Houston Rockets: Ryan Anderson forming solid chemistry with Chris Paul

Could Ryan Anderson and Chris Paul be on the verge of creating one of the most dangerous pick-and-pop connections the league has ever seen with the Houston Rockets?

Prior to Chris Paul‘s return to the lineup last month, Ryan Anderson was struggling shooting the basketball for the Houston Rockets at home.

The 6’10” power forward, who shot 40.6 percent from the beyond the arc through the Rockets’ first eight road games, failed to generate any success within the familiar confines of the Toyota Center early on in the 2017-18 regular season — shooting only 28.9 percent from long range from Oct. 18 to Nov. 15.

Now, Anderson’s woes appear to have fallen completely by the wayside, as the 2012 Most Improved Player Award winner is finding his touch with the help of his new point guard.

Since Paul’s return to the lineup, Anderson has posted 12.7 points per game through the last seven contests for Houston — shooting 52.2 percent from 3-point land at home, en route to helping lead the Rockets on a seven-game winning streak.

The 29-year-old who is currently shooting a career-high 40.7 percent from downtown recently sought to give credit to his teammates for his stellar play as of late.

"“We have so many guys that can play,” Anderson told Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle after the team’s practice at UCLA on Tuesday.“We’re playing at a high level, we’re confident with whoever is on the court. We’re not taking a lot of risks. That’s been the mentality.”"

During Paul’s absence, Anderson started alongside Eric Gordon, who served as the primarily ball-handler while James Harden rested. Now, the big man is generating a bevy of clean looks, as CP3 sets up Anderson with some of the most precise passes, letting his stretch-4 take care of the rest from 3-point land. Anderson’s ability to create space on the perimeter is paying greater dividends than it ever has in his career.

Over the last three weeks, Anderson has hit 73.9 percent of his 3-point shots on passes from Paul, which is the second-highest percentage on the team behind only Luc Mbah A Moute.

While Anderson’s red-hot shooting clip could dip within the next couple of weeks, the two teammates are in the midst of developing a formidable connection that teams across the league have no answer for on the defensive end.

The pick-and-pop plays that the Rockets seek to run within Mike D’Antoni‘s offense have led to a great degree of success, as Houston has defeated its opponents by an average of 21.5 points during the current winning streak.

This has to be a positive sign to see for fans in Clutch City, as Paul’s presence could be just what Anderson needs to seek more involvement within Houston’s attack. He’s emerging as the possible third option the rest of the way, and Anderson could prove to be the X-factor that helps the Rockets dethrone the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference this postseason.

Next: 2017-18 Week 8 NBA Power Rankings

Houston will look to capture its eighth win in the last nine games, as it heads out to Salt Lake City to square off against the Utah Jazz Thursday night.