Sports Biz has always focused primarily on the business aspect of the sports industry. But as of late, I couldn’t help but break down one of the hottest NBA teams that has really intensified its pursuit to dethrone the defending champs. They go by the name of Houston Rockets and they have shattered all kinds of records this season with their 3 point shooting.
The 2017-18 NBA season has been off to a hot start so far with multiple teams streaking for wins. The Boston Celtics started off the season with a 16 game win streak after losing Gordon Hayward to one of the most gruesome injuries ever seen. The Cleveland Cavaliers recently lost to the Indiana Pacers ending their win streak at 13. Enter- Houston Rockets. This team has been on an absolute tear lately by winning 20 of its last 23 games. They had their 14 game win streak snapped by the Los Angeles Lakers, but the 14 game win streak has opened eyes all around the league. Critics already knew that the Rockets were going to be good, but no one expected them to be floating on top of the defending champs, Golden State Warriors, with the best record in the NBA at 25-6.
One of the biggest reasons behind the Rockets’ success is the dynamic duo of James Harden and Chris Paul. When the trade between Houston and Los Angeles took place over the offseason to bring Chris Paul to H-Town, many pompous “experts” claimed that two ball-dominant players would never learn how to co-exist on the same team. The red-hot Rockets are proving doubters wrong and the only stat that truly matters right now is that the Rockets are 14-0 when Chris Paul is on the floor. Let me simplify that statement for you- Chris Paul has yet to lose a game as a Houston Rocket and we are almost halfway done with the season! The Rockets ended their 14 game win streak as soon as Chris Paul left the game midway through the 3rd quarter against the Los Angeles Lakers due to injury. James Harden and Chris Paul are averaging 49.6 points a game this season as a backcourt which combines for 43% of the Houston Rockets offense. This exceeds the 47.1 points per game average that Steph Curry and Klay Thompson combine for in Golden State! Experts still claim Steph and Klay are the best backcourt in the NBA and that is because of their proven success over the years and repeated NBA Finals appearances. It is just a matter of time until the same can be claimed about James Harden and Chris Paul in the coming years.
On every team that Chris Paul has been a part of, he has proven to be the face of that franchise. There aren’t many players in the history of the game that could be categorized as equivalent to CP3’s leadership, ball-handling skills, and ability to spread the floor. With the addition of Chris Paul, James Harden can actually focus on producing for the team without playing a ridiculous 40+ minutes each game. It might not seem like a big deal in the regular season, but come playoff time, a well rested superstar can cause destruction if he has the energy to (unlike the Western Conference Semifinals last year where a fatigued James Harden was nonexistent in Game 6 vs the Spurs). Scott Rafferty from the Contributor mentions, “The difference this season is they have Chris Paul, a nine-time All-Star who shares the floor with Harden for about 20 minutes per game and then takes over as the primary creator for almost a quarter’s worth of minutes when Harden is on the bench. The combination means the Rockets can have one of the best point guards in the league running their offense at all times, seeing as Harden returns the favor by playing 14.7 minutes per game with Paul on the bench, and it’s helping them reach peak Moreyball. As he has proven time and time again in his career, Paul can create scoring opportunities for himself as well as anyone in the league. Almost all of his baskets without Harden on the floor this season have been unassisted, which is made all the more impressive by Paul shooting 54.9 percent from the field and 46.7 percent from the perimeter in those situations. He can score at all three levels, and he’s having a career year around the basket.” The Rockets are basically blowing starting lineups out of the building, then feasting on second units when either Harden or Paul rests, and they’re only on the bench together for a couple of minutes per game, which is usually when the game is way out of reach. The constant pounding of opponents is why this dynamic duo is rapidly becoming potentially one of the greatest backcourts the NBA has ever seen! Somewhere in the Toyota Center, this is how Daryl Morey really feels right now-
So far this season, the Rockets have shattered all kinds of 3 point shooting records. They average 43.1 3-point shot attempts each game, which is the highest usage of the 3 point shot in NBA history. They make an average of 16 3-pointers each game which combines for 37.1% 3-point shooting on the season. They are making an overall 46.9% of their shots and they are also a significantly better free throw shooting team this season at 79.9%. With the perfect 1-2 punch, a 2-time MVP runner-up candidate, a current MVP favorite, reigning 6th Man of the Year, and reigning Coach of the Year, this team is ready for liftoff come playoff time. Stephen A. Smith claims that the Houston Rockets are the only team in the NBA with a “puncher’s chance” to compete with the Golden State Warriors in a 7 game series considering its style of play. Yes, it is still the regular season and the real test begins in the playoffs. However, if the Rockets keep playing at this pace, the best is yet to come when its time for the stars to shine.
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