The Beard is Out for Two Weeks

Question: Can Chris Paul and company keep it together during that span of time?

The Houston Rockets have been playing efficiently good during the first three months of the regular season. And ever since Chris Paul made his season debut with the Rockets, Houston was almost unstoppable. Almost. They endured a 5-game losing streak to end 2017 before finally winning a close one against the Los Angeles Lakers.

However, their win against the Lakers came with a hefty price. Their star, James Harden was hurt in the fourth quarter while driving towards the basket. The diagnosis: Harden sustained a Grade 2 Hamstring Strain which will put him out for two weeks. Harden will be the third Houston star who got injured this season. Chris Paul just recently returned from a strained left adductor while Clint Capela also missed tons of games due to a bruised right heel plus a right orbital fracture.

How will Harden’s absence affect the Rockets?

Against the Lakers on the final playing day of 2017, James Harden had 40 points and 11 assists before going down with the injury. He played for 41 minutes. If not to Chris Paul, the Rockets would have ended 2017 with a 6-game losing streak. With the Beard out for two weeks, the Rockets will have to find a way to keep on clicking offense amongst themselves without heavily relying on Chris Paul who himself is also known to be prone to get injured.

With James Harden who is averaging 32 points and 9 assists this season, the Rockets have been so effective in terms of scoring on offense as they are averaging a league’s best 115 points per game. So James Harden’s absence will definitely be a big blow for the Rockets but it will a blessing in disguise for the team because it will probably put Eric Gordon back into the starting line-up like he used to do before Chris Paul came aboard. In fact, Eric Gordon is currently the second-leading scorer of Houston this season, averaging 19 points per game while starting in 16 of the season’s first 33 games. 

Conclusion

Fortunately for the Rockets, they have 5 other guys who are averaging in double figures this season. While there’s no denying the fact that James Harden’s numbers will be sorely missed, they have one of the league’s best point guards in Chris Paul. It’s only a question of whether or not the Rockets will be able to win with Chris Paul leading them instead of James Harden. 

Sleeping Monster: Rockets’ Center Capela Ineffective Lately

Clint Capela’s absence once brought a problem to the Houston Rockets. But his presence wasn’t the solution though.

Without Capela, Rockets totally lost control of their rebounds in their games that resulted in a loss. Not having their main center made their team weak and scrawny. What’s even worst is that it was coupled with Harden’s worst shooting nights. The past few games turned out to be an absolute apocalypse of Rocket’s grip on the top spot.

Warriors have gained the crown in the west and they lost 5 straight. Nothing could ever get even worst than what Houston has been in.

Luckily, they have won their recent match against Lakers in a nail-biting double overtime ball game. But one thing’s still the problem.

Is Clint Capela Sleeping?

It may not have extended two times if Rockets were able to control the shaded area. Lakers got the advantage on rebounds 69 – 58 and completely dominated production underneath the rim.

Lakers scored a massive 82 points from the paint while Rockets only have a puny 58 point production. What’s even shocking is that Capela only scored 7 points with his long 32 minutes of play. He also barely touched the ball, making only 3 of the 8 attempts.

We thought that his absence made Rockets an underdog in terms of interior basketball, but if that’s so, why did his presence didn’t make any significant difference but still they end up losing so badly inside the shaded area?

Is Capela ineffective or his Rockets are running the game plan without him?

It may be both. Capela’s presence really is ineffective not just with the points but with rebounds. On the other hand, Rockets also do not involve him much in the offense. Most of Rockets’ points are coming from Chris Paul and James Harden.

Conclusion

He failed to play in some of their games so it might be a good idea to push him to make up for his absence. Make him touch the leather frequently and move Rockets’ offense from the small gunners to the huge inside monster.

Crucial Powerhouse Encounter: Who Will Remain Standing in Rockets Celtics Clash?

Houston Rockets slide down to number 2 spot after three consecutive awful defeats. On the other hand, the Celtics is trying to keep a hold on East’s top spot. What could be even better if these two teams face each other? And much more importantly, who would be victorious after 48 minutes of action?

Okay, folks let us start with the Houston Rockets.

James Harden scored 51 points twice and lost both games. Facing the thunder, he was outshone by Russell Westbrook. He scored relatively high but misses a lot of shots. James Harden is in his worst shooting form.

Rockets losing in the 1st two games were without Clint Capela. It was thought to be the reason until he came back, and lose against OKC.

How about Celtics?

They aren’t on a losing streak currently but still, one thing is their problem. The unproductive Aron Baynes. Kyrie Irving, being the top scorer for Boston against the Washington Wizards didn’t shoot well. With these scenarios, a strong center is needed, which Celtics does not have.

The solution would be its either Irving must shoot efficiently or Baynes’ effective rebounding.

Who would win the game?

Weighing in all the facts, Rockets have a bigger problem than Celtics. We can notice that if Irving is playing well, most of the time Celtics win. On the other hand, Harden playing extremely well isn’t enough to take the Rockets pass the opponent.

Expect a head to head isolation plays between Harden and Irving.

On the other hand, in terms of the shaded area, Rockets has the advantage with Clint Capela.

If Irving won’t deliver from the outside well, Rockets would win.

If, Harden would hold the ball most of the time, Celtics would win due to lack of team play.

