Mike D’Antoni appears to be trying to one-up his old Phoenix Suns teams.
Speaking with the media on Friday, the Houston Rockets head coach discussed the kind of pace he wants his offense to have with Russell Westbrook aboard.
“Six seconds or less, baby,” said D’Antoni, per Tim MacMahon of ESPN. “We’re working on it.
MacMahon also noted that the Rockets had 27 fast-break points in their season opener against Milwaukee, matching their most in any game last season. While Houston did lose by the final of 117-111, the Rockets played at a pace factor of 111.5, well over their mark last season of 100.4 (per ESPN).
Of course, D’Antoni revolutionized modern conceptions of NBA offense with his famous “Seven Seconds or Less” style with Steve Nash and the Suns in the 2000s, the point being to get a shot off within seven seconds of the shot clock. He did previously say that his offense wouldn’t change much with Westbrook, but some stylistic tweaks here and there could help the Rockets reach their full potential with the Brodie in tow.
