Balance makes wins come easy
Despite injuries, roster remains a cohesive unit yielding success
NEW YORK — The Rockets happily discussed the defensive improvements and offensive harmony they believed were essential to their recent surge and Saturday night’s 120-88 mauling of the Cleveland Cavaliers.
They might not have realized they were describing much more.
They might have even explained the difference between a team on the rise to the uppermost echelon of the NBA and the team that had been there now falling rapidly.
“It’s a team,” coach Mike D’Antoni said. “Everybody’s bought in. Good guys. The locker room’s good. There’s ups and downs during the year, but they’re sticking together. Things are good.
“We’re trying to still get better, the communication stuff on defense and trying to eliminate the mistakes. We still make mistakes. But they’re trying. They’re talking about it. People are comfortable with their roles. And we’ll start getting some guys back here pretty soon.”
The Rockets point to their improvement defensively as key to more than winning eight of 10 games. They have said it has also triggered their offense by allowing them to get in the open court where their combination of range shooting, high-speed and rim-running center Clint Capela, all under the control of playmakers James Harden and Chris Paul, has been more effective.
Finding a rhythm
In the 10-game stretch since Luc Mbah a Moute returned from a shoulder injury, with Harden coming back from his hamstring injury a game later, the Rockets have ranked fifth defensively, moving to eighth overall this season.
“It’s getting there,” Paul said of the improving defense. “It can still get better. But we’re progressing.
“That’s what’s fun about this process. We’re building, adding little things in. Obviously, there’s going to be hiccups here and there. We’re progressing.”
Much of that progress might come from the growing chemistry, more often thought to be a key to an offense built out of new parts. The Rockets’ switches and rotations are nearly seamless and consistent.
Offensively, since Paul returned from a groin injury in December and Harden came back from his injured hamstring in January, the Rockets have approached the balance between their guards going one-on-one, where Harden is first and Paul third in scoring, and the ball movement that dominated the Cavaliers.
“That’s the stuff we constantly talk about,” Paul said. “And that’s true with our coaching staff. They just allow us to play so free in our minds. It’s a fun way to play.”
Filling in the gaps
There is nothing new about the green light that comes with being a shooter in D’Antoni’s offense. The Rockets were built to play that way, with the majority of the rotation added in the two seasons since D’Antoni pressed the accelerator on the Rockets’ see-it, 3-it philosophy. But since the Rockets struggled with December’s injuries, they added one player suited to that role, with Gerald Green a key to overcoming the absences as they did not in December.
Trevor Ariza has missed the past three games, Eric Gordon all but 10 minutes of that stretch, with Gordon expected to play Tuesday in Brooklyn. But with Green fitting into the Rockets’ style around Harden and Paul, the Rockets have not been as short-handed as they were when Mbah a Moute and Paul were out in December and the Rockets went into a tailspin.
This time, since Ariza was hurt in the first minute of one game and Gordon left in the first half of the next, the Rockets have put together a four-game winning streak and a run at the Warriors, moving to within a game (in the loss column) for the best record in the NBA.
The loss of the two players who have played the next-most minutes after Harden, was significant. But the Rockets were deeper and better prepared in less obvious ways for the challenge.
With the Rockets coming together, rather than falling apart with the injuries, Paul said there was “a spirit” driving the Rockets, one he said is difficult to explain, but easy for players to feel and recognize.
He did not intend to offer a comparison to the team the Rockets had blown out, but the contrast was striking.
A roster in sync
Through all the injuries and changes, the Rockets had emerged in sync, understanding the way they need to play and the roles they need to fill.
They look as they did during the 14-game winning streak — with D’Antoni warning “We have to be careful about being too complacent.” — but with the confidence that comes with overcoming obstacles.
“That’s the benefit of having a team like we have,” forward Ryan Anderson said. “We have guys who were brought here for a reason. We have guys that know their role. (Saturday), we executed, played really well, played our roles the best we can. It shows how good we can be.”