Houston Rockets: 3 takeaways from red-hot February

3. The Rockets offense is historically dominant

After finishing with the 12th-best offensive rating in league history last season, the Rockets have shown exactly what a difference a year can truly make, letting shots fly from beyond the arc to help open up driving lanes.

This also generates a series of high-percentage layups, as the concept known as Moreyball appears to be on the verge of reaching its peak in Houston. It’s a place where midrange jumpers are rarely taken.

Through 11 games this month, the Rockets currently rank third overall among all teams in offensive rating, scoring 117.3 points per 100 possessions behind the play of James Harden, Chris Paul and Clint Capela. They have each helped guide Houston toward putting together perhaps the best offensive season that the league has ever seen.

If the season were to end today, the Rockets would finish with the greatest offensive rating in league history, according to Basketball-Reference, surpassing last year’s Golden State Warriors and the 1986-87 Los Angeles Lakers as the greatest in NBA history.

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Although official results depend heavily upon how one might calculate possessions, no one can deny that Houston’s offense ranks among the best in league history when at full strength under head coach Mike D’Antoni.

According to ESPN’s Kevin Pelton, the Rockets have posted a 115.9 offensive rating in games where both Paul and Harden have played this season, which ranks 9.3 percent above league average, and would top the 2003-04 Dallas Mavericks for the best relevant offense on record.

To put that into perspective, this year’s Rockets squad is currently in exclusive company with some of the greatest teams to ever play in the history of basketball, as Houston could indeed be the top team to beat in the Western Conference after all.