Houston Rockets point guard Austin Rivers says from a player’s perspective, “everybody’s dream” is to play for head coach Mike D’Antoni.
Rivers says D’Antoni gives players the freedom to shoot any shot they want. A lot of pundits around the league believe D’Antoni’s offensive system will never win a championship since it’s predicated on shooting contested 3-pointers and James Harden having the ball in his hands a lot.
For the second straight postseason, the Rockets were eliminated by the Golden State Warriors. Rivers believes Houston can win a title with D’Antoni if the coach changes up a few things so that there’s more ball movement and players getting involved instead of just watching Harden dribble the life out of the ball:
Austin Rivers responds to Coach D’Antoni criticism: “From a player’s perspective, EVERYBODY’s dream is to play for Mike.” #Rockets pic.twitter.com/wJKRPeBdjx
— Alykhan Bijani (@Rockets_Insider) June 7, 2019
Harden led the NBA in scoring and usage percentage this season. The Rockets’ style of play is easier to defend in the playoffs since the game slows down and half-court execution is at a premium.
A lot of times, Harden dribbles the ball for the entire 24 seconds on the shot clock without anyone else touching the ball. That style of play isn’t going to win you a championship.
Rivers becomes an unrestricted free agent this summer. The Rockets are reportedly making everyone on the roster except for Harden available in trade talks. It will be interesting to see if general manager Daryl Morey has interest in re-signing Rivers.
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