Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni has a bit of experience coaching James Harden and Russell Westbrook. Back in 2012, D’Antoni was an assistant coach on the USA Olympic team that featured the two future MVPs.
So even with all of this talk about whether Westbrook’s game will work alongside James Harden, D’Antoni isn’t worried at all, because he’s seen it work with even more talent sharing the ball than what the Rockets will have next season, according to The Houston Chronicle.
“I go back to USA Basketball,” said D’Antoni, an assistant on the 2012 Olympic team that included Westbrook and Harden. “You have all those guys, and all of them have the ball in their hands. When you want to make it work, they all did. You’ve got the best team in the world with all that talent — nobody stepped on anybody’s toes. It was great. It’ll be the same thing.
“You only get problems when the chemistry is not right or they don’t want to be there. I’m excited about it, and I think the pairing will work.”
As of right now, it doesn’t look like the Rockets will have any problems with either player not wanting to be there. Harden recently called Houston home and Westbrook has expressed how excited he is to play with his old running mate and childhood friend.
D’Antoni has his work cut out ahead of him, as Westbrook and Harden are among the highest usage guards year in and year out. But he can’t be mad at the talent he has on the floor.
