Even after a major roster change, Houston Rockets head coach Mike D'Antoni claims that he will not be changing the team's strategy much this offseason. In fact, he claims critics of the team's system are full of it:
“We're not changing much,” D'Antoni said on the “The Woj Pod” while discussing the addition of Westbrook. “We'll tweak it, but to say you've gotta change and you can't win that way, that's B.S.”
Clearly, D'Antoni thinks the Rockets run and gun offense is suited for Westbrook already. Even though he is a very different player than Chris Paul was, the coach thinks that Westbrook can help the offense run effectively in different ways.
Additionally, the Rockets roster has not changed much aside for the one major swap. Clint Capela, Eric Gordon, P.J. Tucker, and Gerald Green have all returned to make another run. Center Tyson Chandler has been added to the mix. Essentially, the team will show what it is capable of with Westbrook replacing Paul in the starting lineup.
One red flag is that the Rockets offense relies heavily on three-point shooting, something Westbrook has struggled with. He is not even close to the spot-up shooter CP3 is.
However, the Rockets also focus on easy lay-ups and dunks, most easily found in transition. Westbrook is king of transitioning his teams in to transition at a lightning-quick pace.
We'll have to wait until the season begins to see if D'Antoni's claim is correct or the critics will be proven right.
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