Houston Rockets: 5 keys to contending in 2017-18

2) Elite 3-point shooting

One common misconception of the Rockets is that they are an elite 3-point shooting team. Technically, that would be an acceptable statement, but it’s due to the sheer volume of attempts they take from beyond the arc.

Last season, Houston attempted over 40 3-pointers per game. However, they only hit 35.7 percent of their attempts, which ranked just 15th in the league. The Rockets have consistently been an elite 3-point shooting team due to their volume, not their accuracy on such shots.

Now, hitting 35.7 percent beyond the arc isn’t terrible (especially when you attempt over 40 3-pointers per game), but it can certainly be improved. That’s where Chris Paul comes in.

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Last season, Houston relied on Harden to create quality looks for shooters such as Ryan Anderson and Trevor Ariza. Those players fail to create open looks for themselves, meaning they need an elite point guard to help them get good looks beyond the arc.

When Harden went to the bench, those shooters and role players had to rely on Patrick Beverley and/or Eric Gordon to create quality looks for them. While both players can certainly handle the ball and make plays for others on occasion, they have nowhere near the playmaking abilities of Paul and Harden.

With at least one of Harden and Paul slated to be on the court at all time, the role players and shooters will have an elite point guard playing alongside them to create open looks, which should boost their 3-point shooting percentages.

In order to be most effective in the playoffs, Houston must become a deadly 3-point shooting team percentage-wise. Teams are more than content to let Houston take three after three if they know they are a mediocre shooting team. However, if the Rockets were in the top 10 in 3-point percentage, teams will be even more focused to ensure that their shooters don’t see a sliver of daylight from beyond the arc, thus putting even more pressure on opposing defenses.