{"id":38174,"date":"2020-07-04T07:56:00","date_gmt":"2020-07-04T11:56:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ngscsports.com\/?p=38174"},"modified":"2020-08-20T11:48:52","modified_gmt":"2020-08-20T15:48:52","slug":"mike-dantoni-how-will-houston-rockets-fare-in-orlando","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ngscsports.com\/2020\/07\/04\/mike-dantoni-how-will-houston-rockets-fare-in-orlando\/","title":{"rendered":"Mike D\u2019Antoni: How will Houston Rockets fare in Orlando?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n \t<\/i> Read Time:<\/span>7 Minute, 12 Second <\/div>\n\n <\/div>

Seven seconds or less<\/a>. The most polarizing phrase to describe Mike D\u2019Antoni\u2019s head coaching career in the NBA. It all started for the offensive guru in Italy when he became the head coach for Milan in 1990 after a very successful playing career with the club including becoming the club\u2019s all-time leading scorer. He was part of five Italian League and two FIBA Euro league titles. D\u2019Antoni\u2019s style of offense was born once the NBA established the three-point line and he decided to ultimately take advantage of it. Mike D\u2019Antoni had some ups and downs before really making a name for himself when then Phoenix Suns owner Jerry Colangelo was intrigued by the success D\u2019Antoni was having overseas with Benetton Treviso of Italy. D\u2019Antoni was soon hired to be the Suns head coach after a tiny stint as an assistant and the rest was history. Now he\u2019s in the midst of coaching one of the winningest organizations of the past five years in the Houston Rockets with arguably the deadliest backcourt the league has seen in James Harden and Russell Westbrook.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

His tactical and strategic offense is really based upon a couple of factors; an elite ball-handler who is usually the best player on the floor, shooters on the perimeter regardless if they\u2019re 3-D or not, and a heavy dose of pick and roll. The ball handler benefits from the pick and roll because it puts him in a position to either drive to create his own shot or draw the defense in and kick it out to the rolling big man or perimeter shooters. D\u2019Antoni\u2019s offenses have always been up there with the NBA\u2019s league leaders in three-point attempts and makes as the \u201cseven seconds or less\u201d label of D\u2019Antoni\u2019s offense is just a way of showing how up-tempo and fast his offense is through his blueprint and vision.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When the Sun\u2019s signed All-Star point guard Steve Nash in the offseason of 2004, D\u2019Antoni\u2019s offense took off and so did the Suns\u2019 organization. Even prior to the signing of Nash, D\u2019Antoni was brought in as an assistant under Frank Johnson in 2002. In that same season, their team consisted of flashy superstar point guard Stephon Marbury, freakishly athletic star Amare Stoudamire, three-level score first guard Joe Johnson, 3-D threat star Shawn Marion, and an aging injury-plagued Penny Hardaway. The eighth-seeded Suns that year battled the future champ San Antonio Spurs to six games despite an up and down season.<\/span><\/p>\n