Hoops Habit
Fansided

Houston Rockets: Not Worthy of NBA Finals Talk

By Michael Dunlap

Mar 24, 2014; Charlotte, NC, USA; Houston Rockets center forward Dwight Howard (12) in a time out during the second half of the game against the Charlotte Bobcats at Time Warner Cable Arena. Rockets win 100-89. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 24, 2014; Charlotte, NC, USA; Houston Rockets center forward Dwight Howard (12) in a time out during the second half of the game against the Charlotte Bobcats at Time Warner Cable Arena. Rockets win 100-89. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY Sports /
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STARS DISAPPEARING ACT

Feb 12, 2014; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Rockets shooting guard James Harden (13) and center Dwight Howard (12) react after defeating the Washington Wizards 113-112 at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 12, 2014; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Rockets shooting guard James Harden (13) and center Dwight Howard (12) react after defeating the Washington Wizards 113-112 at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports /

One of my pet peeves with superstars is when they feast on poor opposition and disappear when the quality teams come around. The Rockets have suffered this fate, with James Harden as one of the most guilty parties.

Against the Thunder, Harden averages 17.3 points, 6.0 rebounds and 6.7 assists with a shooting line of .370/.278/.867. He posts a minus-12.6 and has a horrific 114 defensive rating. As mentioned earlier, the Rockets are 0-3 against them.

Versus the Clippers, Harden is even worse. He scores 15.0 points with 4.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists, with a line of .340/.105/.733. His offensive rating is 87 and his defensive rating is just 122.

The Rockets might be able to get around that horrific play if Dwight Howard were able to make up for it. Unfortunately, Howard is even worse.

When Howard plays the Thunder, he might as well just stay in the locker room. Dwight averages just 9.7 points and 9.0 rebounds while shooting 34.2 percent from the field and 20(!) percent from the foul line. His plus/minus looks like a typo at minus-30.6. His offensive rating looks more like a good golf round (68).

Things do get a little better against the Clippers, with averages of 19.0 points and 9.3 rebounds. He shoots 60 percent from the field and 50 percent from the foul line. However, his defensive rating of 118 and his minus-23.1 rating erase any of his positive contributions.

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