How the Rockets have turned around their season?
The start for the season for the Rockets was absolutely dismal. There was an early onset of injuries and suspensions to the star Rockets players. In just the second game of the season, Chris Paul got suspended and a couple of days later James Harden got sidelined for a couple of games with a hamstring injury. The season never clicked as the Rockets could still feel the loss of Trevor Ariza and Luc Mbah a Moute. They had one of the worst defensive efficiencies in the league and the season seemed to be a disappointment. It reached a new low when news came out that Chris Paul was going to be out for 2 weeks with a hamstring injury. However, James Harden proved all fans wrong going on a torrid run to lead the Rockets back to a top playoff position. Despite Chris Paul absence from this major run, James Harden has helped his team in several different ways to lead the Rockets. Harden’s immense effort may even lead him to a back-to-back MVP.
Firstly, the Rockets have been playing better defense. The defense was a major key for the Rockets’ major run last year which ended in a heart-wrenching loss to the Warriors in the Conference Championship. However, after the offseason loss of Trevor Ariza and Luc Mbah a Moute, the Rockets loss a majority of their defensive skill. Both Ariza and Mbah a Moute specialized in defense. To make matters worse, Jeff Bzdelik, the defensive coach for the Rockets last year, retired. The combination of all of these led to an immediate downfall to the Rockets. They were not able to prevent other teams from scoring, leading to a terrible record as soon as the season started. However, Jeff Bzdelik returned from his retirement to rejuvenate this Rockets team. His influence has been monumental has the Rockets defense has improved greatly since then.
Secondly, the outstanding play from James Harden has allowed for the Rockets turnaround this season. Despite losing his star teammate, Chris Paul, to a hamstring injury, James Harden has continued to wreak havoc. Harden currently leads the league in scoring with 33.6 points per game. Also, with his win on Thursday night, Harden passed Oscar Robertson with his 9th straight game with at least 35 points and 5 assists. In addition, on Saturday against the Memphis Grizzlies, James Harden broke Steph Curry’s record by hitting 5 or more threes in 8 straight games. These eye-dropping stats just show how James Harden has been dominant against opposing teams.
Lastly, the Rockets have been able to turn around their season through outstanding play from the bench. Instead of just depending on their starters, the Rockets have been able to effectively use their second team and their bench to help Rockets win games. With versatile players like Danuel House, James Ennis, and Nene, the Rockets have been able to use these players in a variety of positions to give the starters, especially James Harden, rest. Their accuracy has also allowed Mike D’Antoni to depend on giving the Rockets momentum when the starters have an off night in shooting.