After seeing the Los Angeles Lakers attempt a unique defensive strategy trying to guard James Harden during his 51-point performance, Houston Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni had a funny reaction.
When asked by reporters about the Lakers players putting their hands behind their back to avoid being called for a foul while defending James Harden, D’Antoni let it be known that no defensive strategy will stop Harden.
D’Antoni on the Lakers defending Harden with hands behind backs: "We’ve done it a couple times. That's cute. Doesn't mean anything. You're not going to be able to guard him with your hands out or with your hands behind you. Put them anyplace you want. It’s not going to happen.”
— Jonathan Feigen (@Jonathan_Feigen) December 14, 2018
D’Antoni certainly isn’t wrong about there really being no answer to stopping Harden. The 29-year-old leads the NBA in points per game (30.8) and has averaged over 33 points per game in his past 10 contests.
Of course, the Rockets still find themselves under .500 and outside the playoff picture in the Western Conference. So, perhaps D’Antoni needs to evaluate his own team’s defensive strategy and fix it before he pokes fun at a team with a winning record.