D’Antoni expects guards to mesh
Mike D’Antoni praised the player departing, citing everything from the assumptions made when the Rockets traded for Chris Paul to those that have come now that they have dealt him for Russell Westbrook, the coach seemed to grow more confident about the latest version of his team.
Westbrook, D’Antoni believes, will succeed not because of how different he is than Paul but because of what they have in common.
Both are all-time greats. And both wanted to join the Rockets to share a backcourt with James Harden.
“That’s what great players do,” D’Antoni said. “Great players figure it out. They make it work.
“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.”
It worked with Paul. The Rockets had a franchise-record 65 wins in his first season, 53 last season. But with the opportunity to get Westbrook, the 2017 MVP, amid Oklahoma City’s rebuilding, the Rockets gave up Paul, first-round picks in 2024 and 2026 (both protected if they fall in the top four picks) and the right to swap draft positions in 2021 and 2025.
Thunder general manager Sam Presti said in a statement that the team worked with Westbrook to find “alternate situations” that “made sense” for him.
“Russell Westbrook is the most important player in the brief history of the Oklahoma City Thunder,” Presti said. “He has left an indelible mark on this team, city and state. None of us could have anticipated the player he has become, and we are all deeply proud of what he has contributed to the success of the franchise and to our community.”
Said Thunder chairman Clay Bennett: “His legacy here is immense, and he will be honored by the team for all he has done.”
Presti also praised Paul, a nine-time All-Star and eight-time All-NBA selection, as “an experienced playmaker and leader” and cited his play when the New Orleans Hornets had to base themselves in OKC after Hurricane Katrina as integral to the city’s landing the Thunder.
Westbrook, an eighttime All-Star and All-NBA selection, is Oklahoma City’s all-time leader in scoring, rebounds, assists and steals. He is the only player in league history to have multiple assist and scoring titles. He and Harden are the only active players to have led the league in both.
Both, however, have been their best with the ball in their hands, rather than working off a playmaking guard. Harden and Paul ranked first and second in the percentage of their scoring that came unassisted last season. Westbrook in particular has not been an effective range shooter, making fewer than 30 percent of his 3-pointers in four of the past five seasons.
“I think the biggest thing is that they played together,” D’Antoni said. “They know how to play off each other. I think we’ll be in the open court a lot more. Then we’ll try to exploit that and play at a faster pace to try to get to the rim. We’ll be able to spread the floor. If James is kicking to Russ, he can shoot or get to the basket, but we’re going to open the floor up like we always do.”
D’Antoni also cited Westbrook’s strength as an explosive ballhandler. Harden led the NBA and Westbrook
was third in drives per game, but Westbrook led the league by far in assists off drives.
“I think he’ll have a lot more room to get to the rim,” D’Antoni said of Westbrook. “He’s going to find a way to be devastating. He always has. That’s the way great players are. It makes my job a lot easier. We’ll try to maximize their potential and get the most out of everybody on the floor.
“He’s going to help with the rebounding and playing with such athleticism. That’s probably something we missed: the athleticism. He’ll bring that dynamic. He’ll bring a force to the table.
“I want to thank Chris and what he did for the organization and for me personally. He’s going to be sorely missed. At the same time, I'm excited about working with Westbrook and seeing what we can do.”
Considering all the Rockets gave up — from a point guard they called one of the all-time greats to a pair of draft picks that will be lightly protected when Westbrook and Harden are in their mid-30s — they expect to see a lot.
Reflecting on the doubts and successes that came with the Rockets’ previous blockbuster point guard trade, D’Antoni was confident he’ll get it.