Rockets Blazing
the addition of AllStar point guard Chris Paul to a team that already had James Harden, we knew the Rockets were going to be good. What we didn’t expect is that they were going to be so good that they can actually threaten the Golden State Warriors’ dominance in the Western Conference. Nearly a third into the season, the Rockets have the best record in the league ( 22- 4) and are currently riding an 11- game winning streak. They have been waylaying opponents by an average of 17 points during this run.
Of course, much of the Rockets’ success can be attributed to the league’s leading scorer James Harden who is churning out 31.6 points, 9.4 assists (2nd in the league), 5.1 rebounds, and 1.88 steals (5th). He is also shooting a career high 40.2% from deep. Harden hasn’t slowed down and is making another good case for the MVP award.
His running mate Chris Paul missed a month due to injuries but now that he is back, the Rockets are at full throttle. During this winning streak, Paul has been great averaging 17.2 points and 9.5 assists. His presence has allowed Harden to rest for stretches with Paul leading the second unit which includes Eric Gordon, P.J. Tucker, and big man Nene. The Rockets have more depth this year allowing their starters to rest and remain fresh.
It is interesting to note that Paul is yet to lose in a Rockets uniform and it seems likely that he will remain “unbeaten” in the next few games at the very least.
Like last year, the Rockets are one of the league’s best offenses scoring 114 points per game. The difference this year is that they boast of one of the leading defenses in the league. Last season, they were the 26 out of 30 in points allowed. This season, they have moved up 14 places to rank 12 in league defense. They also have the best differential winning by an average of more than 11 points per game.
Outside of their two superstars, the emergence of Clint Capela is also a big factor in the Rockets’ resurgence. He is averaging career- highs in points (13.7) and rebounds ( 11) despite only playing 25 minutes per game as he shares the center position with veteran Nene. Capela has been so effective that he is No. 2 in the entire league in point production after receiving a pass from a pickand roll. This is where he gets all those dunks from Harden or Paul. This is also the reason why he leads the NBA in field goal percentage making a whopping 68% of his shots.
Indeed, the Rockets are built to contend since they have all the elements to succeed in today’s fast- paced NBA. They have two of the best ball handlers and passers, 7 shooters to space the floor, athletic bigs, and importantly, a coach that pioneered what is today considered the most popular offense in the league – position-less offense that relies on a high pick and roll with shooters spread across the floor.
raffyrledesma@yahoo.