Houston Rockets: 3 takeaways from the preseason

MEMPHIS, TN - OCTOBER 12: Chris Paul #3 of the Houston Rockets looks on against the Memphis Grizzlies during a pre-season game on October 12, 2018 at FedExForum in Memphis, Tennessee. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images) /

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3. The Rockets are more proficient from beyond the arc

The Rockets took a league-high 42.3 shots from beyond the arc as a team last season, and while the team’s number of attempts is not expected to change, the percentage of shots that fall from downtown could potentially rise to uncharted levels.

During the preseason, Houston buried over 20 triples or more in three out of five contests — with their most notable performance coming against the Shanghai Sharks, where P.J. Tucker, Chris Paul and James Harden hit 18 of the Rockets 28 3-pointers to guide them to a 128-86 win on Oct. 9.

Although one could seek to argue that there is not much that one can take away from exhibition outings, this has to be an encouraging sign for Rockets fans to witness early on, especially when the majority of Houston’s success will depend upon whether or not they are nailing shots such as these at a high clip.

Tucker, Paul and Harden all managed to shoot over 40 percent from downtown on the preseason respectively, and should this trend carry over to the regular season, then the Rockets might have a chance to take down the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference this time around.

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