Now Reading
Houston Rockets: a new dominant team in the West?

Houston Rockets: a new dominant team in the West?

Last night, the Houston Rockets won the fourth game in the series against the Utah Jazz and took a 3-1 lead. The two key players on the side of the Rockets were James Harden, who scored 24 points, and Chris Paul, 27 points.The Rockets seem a whole different team compared to last season, and the trade for Chris Paul might’ve changed their course. Where defense was their weakest point at first, with the help of Paul, it has turned into one of their biggest assets.

Even James Harden, who seemed to be one of the weak links in the Rockets’ defense, has upped his game. Last seasons, Harden was often criticized for his (lack of) defense, and/or giving his opponents easy shots, but he has quietly improved his defensive skills to being an asset on defense. But, Harden’s offensive skills are really what makes him stand out of the crowd. It’s not for nothing that his name is one of the most mentioned names in the MVP race. Harden is one of the best shot creators in the league, a terrific scorer, and great at getting the other team to foul him. Furthermore, he led the entire league in scoring this season.

The trade for Chris Paul was a bit of a gamble for Houston, as no one knew for sure if Paul and Harden would have chemistry, and it would take a while for Paul to find a place in the team. But, Paul proved to be a great addition to the team, and the Rockets had nothing to worry about. Their defense improved even more with the great defensive skills of Paul, and Clint Capela proved he was a good rim protector and shotblocker. Besides that, with the addition of Chris Paul to the team, the Rockets also added an extra threat on offense, who could easily create shots, but could also find his teammates anywhere on the court for an open shot.

This change might mean that there finally will be some real competition for the Golden State Warriors in the West and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the East. It’s almost inevitable that they’ll meet the Warriors in the Conference Finals this post-season, as both teams are up 3-1 in their series, but thanks to the Rockets, it’s no longer a done deal who’ll be in the Finals this year.

View Comments (0)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

© We Are Basket is published by Behind the Arc

Scroll To Top