni.

The team added two excellent shooters, Ryan Andersen and Eric Gordon, from their China Games opponent Pelicans in the offseason, while losing rim protector Dwight Howard to the Atlanta Hawks.

D'Antoni took two finalists last season as the favorite for the NBA championship, also showing much confidence in his team.

"Golden State on paper is the best as they have Kevin Durant. Cleveland is the defending champion. We will see. During a long season, many things can happen. We have a bunch of great players, so why not?" he said. Endit