Two games into the NBA Restart, no team has looked better than the Houston Rockets. Wins against the Mavericks and the MVP-led Bucks have shown how much of a threat the Rockets should be taken as going forward.
More Respect for Russell Westbrook, Please
Russell Westbrook has been among the league’s most disrespected players coming into the restart. Despite being an MVP and notching 146 career triple-doubles, Bleacher Report had Westbrook ranked as the 22nd player in the bubble. Nevertheless, he has silenced doubters in just two games. His stats are below.
vs. Mavericks: 31 points, 11 rebounds, 8 assists, 1 block, 2 steals, and 43% shooting.
vs. Bucks: 31 points, 6 rebounds, 8 assists, 1 block, and 48% shooting.
Russell Westbrook is back to playing like a top-10 player in the NBA. In his last 10 games, Westbrook is averaging 30.4 points, 9.0 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and 2.0 steals. However, this dominance before the NBA hiatus somehow was not enough to convince media outlets that he was this type of player before the NBA bubble.
Russell Westbrook Rankings This Season (Going into Bubble)
- Sports Illustrated: 11
- ESPN: 12
- Bleacher Report: 16
- NBA.com: 14
Once again, Russell Westbrook is clearly an underrated piece to the Rockets’ championship picture. It is through his efficient play and ability to score against any team that will carry this Rockets team to a championship. To think that there are 15 players better than Westbrook is all the motivation he needs as the playoffs approach.
The Usual Greatness of James Harden
As we all expected, James Harden has been aiming for 40 points in each of his seeding games. While his performance against the Mavericks was simply sensational, he was slightly off versus the Bucks.
vs. Mavericks: 49 points, 9 rebounds, 8 assists, 3 blocks, 3 steals, and 70% shooting.
vs. Bucks: 24 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists, 6 steals, and 36% shooting.
James Harden can score against any team or player in the NBA. As the Rockets as a team will be covered later on, notice how despite Harden shooting 5-14 from the field (including 3-12 from three), Houston still beat the NBA’s best team.
His offensive repertoire cannot be denied and it is that with the play of Russell Westbrook that allow the Rockets to be able to go head-to-head with any team in the league. There is not much more to say for the best scorer in today’s game.
Houston’s Overall Play
By now, Houston’s approach to the game should be very simple to spot. They are a small ball-ridden team that relies on three-pointers more than anything else. James Harden and Russell Westbrook lead the forefront as both the team’s primary scorers and playmakers.
At first glance, their height disadvantage would be their biggest downfall, right? But not quite. Their games against the Mavericks and Bucks were two totally different encounters.
Versus Luka and co, the Rockets proved that they can hang with any team offensively. And that’s even if they have they have to social distance from playing defense. They did allow a combined 67 points from Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis but that is not something to worry about when you have a top-2 duo in the NBA outperforming them.
Their next encounter pit them against the league’s MVP who is on the best team in the NBA. The biggest thing to take away from Houston was defense. As great as an offensive team they are, giving up 149 points simply does not look very good.
Despite 36 points, 18 rebounds, and 8 assists from Giannis Antetokounmpo, it was the last three minutes that surprised us all. James Harden uncharacteristically locked him down and exposed the weaknesses in his game. That effort alone gives the indication that the Rockets are not a team to sleep on going into the postseason.
A win is always a win but what also stood out is Houston’s shooting. They set the NBA regulation record with 61 three-point attempts, only knocking down 21. If Houston could slightly improve their production from behind the arc (currently ranked 22nd), they can go head-to-head with any team in the league.
Houston is a Threat
It is time to take the Houston Rockets seriously. After their first two games in the bubble, the league has officially been put on notice.