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I’ve attached my notes from the pod with 2X EuroLeague Champion, 2X NBA COY, 2X Olympic Gold medalist, and friend of the program, Coach Mike D’Antoni!
I've also included a timestamped guide to the episode and a few notes from my pre-show research. Enjoy!
0:00 - 1:03 - Intro
1:03 - 6:57 - Coach D'Antoni's Innovation
6:57 - 14:46 - Empowering Players and Working Toward Their Strengths
14:46 - 21:38 - The Business of Basketball
21:38 - 24:45 - A Quick DG Story and "Role Players"
24:45 - 35:47 - Game Theory Talk
35:47 - 41:46 - Player Stories and Fairly but Not Equally
41:46 - 44:13 - James Harden's Defense
44:13 - 47:51 - Steve Nash's Legacy
47:51 - 1:00:00 - The State of The Game (and Jokic!)
1:00:00 - 1:08:00 - LIGHTNING ROUND!
Innovating Outside The Box:
The true mark of a Mike D'Antoni-coached team was a unique, innovative and "uncommon" style of play for the era.
His Phoenix “seven-second or less teams” have been the subject of books. When teams hesitated to compete against the Kevin Durant version of the Golden State Warriors, his Houston teams assembled the personnel and strategies to push them to the limit.
Houston’s 2018-19 and 2019-20 teams are the top two teams all-time in 3PA per game, not counting this season's teams.
Coach D’Antoni’s 1st HOU Season:
(15-16) Pre-MD: 30.9 3PA
(16-17) Post-MD: 40.3 3PA
That’s a significant 33% increase; the closed team that season to HOU in terms of volume from the three-point line was CLE at 33.9 3PA, about 19% less.
This year's top 3PA team is BOS, at 49 3PA per game; right behind them is CHI, at 42.9 3PA, about 14% less.
Inside his innovative teams were multiple MVP runs of two players who changed how the point guard position is played. Their influence can be seen today on almost any basketball court in the world.
… Steve Nash and James Harden.
Nash won back to back MVPs in his first two years with D’Antoni in PHX. He led the NBA in Assist per game for three straight years in PHX.
Nash & Harden Assist bumps in first season under D’Antoni:
Nash: 8.8 -> 11.5
Harden: 7.5 -> 11.2
Harden finished Top 3 in MVP voting every year under D’Antoni in HOU and won the award during their 2nd year working together.
Harden led the league in Points per game three times and Assist per game once during D’Antoni’s HOU era.
No Second Spectrum data exists to show Nash's evolution from DAL → PHX, but it does for Harden. I looked through the evolution of his numbers with D’Antoni. It is a fascinating look at innovation and the evolution of finding what actions created the highest PPP yield and cracked the defensive shell the most and then leaning into those.
During our conversation, Coach D’Antoni mentioned that the HOU ISO style of basketball wasn’t his preferred approach, but it provided the best chance to win a championship against the GSW challenge they needed to solve. The data behind these HOU teams illustrates the team's offensive profile evaluation.
Harden’s PnR Timeline:
Filtered for 500 min PnRs (Top 106 and 105 players).
(15-16) Pre-MD: 2080 total - 33 Per 100 - 0.967 (15th)
(16-17) Post-MD: 4014 total - 65.8 per 100 - 1.055 (4th)
^^ 790 MORE PnR than last year's leader Jalen Brunson (3224)
Harden’s PnR → ISO Timeline:
(17-18) Year 2:
PnR: 3353 Total - 60 per 100 - 1.020 (18th)
ISO: 922 total - 18 Per 100 - 1.196
(18-19) Year 3:
PnR: 2699 Total - 46.8 Per 100 - 1.063 (4th)
ISO: 1625 Total - 28.2 per 100 - 1.167
Shifting these PnR actions into ISO actions generated more PPP for HOU and forced opposing defenses to develop strategies that only emerged when facing HOU. Teams didn’t have the opportunity to practice these coverages from night to night against other NBA.
Harden, D’Antoni, and HOU developed a unique system that set them apart from others at the time and gave them an advantage in nearly every PO series.
Coach D’Antoni articulated it perfectly during our conversation:
“My mindset was always to make them adjust to us.”
Audio Version:
If you happen to prefer an audio version of conversation with Coach D’Antoni then you you can check it out here. Subscribe where you get your podcasts!
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Thank You Coach D’Antoni, from Marzie!!
Coach, you might not know this, but my name, Marzie, is short for the famous San Marzano Tomato. It’s the best tomato in the world and the only way to make a simple yet delicious Pomodoro, the most pawwwwfect pasta dish in the world.
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