James Harden’s debut on the Nets – after he was acquired in a mid-week megadeal – was a brilliant 32-point triple-double in the 122-115 victory over Magic. And it is increasingly clear that the defeats that took Harden from Houston to Brooklyn were not just in the playoffs, but the losses of Rockets’ head coach Mike D’Antoni and general manager Daryl Morey.
After the Rockets were eliminated in the NBA bubble in early September, they parted ways with D’Antoni. The trainer who helped shape Harden into a three-time scoring champion ended up in Brooklyn as an assistant and mentor to new coach Steve Nash. Morey, the GM who brought Harden to Houston, set out to become president of the 76ers.
Both men argued for a meeting with Harden. And it was D’Antoni who eventually caught him, and he will have an embarrassment of wealth as the offensive coordinator of a Grande 3 by Harden, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.
“Yes, when Daryl and Mike left, I leaned back and reevaluated everything. These are two guys with whom I felt very comfortable and the organization’s decision-making ”, said Harden. “After they left, I had to find out if this organization was entering a reconstruction stage or if they were still trying to compete at the highest level.
“[D’Antoni] it was a part of that. Mike is an incredible coach. He’s been doing this for a long, long time. Obviously, Mike is a factor. Being comfortable with him being comfortable with Kevin, knowing Kyrie, just those four pieces there made everything easier. Obviously, they were in Brooklyn, for me it was a no-brainer. “
Harden’s troubled past alongside Chris Paul, Russel Westbrook and John Wall has led many to say that he cannot coexist with other stars. But his 14 assists on Saturday – in a Nets win by 122-115, in which Durant scored 42 points – indicate that he can.
Harden’s last coach is also Nash’s mentor and has experience with superstars and super teams. And as much as Durant pushed GM Sean Marks and the rest of the office to get Harden, it looks like D’Antoni supported him too.
“It is certainly beneficial to have Mike,” said Marks, whose legacy will be determined by this business. “He’s someone who knows James very well and has trained him for the past few years, for sure.”
Nash may have even more pressure on him and will certainly hear from D’Antoni, who coached him with the Suns and Lakers.
“[D’Antoni is] an invaluable resource. It would be silly not to trust Mike because of all his experience with James and his familiarity and what James likes and how he works best, ”said Nash. “So, these are conversations I’m going to have with James, which we will all have as a group. And Mike, with his vision and his relationship with James, is priceless. “
A negative relationship also played a role in the Nets landing Harden.
The owner of the rockets, Tilman Fertitta, is believed to be totally opposed to the exchange of Harden for Morey. There was resentment after Morey left Houston to become president of basketball operations for the 76ers, and the Rockets demanded Ben Simmons, Matisse Thybulle, two draft choices (and possibly Tyrese Maxey) to even consider negotiating Harden for Philadelphia. .
The 76ers were so certain that they had closed a deal that Simmons and Thybulle were informed by their agents of an expected transaction, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer. But after Marks made his proposal, the Rockets never called the 76ers back for a counter offer, essentially playing Philadelphia to get Brooklyn’s best possible offer.
“There were a few other teams involved as well. I could have gone crazy, ”said Harden. “As bad as it may seem on the outside, internally they worked with me and made sure I ended up here.”