Scrutinizing Dubs: The Chances of Climbing Up to No. 1 Spot

Would there be a chance for the Warriors to take away the no. 1 spot on the west against rival Houston Rockets? Let’s all find out.

Okay folks, now with James Harden and the Houston Rockets losing so badly twice in a row, it would seem to us like the Rockets aren’t in a really great shape perhaps as a team. James Harden was more than just great with a humongous 51 point outrage in both games that they had lost.

On the other hand, Warriors aren’t doing that great in their last match but they have destroyed the same team, the Lakers thrice in a row. Now, if you have read my recent article about the Warriors being a completely different team given the absence of Curry, you’ll see there the Dubs’ weakness and loopholes without Steph in play.

Same goes for the Rockets. In their case, they do not have their primary center Clint Capela which obviously adversely affected their overall game.

So how would it go? Who will be in the number one spot after a couple or more games to pass this season?

Prediction

Given the circumstances above. Whoever team that makes a more significant streak when their absent key players come back (Capela and Curry) would ultimately take the top spot. We cannot know for sure who’s who unless both squads are in their full form. So whoever strikes hard first wins the battle this phase of the season. 

But from the looks of things, Warriors would be able to take the top spot once Curry gets back. The Dubs played more consistently than the Rockets have done especially the key players. Warriors key gunners seldom experience drought. 

Still, the best option to break this balance is a match between them. Would Warriors be able to grab hold of James Harden’s shooting and gun their own with the Splash Brothers? Or would Rockets limit their production, take advantage of outside misses and let Harden go all out for as much as every shootable spot on the court?

Why is it the best option for the battle to be sentenced directly by a match?

Of course, it is much better to judge who’s who by the scores and performance of both ends against each other. It would be the most valid and substantial. Warriors would also like redemption. They lost against Rockets this season. It will be a story of a test of will. Who’s stronger and who will prevail? The Rocket’s ultimate revenge or Warriors’ spirit of a champion?

Ball Scrutiny: 3 Awful Facts Behind Rockets’ Loss against Lakers

James Harden scored undeniably humongous. 51 points is too distant from usual. What’s even more unusual is that it was insufficient to earn Rockets another victory.

It is just one of the many awful facts behind this shocking loss. In fact, it is quite obvious. Now, let us take a look at its implications behind the curtains.

1. Within Warriors’ striking distance

One more downfall and the Warriors might take them out of their sweet top spot. Same with Celtics’ situation, the Rockets want absolute dominance on the west to retain their threatening form until as long as they could.

Every single defeat of the Rockets let the Warriors come closer and closer.

2. No Capela, fatal for Rockets

Without a huge shadow on the shaded area, Lakers took advantage of the great hole’s vulnerability. Clint Capela being the sole center of Rockets and not being able to play let Rockets’ defense weaken significantly. Lakers dished out 27 assists while Rockets with only 19. Rockets may have won if the battle is a shootout alone but it’s their incomplete defense that pulled them down into the pit.

3. The Trade-off between 51 points and turnovers

James Harden shot well but there can never be some gain without any pain. So what cost the 51 points? Turnovers. Once somebody holds the ball too much, they may tend to score high and turn the ball over many times. Rockets had 15 turnovers and 6 of them coming from Harden alone.

But still, Rockets only let Lakers score 17 off turnovers in contrast to them with 25 turnover points. But what hurt them? Basket in transition. 20 fastbreak points versus 6 for the rockets. They may not have the center Clint Capela which means a smaller and faster lineup yet a fast squad won’t be enough to cover a huge open hole in transition defense. 

The Houston Rockets are Blasting Off

And they don’t look like they’re slowing down anytime soon

Anyone who says that James Harden and Chris Paul cannot play together should probably keep their mouth shut because if they haven’t noticed just yet, the dynamic duo of Harden and CP3 is one of the reasons why the Houston Rockets are the best team in the NBA right now with a 21-4 record. Yes, they are better than the defending champions, the Golden State Warriors and even defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers earlier this season.

Ever since Chris Paul made his season debut after fully recovering from his injury, things have been well for the Rockets as they have yet to lose a game with Chris Paul in the line-up. And heading into their next game against the Charlotte Hornets, the Rockets are riding on a 10-game winning streak.

Question: Just how good are the Rockets?

For starters, James Harden has been playing another MVP-worthy season as he’s currently the league’s leading scorer- averaging 32 points per game while also averaging 9.5 assists per game- the second-best behind Russell Westbrook. Clint Capela, who exploded for a good number of dunks off dishes from James Harden in their last game against the New Orleans Pelicans- is the league’s best shooter right now, making 67% of his field goal attempts and also among the top 5 in blocks per game.

As a team, the Rockets’ 115 points per game ranks second behind the Warriors’ 117. They’re also the number 3 team in terms of steals per game, averaging 9 steals per night.

But more than anything else, it’s Chris Paul’s mere presence on the floor that has been doing the wonders for Houston. In the 11 games that he played so far- all wins, CP3 has averaged 14 points and 9 assists per game. He has provided James Harden the stability at the point guard position as CP3 is only averaging 1.9 turnovers per game- the lowest in his career.

Conclusion

If anything, the Rockets are having one of the best seasons in franchise history. At the pace that they are playing right now with a backcourt duo of James Harden and Chris Paul leading them, this pundit on wheels doesn’t think any team can catch up with the duo. Not even the Warriors.