After getting off to a slow start to the season, Trevor Ariza has regained his shooting and has been a big spark for the Houston Rockets in recent weeks.
Trevor Ariza has been one of the most consistent players for the Houston Rockets in recent years. Every season you can count on him to play solid defense and hit 3s at a near league-average rate.
However, Ariza got off to a very slow start (especially offensively) to open the season, which prompted many fans to believe that age and wear and tear had caught up with him. In October, Ariza averaged just 6.2 points per game while shooting 24.4 percent from the field, including a paltry 18.8 percent on 3-pointers. The most surprising aspect of his slow start was his improved passing, as he averaged 3.3 assists per game.
However, Ariza got it going in a big way this month, as he is currently averaging 14.8 points and 4.7 rebounds per game while shooting 48.7 percent from the field and 42.9 percent from beyond the arc. Ariza is truly providing the 3 in the “3-and-D” aspect of his game.
Ariza is relying more on his shot this season, as he is posting a career high 3-point attempt rate of .759 (essentially meaning that 75.9 percent of his shot attempts have been 3-pointers). Also, Ariza, who has been an elite shooter from the corners throughout his career (40.3 percent for his career), is hitting 47.8 percent of his corner 3s this season.
Space City Scoop
That’s especially important when you consider that those attempts account for 41.1 percent of his total attempts from beyond the arc. Ariza knows where he excels and is making sure to be in those spots when on the floor alongside his elite point guard teammates in Chris Paul and James Harden.
The concerning aspect of Ariza’s game is his defense. He is averaging just 1.5 steals per game, which is his lowest since the 2012-13 season. Meanwhile, his defensive box plus-minus (0.8) and defensive real plus-minus (0.54) are both down from last season. As a team however, the Rockets have improved significantly on the defensive end, as they currently own a top 10 defense. This can mainly be attributed to the additions of P.J. Tucker and Luc Mbah a Moute, both of whom provide more value on the defensive end.
The Rockets will surely be content with Ariza’s defensive decline if he can sustain his near 37 percent shooting from beyond the arc. After dropping to 34.4 percent on 3-pointers last season, Ariza has regained his confidence and form in November to make up for other disappointing shooters on Houston’s roster (such as Eric Gordon, who is only shooting 33 percent on 3-pointers this season).
Also, Houston doesn’t need to rely on Ariza defensively as much this season as in year’s past. Since Ariza returned to the Rockets in the 2014-15 season, he was far and away the best (and really only) solid wing defender Houston had on the roster. Now with Tucker and Mbah a Moute in town, Ariza’s minutes can be decreased and the defensive burden place on his shoulders can be lifted significantly.
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The Rockets are hoping that as a result, Ariza will improve his shooting and be ready come playoff time to lock down the likes of Paul George, Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson and others.