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Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
The Houston Rockets are really good, but they could be better
It’s time to appreciate the Houston Rockets.
As I sit here and write this, the Rockets have put up 140 (!!) points… and there’s still a 1:53 remaining in the game. Granted, it comes against a Clippers team sans Blake Griffin and Chris Paul (and Austin Rivers and Doc Rivers after both were ejected earlier in the game) but come on! 140 points is impressive no matter what way you slice it.
Prior to their game against the Clippers, the Houston Rockets are shooting 38.1 percent from 3 as a team. (For reference, the 73-9 Warriors shot 41.6% from 3, and the 67-15 Spurs shot 37.5% over the course of the season.) Am I saying the Rockets are going to finish with that good of a record? No, but they are now 25-9 on the season and 3rd in the Western Conference standings.
The Beard recorded his 7th triple double on the season in the victory over the depleted Clippers, and is posting a 27.7 PPG, 7.8 RPG, and 11.9 APG. For a guard that has long been criticized for his lack of sharing the ball and defense, he’s put his doubters to rest and showing that (with a little help from the 7SOL 2.0 offense) he can make it in this league as a full-time starting PG.
Eric Gordon is averaging 17.7 PPG… off the bench. Oh, and he’s shooting a blistering 42.3 percent from 3PT land, so he’s become more efficient in H-Town after being regarded as nothing more than an injury-prone volume shooter during his time in Nawlins.
While the offense definitely runs through Harden, he’s not entirely shouldering the offensive load like in seasons past.
Those are the scoring averages of Ryan Anderson, Trevor Ariza, Clint Capela (sidelined with an injury), Patrick Beverley, Montrezl Harrell, Nene Hilario, Sam Dekker, and Chinanu Onuaku, respectively. If you’ll notice, the scoring is spread out and even.
For the first time in a while, the Houston Rockets have a clear pecking order, but no one seems to care. They’re playing as a team, and no drama from the locker room has reached the media.
*cough Dwight cough *
Sorry, had something in my throat.
Anyways, I am enamored with watching the Rockets, and you should be too. They’re fast, fun to watch, and are throwing down monstrous dunks and swishing 3’s in transition. Did I mention they’re fun?
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Do they need to make a move?
You knew it was coming.
Despite their impressive play, some writers and fans have asked – could they be better?
The short answer to that question is that every NBA team could be better. The Warriors could really use a rim protector, the Cavs could really use a backup PG, the Celtics need more than a mixed bag of rim protectors and kind of defensive players; alas… I digress.
More from Sir Charles In Charge
The point is that no team is perfect. The Cavs are obviously a very good team, but they have flaws. Same story with the Warriors. If I had to identify a weakness for the Rockets, it would be that they need a backup PG.
Against the Clippers for instance, the Rockets started Harden, Beverley, Ariza, Anderson, and Nene. Nene starting is more of a result of Capela’s injury, but the Rockets went a NBA best 13-3 in December and have a shot at going 14-3 when they play the surging Knicks. What they need is more of an even minutes distribution.
James Harden is a phenomenal player, and should be on the court a lot – 36.3 MPG seems a bit excessive, even for a player of his caliber. That means he’s on the court for 75 percent of a regulation NBA game; and that doesn’t include the minutes he’s inevitably going to play if the game goes to OT or 2OT. It’s hard to stagger minutes if you start Beverley, and Gordon isn’t much of a playmaker. So where do they turn?
Answer: Tyler Ennis.
Ennis was a college standout, but has bounced around the league quite a bit since being drafted, making stops in Phoenix, Milwaukee, and now Houston despite only being 22. It’s not that he’s not good, he just doesn’t receive playing time.
On every team he’s played for, he’s either been on a team that already has a set rotation, a coach that doesn’t trust much of his bench, or a combination of the two. At the very least though, he can run an offense. Give him a shot D’Antoni! Take 6 of Harden’s minutes, and put in Ennis. Is that really too much to ask?
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Trade Alternatives
If you’re not a fan of logical thinking and are more of a somewhat crazy to downright insane trade scenarios, then these are a few alternative options for Houston’s (hypothetical) quest for a backup point. I’m just going to list them, and let you decide if they’re plausible or not.
Houston Visits the Valley of the Suns With a Little Brotherly Love
Okay, the sub-heading was forced, but here we go:
HOU gets: Brandon Knight
PHO gets: Corey Brewer
PHI gets: K.J. McDaniels
Look, Knight is wasting away on Phoenix’s middling roster, and Houston would become a bona-fide title contender with this deal. Throw in Capela returning, and this team becomes even scarier. Houston’s draft picks would certainly dwindle, but I think it’s worth it.
Knight would thrive in a fast paced offense that shoots 3/s and requires a guard penetrating off the dribble (his strengths). Brewer can stop rotting on the bench and drop 50 in some random game (half-kidding on that one). McDaniels can return to where he got noticed, and put up big numbers on an improved Philly squad.
H-Town Meets ChiTown
HOU gets: Rondo
CHI gets: Corey Brewer, K.J. McDaniels
This trade may look odd at first glance, but this is the NBA people.
Rondo’s value has probably never been lower, but he is still an excellent passer. Can you imagine Rondo kicking it out to Ryan Anderson or James Harden or Eric Gordon or Patrick Beverley for 3? Or ooping it to Montrezl Harrell or Clint Capela? Oh, the highlights.
Chicago needs scoring and 3-point shooting in the worst way, and both Brewer and McDaniels have shown an impressive ability to score points in a hurry, and hit a flurry of 3s. This is a win-win.
Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
Conclusion
The bottom line is this: the Houston Rockets are really good, and can realistically get better with a few minor trades and/or roster/rotation tinkering.
Will they be the 2017 NBA Champs? Maybe, maybe not. (Don’t @ me. Actually, @ me! I love interacting with people that read my articles, so feel free to anytime.)
What I do know is that they’re fun to watch again. So Houston, we don’t have a problem. Just don’t run out of gas.
