Mike D’Antoni calls out Rockets’ ‘soft’ defense
The Houston Rockets are 35-15, but that doesn’t mean head coach Mike D’Antoni is happy with every aspect of their play.
D’Antoni called out the Rockets’ defensive effort after a 123-118 win over Philadelphia, saying it needs to get better.
“Defensively, we’re soft sometimes, just soft,” D’Antoni said, via Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. “Soft on switches. We don’t get up on people. We’re soft in the moments that win the game. We have to get tougher.
“It’s just being soft mentally, not getting up into people. If we want to be good, we have to be better than that.”
Even when the Rockets were on a winning streak, they were giving up over 110 points per game, a trend that has continued for the last 20 games. D’Antoni teams have always been known for offense over defense, but this is particularly unsustainable, as a recent dry spell – during which the coach has had to use a couple jokes for levity – has proven.
