NBA: Too much iso-ball from the Rockets? Coach D’Antoni defends himself

Mike D’Antoni, Head Coach of the Houston Rockets, does not want to change his game plan for Game 2 against the Golden State Warriors. Recently, criticism of the Rockets’ isolation-heavy game became loud, but the coach wiped this criticism off the table.

They say,’Oh, my God, they isolate, that’s all they do.’ That’s not true,” D’Antoni explained after a training session. “They say we don’t fit, everybody just stands. Really? Haven’t you seen the 82 games?”

The Rockets lost game 1 with 106:119 and actually relied very much on insulations. Houston isolated a whopping 45 times, five more than any other game this season and more than any team in the last five years.

However, it was also efficient, as James Harden alone could generate 25 points (9/12 FG) from this move. He committed two more fouls and only one turnover.

“That was the best we had. I don’t know what’s wrong with it,’ D’Antoni wondered about the criticism. “Perception is not reality. This is in the numbers and they were good. Of course we had some shot clock violations, that happens sometimes. We’re not perfect, but the numbers say we’re pretty good.”

However, MDA also admitted that the ball must run a little smoother in Game 2 and role-players like Trevor Ariza must be more involved. D’Antoni also sees a lot of potential in the defense, where Houston made too many concentration mistakes.

Game 2 of the series takes place on the night from Wednesday to Thursday in Houston (live from 3 am on DAZN).