D'Antoni holds high hopes for Harden-led Houston

After reconfiguration on and off the court over the summer, the Houston Rockets are preparing to exceed expectations, boasting a fast-paced offense spearheaded by leader James Harden.

Deflated by its 4-1 first-round elimination at the hands of the Golden State Warriors in last year's playoffs, the Rockets regrouped in the off season by releasing All-Star center Dwight Howard to the Atlanta Hawks and hiring Mike D'Antoni as the new head coach, hoping to re-establish its identity as an aggressively offensive team that also values defense.

D'Antoni, who built a reputation as an offense-oriented coach after guiding the Phoenix Suns to an average of 58 wins per season from 2004 to 2008, said he has all he needs in place for a breakthrough season.