Houston Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni was in a jovial mood on Tuesday’s Zoom conference call with media members, and he even threw in a light-hearted jab at his own team along the way.
D’Antoni was asked by a reporter whether he would try and coach at the NBA’s restart location in Florida while maintaining six feet of separation from players. That figure, of course, represents the recommended distance from other people under U.S. social distancing guidelines.
“That’s how we guard, anyways,” D’Antoni replied with a smirk.
Houston ranked No. 2 in the NBA in offensive rating before this season’s COVID-19 hiatus, but only No. 16 on defense. Thus, as James Harden and Russell Westbrook‘s Rockets (40-24) make their push for a title, it’s very clear where they have the most room for improvement.
Later in Tuesday’s conversation, D’Antoni was asked whether he believes the Rockets play their best defense against better opponents. He replied:
Do I believe in the numbers against better teams? Yeah, because they have our attention. And a lot of the mistakes that we make are either we just don’t pay attention, we got bored, [or] we try to outscore them.
D’Antoni pointed to playoff series in 2018 and 2019 against eventual Western Conference champion Golden State as evidence of Houston’s ability to play excellent defense — when motivated. He said:
Let’s take past years — when Golden State came here and we had to defend, most of our games were in the 90s. So we have the ability. I get frustrated because we don’t do it all the time.
They’ve got to gear up to be the best defensive team in Orlando. We can do it. We’ll see if we will.
As of early March, just days before the season’s hiatus, the Rockets had the best record against winning teams in the Western Conference. However, they’ve also had a handful of brutal losses to non-playoff teams such as Detroit, New York, Sacramento, Phoenix, Charlotte, Golden State, and San Antonio, with the latter a game they led by 22 points.
Clearly, intensity on the defensive end of the floor has been a big part of the problem. After a March 2 loss to the Knicks, GM Daryl Morey chalked up their inconsistency to having one of the NBA’s oldest rosters. He said:
The advantage we have, we have a team of guys all over the age of 30. We’re the oldest team in the league. The only thing they haven’t accomplished is winning the title. That’s the good thing. They’re very focused in big games.
I think, maybe one of those things that’s negative is on nights when they’re playing one of the bad teams. It’s a little bit hard when you’re over 30 to say, ‘I’m going to get up for this game, when I know it’s just a Monday night regular season game against a team in the lottery.’
I don’t want that to be an excuse. We’re frustrated by it. But the reality is, I think that’s what goes on.
If that’s the case, the format of the NBA’s 22-team restart could benefit the Rockets. The league’s worst eight teams are not taking part, and there are only eight games left before the playoffs — in which every game inherently draws a much higher degree of intensity and focus.
D’Antoni also has a pair of veteran newcomers in DeMarre Carroll and Luc Mbah a Moute with significant defensive pedigree, should he believe the Rockets need a talent upgrade on that end of the floor. The unusual training camp late in the regular season, owing to the league’s extended COVID-19 stoppage, gives D’Antoni an opportunity to better integrate those newcomers in a way that he could not in a normal season.
D’Antoni and the Rockets are set to depart Houston for Orlando on Thursday, with Saturday representing their first practice as a team since the season’s suspension on March 12.
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The Rockets are scheduled to host their first team practice in Orlando on Saturday at 3:30 pm ET. #OneMission
— Cayleigh Griffin (@cayleighgriffin) July 8, 2020