4. Playing smart does not mean playing dumb
Moreyball is a popular phrase, often used positively but increasingly as a term of derision for a hyper-statistical approach to basketball. The most efficient shots in basketball are taken at the rim, followed by 3-pointers. The Houston Rockets over the past few years have moved towards taking those shots and away from less efficient mid-range shots.
Yet the arrival of Chris Paul gave this team something it did not have before — a player who did some of his best work in the mid-range. What Houston could have done was shove Paul into their box. Instead they combined analytics with the strengths of their team to create an offensive juggernaut.
While the team still focused on 3-pointers to a dizzying degree, breaking numerous records for volume and percentage of 3-pointers taken, they allowed the mid-range game back into their life. Paul in particular still used the mid-range game to his advantage, specifically against defenses trying to key into taking away efficient shots. Left open, Paul made teams pay.
Head coach Mike D’Antoni showed himself to be flexible all season, slowing the pace of the offense down to accommodate the elite half-court players he had. A far cry from his “Seven Seconds or Less” days in Phoenix, D’Antoni changed his system to allow his players to flourish. That’s excellent coaching.
From isolation attacks to Paul’s smooth mid-range jumpers, the Rockets leveraged this flexibility into success. Sixty-five wins and the best record in the league are a testament that talent and analytics can work together, a seemingly obvious truth still shot down by many. Houston’s success is a validation for many.