When the Oklahoma City Thunder sent Russell Westbrook to the Houston Rockets, Houston immediately became home to two of the most ball-dominant players in the league. Fans immediately questioned whether Westbrook could fit in with fellow former MVP James Harden with only one basketball on the court.
Rockets head coach Mike D'Antoni attempted to assuage these fears by claiming that the two can make it work.
“If the superstars want to play together, then they will make it work,” D'Antoni said on the Woj Pod (via Dan Feldman of NBC Sports).
“To be able to win a title now, you have to get superstars together — and whether it’s two or three or how many else you can get. And then it becomes a chemistry. Because everybody’s ball-dominant. When you’re a superstar, you’ve been the main guy for sure. Now, you’ve got to make it work. And sometimes personalities, it doesn’t work. Sometimes, it works for a while. Sometimes, it’s hard to manage, sometimes. Again, if they’re not on the same page totally 100 percent, I think the organization has to look and see what’s best for the organization.”
Obviously, the coach has confidence in his ability to fit these two stars together. However, it will be no easy task. One of the two guards will have to spend significantly less time on the court with the ball on their hands.
If D'Antoni can convince them to buy in, the Rockets could become one of the most dangerous teams in the league with its MVP-caliber backcourt.
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