NBA
James Harden Got His Due
James Harden is essentially the perennial first or second runner up in all things NBA. He has to be tired of being in the shadows of LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Stephen Curry. Until the NBA Awards this season, Harden possessed neither a championship or MVP trophy. Finally, that partially changed when he was voted the NBA’s Most Valuable Player. Now that he has checked that box, what lies next for the reigning league MVP? I assume he wants more than a mere MVP encore. Harden wants it all!
Houston’s Big Three
For the past four seasons, Harden has played offensive basketball at its highest level, easily capable of winning the MVP each season based on his individual performances. He was held off by historical achievements by Curry and Russell Westbrook in three consecutive years, but he finally received his due this year. He led the Houston Rockets to an NBA best 65-17 record. He boasted a league leading 30.4 points, 8.8 assists, and 5.4 rebounds, while leading the league in Player Efficiency.
Harden linked with new backcourt buddy Chris Paul and rising young center Clint Capela easily looked like the best team in the league when all three were healthy and playing together. The Rockets big 3 were a mind boggling 43-3 when playing together. I’m no math wiz, but that’s a staggering 93% winning percentage!
An Inevitable Clash Of The Titans
With their core healthy for the playoffs, the Rockets easily dismantled the disappointing eight seed Minnesota Timberwolves in five games in the first round. In the second round, they encountered a surprisingly, feisty Utah Jazz club, led by the dazzling rookie phenom Donovan Mitchell. However, they sent the Jazz packing in five games as well. This placed Harden, Paul and the Rockets on a highly anticipated collision course with the indomitable Golden State Warriors.
The Blueprint For Beating the Warriors Revealed Itself
The Rockets lost game one by the score of 119-106, with the Warriors looking like their usual efficient selves. However, their offensive minded head coach Mike D’Antoni saw something. The Rockets have a roster that is unique in the NBA. They have two all world guards in Harden and Paul, along with a super sixth man in Eric Gordon.
All of them possess the prowess to create their own shot off the dribble and are physically overpowering to slightly built and shaky-ankled Curry. As a team, they also possess great defensive switching ability, as Capela is one of the best big man perimeter defenders in the NBA. He’s capable of moving his feet effectively against the Warriors perimeter assassins.
The offseason additions of Mbah a Moute and PJ Tucker along with Ariza provided tough defenders to counter the Warriors firepower. After taking the initial blow, D’Antoni and Co. made the adjustment in game two.
They Smelled Blood
The Warriors have four top notch defenders on their roster in Draymond Green, Klay Thompson, Andre Iguodala, and surprisingly Durant. Because of these guys, they are able to hide Curry from great scorers. With Iguodala going down, it only left Green, Thompson, and Durant.
The Rockets saw this and effectively moved the ball until they found a one on one matchup with Curry. Once in their sites, they pounced him like a lion pounces on an injured gazelle. It.Was.Brutal. Over the years, I have noticed the easiest way to slow down the Warriors is to get Steph Curry in early foul trouble.
He is essentially forced to the bench or becomes less aggressive with the ball. Whatever the case, he’s not the same dynamo he is when playing worry free. The Rockets consistently kept players on the floor who could constantly attack him. Paul had Curry on skates!
Turning The Tide
The Rockets overwhelmed the Warriors in game two using this tactic. The series wws tied. The Warriors found themselves in the friendly confines of home and returned the favor in game three.
Now down 2-1, the Rockets redeployed its Steph Curry stategy and stepped up the defensive intensity. They emphasized switching everything defensively and it helped even the series. The series was tied 2-2 heading back to Houston.
We all know basketball is a game of runs, but it was here where we saw the importance of Paul. Whenever the Rockets began to look like its former playoff self, Paul essentially took the reigns and pulled the Rockets out of a slump by beating his man time and time again.
“Chris is the obvious difference in their team…They’ve been really good the last few years, but he gives them a new dimension that they haven’t had before.”
– Warriors Coach, Steve Kerr
Chris Paul Was Here For It All…Until He Wasn’t
Heading back to Houston for game five, many thought the Warriors would easily win the next two and finish the series in six games. However, the Rockets didn’t get the memo. Paul dazzled during the close game. His hail mary three pointer and subsequent shimmy against Curry was epic. However, before the game would end, Paul attempted a shot, landed awkwardly, and stayed on the floor. He was taken out of the game, and most knew it meant trouble for the Rockets. Nevertheless, the Rockets prevailed and now held a surprising 3-2 lead against the team many proclaim daily as invincible.
Stay Woke
The Rockets did something that countered every Durant and Warriors super team hater’s perception. They demonstrated the Warriors were beatable. Ironically, Curry was their proverbial Achilles’ heel. However, the Paul-less Rockets returned to Oakland to lose in a blowout. His absense was sorely felt.
Houston Has Another Problem
Their only hope was that Harden could muster enough juice to pull out a game seven heroic performance back in the Toyota Center to close out the Warriors. Harden produced 32 points, six assists, and six rebs. At one point, the Rockets commanded a 15 point lead over the defending champs. However, that wouldn’t be enough. The Rockets clammed up and went through a historic three pointer drought.
As the saying goes, you live by the three and you die by the three. The Rockets missed 27 straight three pointers. It was an epic meltdown that goes back into the Paul factor. It’s hard to believe that happens if Paul was available to play.
What Next?
After the devastating NBA Western Confererence Finals Game Seven loss, the Rockets faced major questions heading into the offseason. Could they keep Capela in the fold with their available cap space? Which free agent acquisition could they make to push them over the top? What other unknowns were there? All of those questions have been answered.
Run It Back!!
Capela is back in the fold, signing a 5 year, $90 million deal. They lost 3 and D specialists in Trevor Ariza and Luc Mbah a Moute in free agency. They will likely be gain former scoring superstar Carmelo Anthony. They will lose defensive prowess in Ariza and Mbah a Moute, but the Rockets are banking on Anthony’s offensive game will help. Despite the LeBron James and Los Angeles Lakers hype, the Rockets are the premiere team in the West built to beat the Warriors.
When the Rockets go with a small lineup, here’s the projected version of it.
C: Clint Capela
PF: Carmelo Anthony
SG: Eric Gordon
SG: James Harden
PG: Chris Paul
D’Antoni has some good basketball brewing in Houston. There is definitely unfinished business for Harden, Paul and crew. In the words of Paul, “Run It Back!”
UNFINISHED BUSINESS…RUN IT BACK ??? pic.twitter.com/KwWcsp6lx6
— Chris Paul (@CP3) July 1, 2018
