The Houston Rockets — after cruising past the Sacramento Kings — have won, for the first time since the 1996-97 season (14-1), at least 12 out of their first 15 games (12-3). With a projected record of 64-18, it’s time to take the Rockets seriously and look at what has driven their great start to the current season, their defense.
Shortly after being regarded as one of the worst defenses in the league, the Houston-based Rockets have stepped it up on defense allowing them to have, not only a great record but the league’s second-best defense per points per game allowed, 91.7. They trail the San Antonio Spurs‘ defense by 0.4 points per game allowed, 91.3.
No small feat for a team in which James Harden, former owner of the league’s most atrocious defense, averages a sixth-in-the-league 37.2 minutes per game.
The Houston Rockets defense has improved in an astounding way. It was only a year ago that they allowed 105.6 points per game through the first 14 games of the season. Up to this day, the Rockets have allowed 14 percent less points per game.
As expected, the main reason for this improvement is Dwight Howard being back, or closer than ever, to his Orlando Magic days. However, this was exactly what genius/general manager Daryl Morey was betting on before snatching Howard from the Los Angeles Lakers prior to the 2013-14 season.
No surprise there.
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In fact, it is James Harden (!!!) and Rockets’ Plan B Trevor Ariza which have, rather unexpectedly, propelled the Rockets’ defense into NBA’s elite. Harden is holding opposing three-point shooters to a 27.9 percent mark, which represents a significant improvement from the 2013-14 season’s 35.3 percent. Also, his disconnected-controller defense has helped the Rockets allow one-point less per game with Harden on the floor (91.5 and 92.5 respectively).
Somehow, the biggest surprise comes from former Washington Wizard Trevor Ariza who is having an amazing year on both sides of the floor. Ariza landed in Houston after the Rockets’ whiffed on Chris Bosh, Carmelo Anthony, (briefly) LeBron James and failed to keep rising star Chandler Parsons. However, as much as a Plan B as he was, the Rockets are sure glad he got there.
With Trevor Ariza on the floor, the Rockets are holding their opponents to 5.8 points per game LESS than with him off the court (90.3 and 96.1, respectively). If you were to compare those numbers to Parsons’, the Dallas Mavericks are allowing roughly 3.0 points per game less with him off the court (100.7 with, 97.5 without).
Also, the Rockets have a +10 Net Rating and an Effective Field Goal Percentage of 51.2 percent with Ariza on the floor. Without him, those numbers drop to -6.9 and 45.5 percent, respectively.
Even with defensive anchor Dwight Howard missing some important games early on (Golden State Warriors — Loss, Los Angeles Lakers — Loss, Dallas Mavericks — Win, New York Knicks — Win) and through somewhat of an easy schedule, the Rockets’ defense has performed at an amazing level by holding each of those teams to 93.5 points per game.
With Howard likely to keep missing games with a knee injury, it is their depth that will keep their defensive commitment afloat.