D’Antoni weighs in on Harden
Coach says efficiency is polarizing to some
CLEVELAND — Having long since thought he had exhausted his supply of commentary to sufficiently praise performances that would seem indisputably evident, Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni at first did not try. The bar was set too high.
D’Antoni pointed out that on a night James Harden scored 55 points, he sealed Wednesday’s 116110 win over the Cavaliers with a stop and a pass, switching to cut off Jordan Clarkson and force a turnover, then leading a break that ended with a P.J. Tucker corner 3. D’Antoni offered commendation of Harden’s defense in an argument against the “narrative” he said many still wish to perpetuate.
It seemed unnecessary to point out that somebody averaging 38.5 points (nearly eight more than anyone else) while facing defenses that a myriad of opposing coaches
say they’ve never seen employed against one player has been at least remarkable. Yet when Harden had his fourth 50-point game of the season Wednesday, one shy of the rest of the NBA combined (and the 22nd 50point game of his career, placing him fourth all-time), D’Antoni was again invited to characterize what he witnessed.
“I’ve become used to it,” D’Antoni said, perhaps unintentionally capturing why Harden’s scoring can be overlooked or even diminished. “I mean, if it was the first time, it would be, ‘Wow, look at that.’ But he’s done it for — this is my fourth year, so he’s done it for four years. The moment is big; he gets bigger. He’s incredible, no doubt.”
Others, however, argue. To be sure, opposing coaches and players are effusive in commending Harden’s play and impact. Nothing said can speak as loudly as the actions of the defenses used to stop him. But with so much ongoing chatter and frequent rebuke, from former players to social media experts, D’Antoni can find something familiar in the criticism.
“I just think because he plays a little bit different way, a lot of people, basketball purists, (say) you have to move the ball, you have to do this, you have to do that, because no one like James has ever been this efficient,” D’Antoni said. “It’s different. Sometimes when you’re different, you’re polarizing.
“Some people like it. Some people can’t stand it. A lot of people love it. But there’s so many voices that we hear a lot of negatives. And we haven’t won a championship. At the end of the day, until we win a championship, they are right — to a degree.”
There was a time even Michael Jordan was doubted when it was said that the league’s top scorer could not win a title, with perhaps no argument ever more thoroughly defeated. (Jordan won six.) Yet D’Antoni has experience with the pushback that comes with being different. In his case, a style once scorned has become mimicked, offering at least some vindication.
In hindsight, D’Antoni has often said, he should have gone even more with his then-revolutionary beliefs when he helped change NBA offenses, having held back because of the criticism. The reaction to Harden’s scoring and style includes no such self-doubts.
“A lot of it is similar,” D’Antoni said. “It’s too bad, because what he’s doing is amazing, period. Whether we win a championship or not — a lot of things go into that; we’re going to put everything into that; there’s a lot of factors — but no matter what, we can’t dispute how efficient, how good, how he has changed … or I don’t know if he is has really changed anything because nobody else can do what he’s doing.
“They double-team, boxand-one. To average almost 40 points per game is mindboggling. And that’s offensively. Defensively, he’s really good. He’s really good at coming up with steals. He’s disruptive..
“You add all that together, the criticism can’t be too loud. You might not like it. You might prefer some other way. He hasn’t won a championship yet. I get it.
“You sit back and look at what he’s doing. It’s incredible.”