Why the Houston Rockets must win a championship
After posting a franchise-best 65-17 record in the regular season, the time has finally come for the Houston Rockets to show up in the playoffs. Here is why Clutch City must win a championship.
Despite coming into the year with a myriad of speculation surrounding how their star-studded backcourt and new insertions would fit alongside one another, the Houston Rockets managed to take their next step in their climb toward contender status under head coach Mike D’Antoni, playing arguably their finest stretch of basketball in franchise history on the 2017-18 campaign.
In a 82-game slate that managed to play out in the form of a fairy tale, Houston proved to be opposing teams’ kryptonite all night long in the regular season, dominating teams en route to a franchise-record 65 wins.
While catapulting themselves to the top of the standings, Clutch City rides into this year’s playoffs with the best record in basketball. Houston also currently features arguably the best offense ever in the history of the game, as one could easily argue that this year’s current Rockets squad belongs alongside some of the best teams ever.
After signing a max contract extension to remain in Houston last summer, James Harden put together yet another MVP-caliber season to remember, becoming the first player in Rockets history to capture the league’s scoring title, averaging 30.6 points, 8.8 assists and 5.4 rebounds per game this season. Fourth-year center Clint Capela put together his finest season as a pro beside The Beard, averaging a career-high 13.9 points, 10.8 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game for Houston through 74 games.
While the two stars will likely be apart of the Rockets for the foreseeable future, Houston’s success has not lied solely upon the backs of Harden and Capela. Veteran players from the likes of point guard Chris Paul and forward Luc Mbah a Moute have also played significant roles in their first season with the team, alongside of several role players such as swingman Eric Gordon and hometown hero Gerald Green.
Those two have both showcased the ability to get buckets off the bench and shine in pivotal moments when called upon to do so. With such a stacked roster, the time has come for the Rockets to take advantage of the opportunity that is right in front of them and go all in pursuing their ultimate goal of winning a championship.
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Out of all of the teams to reach the 2018 NBA playoffs, Houston comes in as the oldest team this postseason at 28.7 years old. To put that into perspective, the Rockets presently roster a squad that is older than the San Antonio Spurs — a championship-laden organization that ranks as the fourth-oldest team in the playoffs and features several veteran players on its current roster age 35 or older, such as Manu Ginobili (40 years old), Pau Gasol (37 years old) and Tony Parker (35 years old).
Although the following data does not bear any major indication upon the outcome of the Rockets’ postseason, nobody truly knows if Houston might have this great of a chance to ever reach an NBA Finals again.
P.J. Tucker, who has played a key role in Houston’s revitalization on the defensive end since being inserted into the starting lineup, turns 33 years old next month along with of Paul. Trevor Ariza will also turn 33 prior to hitting the market as an unrestricted free agent this summer, so there is a strong possibility that the small forward could be playing out his final days in silver and red, barring an acceptance of a massive pay cut within the next few months.
With general manager Daryl Morey and the Rockets needing to make way for cap space to re-sign both Paul (unrestricted free agent) and Capela (restricted free agent) soon, guys such as Mbah a Moute and Green — who both signed to play for the veteran’s minimum — could also look to leave and cash in elsewhere on their success following the conclusion of the year. They have proven to be huge steals at their current pay scale this season.
As a result, all of this makes playoff time and winning the extreme essence in Houston, as nobody can apprehend whether or not role players such as Tucker, Gordon and Ryan Anderson‘s best days are either in front of or behind them as they all enter into their age-30 and beyond seasons in the league.
While Paul will likely find his way back to the Rockets this upcoming offseason, the team’s current circumstances — combined with the current health of Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors, makes this arguably the most perfect time for Houston to capture its first title in over two decades.
Nothing is ever guaranteed in today’s game, and with their core pieces still intact, the Rockets must seek to continue to break the hearts of other teams while the stars are perfectly aligned to help them seize the ultimate prize in the Space City.
Next: Power ranking all 16 teams in the 2018 NBA Playoffs
The time is now.