11. Houston Rockets 2010s all-decade starting lineup
- Chris Paul
- James Harden
- Eric Gordon
- P.J. tucker
- Clint Capela
Like Milwaukee, playing make-believe with these Houston Rockets isn’t an option. We have an entire season’s worth of data to go off of, one that saw this unit compile 65 wins with one of the most explosive offenses.
A backcourt pairing of Chris Paul and James Harden wasn’t supposed to thrive, but it did — at least in that inaugural season. The star ballhandlers swapped floor general duties only to come together in the game’s final minutes.
Defenses were going up against Hall of Fame point guard play for the full 48 minutes, quite the task, especially when one of those guys is the league’s MVP. Even harder with the court so expertly constructed by Mike D’Antoni.
Every team needs a P.J. Tucker, and Houston has been lucky to have him on board. He’s been a good enough shooter to command attention. He can defend all five positions, and if there’s a game-swinging play to be made, Tucker will usually swing it in his team’s favor.
The synergy developed by Harden and Clint Capela has been remarkable to watch. The latter is an intimidating interior presence defensively, but he also attracts so much attention diving to the rim that someone is bound to get open. Especially with Eric Gordon stretching defenses to their breaking point with a lethal 3-point stroke.
They were a near-unstoppable force on offense and a physically imposing defensive unit. It was a recipe for success back in 2017-18, and not much has changed to make that any different two years later.