Houston Rockets: 5 Reasons They Could Be Western Dark Horses
The Houston Rockets are playing great basketball right now, but could their offense-heavy approach actually make them contenders? Here are five reasons that might be the case.
The Houston Rockets have been hard to peg over the last few years, flitting between legitimate Western contender and early exit disappointment, enjoyable viewing experience and unbearable to watch, and well-rounded play to one-sided offense centered on three-point lust.
Perhaps that’s what happens when the last few years have included James Harden’s rise and fall in the public eye from MVP candidate to defensive scapegoat. Maybe that trip to the Western Conference Finals in 2015 set unreasonable expectations, especially when they were followed by all those Hack-A-Shaqs on Dwight Howard, the immediate regression of Houston’s supporting cast and and first round playoff exit.
Over the summer, general manager Daryl Morey made the bold decision to embrace the identity of this team and its star player, ignoring the skeptics and investing in free agents that would bolster an already potent offense.
He was forsaking the defensive end a bit, letting Howard walk and hoping third-year center Clint Capela could shoulder the load, but it was an all-in move capped off by the hiring of head coach Mike D’Antoni.
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The funny thing is, through the first 25 games of the season, it’s worked like gangbusters for a team that many predicted would be battling for a playoff spot at all.
So far in 2016-17, the Rockets stand at fourth in the Western Conference standings with an 18-7 record; they rank fourth in offensive rating at 110.8 points per 100 possessions; they’ve successfully integrated their new free agents Ryan Anderson and Eric Gordon; and Harden and Mike D have redeemed themselves as an MVP and Coach of the Year frontrunner, respectively.
Currently on a seven-game win streak, these sky Rockets are in flight. The question is, will they continue to sustain this trajectory and find any playoff delight? The Golden State Warriors and San Antonio Spurs are still the upper class in the West, but here’s why Houston might need to be included in that conversation very soon.