Rockets coach D'Antoni says James Harden's position is 'points guard'

Because he's going to score a lot of points

As coach of the Houston Rockets, Mike D'Antoni is going to install his fast, pick-and-roll-centric, three-point-heavy offense. Instead of Steve Nash handling the ball, though, it will be James Harden toying with defenses, getting to the free throw line and finding open shooters. Nash and Harden are totally different types of players, but D'Antoni confirmed on Monday that Harden will essentially function as a point guard, per Fox 26's Mark Berman.

D'Antoni added that Harden can be called a "points guard. 'Cause he's going to score some points."

Mike D'Antoni says James Harden will control the offense like a point guard but @JHarden13 should be jokingly called a "points guard." pic.twitter.com/VwhBgeBNSA

— Mark Berman (@MarkBermanFox26) September 26, 2016

This is the perfect way to think about Harden's role. He'll have the ball in his hands as much as just about any point guard, but his job is not to worry about how many touches everybody else is getting. His job is to score first and then, when defenses swarm him, to think about creating open looks for others. D'Antoni's system is basically the same as what the Rockets have been doing for years, anyway, so it's not like this will be a huge adjustment.