Houston Rockets’ pace-and-space
If there’s anything yesterday’s outing proved, it’s that the Rockets under D’Antoni will not be deterred. They believe in advanced metrics that point to efficiency as the single biggest winning factor. Which, in a nutshell, means as many layups and three-
In retrospect, it was only fitting that the Rockets’ match yesterday wound up being decided on a three-point shot launched by top dog James Harden. After all, they had hitherto built their Top Four slate on the strength of their offense from trey territory; heading into the set-to, they launched an average 39 heaves per game (far and away the highest in the National Basketball Association) from beyond the arc, hitting at a 38.3% clip ( good for fourth best) in recognition of both their confidence and head coach Mike D’Antoni’s predilection for the long ball.
Against the Spurs, the Rockets went for the three in 38 of 92 attempts, the out-andin mix just a tad lower than the norm. Unfortunately, they were far from accurate yesterday, making just six for an anemic 15.8%. Still, Harden did not hesitate to pull the trigger following an elaborate stepback sequence in the final play of the contest. He had the green light, and so he went for the kill, even at the Toyota Center; to heck with the traditional notion that, when down by two at home, aiming for the tie is best. The result: a stray shot that found the rim but not the bottom of the net. It was his 10th miss in 11 tries from the area. If there’s anything yesterday’s outing proved, it’s that the Rockets under D’Antoni will not be deterred. They believe in advanced metrics that point to efficiency as the single biggest winning factor. Which, in a nutshell, means as many layups and three-pointers and as few medium-range shots as possible. The competition may change, but the style will not. And to their credit, their bullheadedness has led to success; this time last year, they were struggling to keep their heads above water.
In this regard, the Rockets consider yesterday an aberration. As far as they’re concerned, they figure to do more celebrating than bricklaying. And, no doubt, they’ll strive to be better prepared when they meet the Spurs anew in March. Meanwhile, the pace-and-space
party continues.