The Houston Rockets are probably the team that has come closest to toppling Golden State in recent years.
Back in 2017, the Spurs looked to have a great chance. They were up 23 points in Game 1 with just under eight minutes left in the third quarter.
Sadly for them, Kawhi Leonard got hurt after Zaza Pachulia closed him out hard. The Warriors’ center landed in Leonard’s airspace, causing a left ankle injury that knocked the Spurs man out of the series.
The rest, as they say, is history. Golden State swept the Spurs and got their revenge against LeBron’s Cavaliers in the Finals.
It looked like no one would be able to challenge the Warriors for the title. Then, the Rockets burst onto the scene.
The 2016-2017 season showed that James Harden has the potential to lead a successful team. However, his MVP-like performance only took the Rockets to the second round of the playoffs.
It was evident that Harden needed help on the court. It’s never easy to add a franchise-type player, but the Rockets got their man in legendary point guard Chris Paul.
At first, there were the usual concerns whether the chemistry would be right between the two stars. That is understandable, but in this case, they were able to prove us wrong.
Houston racked up an amazing 65 wins in the regular season, becoming the top seed in the West, and James Harden was awarded the MVP.
People were starting to acknowledge the team as a real contender.
Naturally, the Western Conference finals were contested between them and the Golden State Warriors. Houston was agonizingly close to glory. They were on the brink of winning a thrilling Game 7 with an 11-point lead at halftime.
Then a run of 27 straight missed 3s sealed their fate.
Now the Rockets have to try to run it all back. But their situation may have already changed too much to pretend they’re the same team as last year.
Let’s take a look at where things have been going wrong.
Everyone was waiting to see how the Rockets would handle the offseason. After all, they proved to be a genuine threat to the Warriors’ dynasty and were bound to build on that.
Sadly, the management did not live up to the expectations, and that can have a dire effect on the team’s ambitions.
The obvious difference from last year is the players who left the fold. The Rockets lost Trevor Ariza and Luc Mbah a Moute, two 3-and-D wings who racked up more than 3,800 minutes for the team last year.
Ariza shot nearly 37% from 3 last season and was tasked with tough defending. He rejected Houston and agreed to a one-year deal with the Phoenix Suns on the first day of free agency.
In turn, Mbah a Moute left for the Clippers. Despite some late-season ineffectiveness due to shoulder injuries, he was a vital cog in the Rockets’ engine. Their “switch everything” defensive game complemented the player’s abilities perfectly.
Most importantly, last year he was the best defensive contributor of any Houston rotation player.
Now Coach D’Antoni has the major task of fitting in the new pieces. James Ennis III and Michael Carter-Williams joined on minimum contracts.
On paper, both can add some value to the team. Ennis III is already drawing rave reviews from his teammates. It seems his energy levels and ability to shoot and rebound can be an asset.
Carter-Williams is a former rookie of the year with the Philadelphia 76ers. He doesn’t look like a natural fit for the Rockets, as his shooting has never been great. However, his defensive contribution will be the one to watch.
As a natural point guard, he might be able to fill in when necessary for James Harden or Chris Paul. He relies heavily on his off-the-dribble abilities, so we will not be seeing him in a catch-and-shoot role.
However, it may prove a bit difficult for him to carve out a significant amount of playing time in D’Antoni’s typically short rotation. That being said, the Rockets could have him as a backup point guard, rather than putting Eric Gordon in that position again this year.
Both newcomers will be eager to impress the coach, and no one breeds confidence in his players quite like D’Antoni. It remains to be seen how often they can step their game up and contribute defensively.
Arguably, the most talked-about decision in the offseason is the arrival of Carmelo Anthony.
I will just come out and say it – Melo is not a good fit for the Rockets. First and foremost, he has a very sketchy history with Mike D’Antoni from their time together on the New York Knicks.
The technical ability Anthony brings can also prove unsatisfactory. It is true that the Rockets were very successful with their isolation game last season. However, this relied heavily on Harden and Paul’s brilliant efficiency.
While there would be a chance for Melo to impress, his last season with the Thunder proved that he can be one of the least efficient offensive players in the league.
There is also no chance he will be able to put in a meaningful defensive contribution. Carmelo Anthony is simply not that kind of player.
And although he has racked up some decent numbers in his first few games, there is plenty in there for Houston fans to sweat on.
This was another big one in the Rockets’ turbulent summer. I can fully understand why GM Daryl Morey pushed for Paul’s signature. After all, his arrival brought about a highly successful season in which they nearly bested the Warriors.
The chance to have another stab at it looks like a no-brainer. Except, it can prove to be much trickier than that.
Yes, Chris Paul is a terrific player, but we cannot neglect the fact that he’s already 33.
Paul has missed at least 20 games in each of his last three seasons. He also has a knack of getting into sticky situations.
Will the Rockets’ new-look roster with Carmelo complement the point guard’s ability? It’s very hard to say at the moment.
Morey obviously defended the decision to re-sign him, but he will not be able to get the critics off his back if it backfires.
For now, it seems that skeptics have the upper hand. Houston has had to endure an abysmal start to the season.
Their record currently stands at 1-4, and on top of that, James Harden has sustained an injury. A team that boasted the 7th best defensive record last year now looks like a complete shambles.
Additions were much needed, especially after the notable departures, and the new wings do not seem capable of carrying out the defensive part of the game.
It doesn’t look like this will change on Wednesday when they entertain the red-hot Damian Lillard of the Portland Trail Blazers.
It all looks very grim for Houston at the moment, and something has to give.
Coach D’Antoni insists that they will continue playing their game and that Carmelo Anthony is fine with his role and attacking responsibilities within the system.
Melo did shoot 24 points against the Clippers, but that hardly proved enough, as they lost 113 – 133. It was a big slap from a team which is hardly considered as a top playoff contender.
It is very early in the season for grand conclusions, but it doesn’t look good for the Houston Rockets. They doubled down on the plan to go for a title with Chris Paul and pushed away some of their valuable rotation players.
Whether the new acquisitions will be able to integrate as well as Ariza and Mbah a Moute remains to be seen. As I pointed out, they will be eager to impress the coach, but will that be enough?
Harden and Paul look susceptible to injuries, which also does not bode well for the team’s prospects.
The GM and coach keep defending their summer activity, but it is hard for fans to get on board given their current shape.
How the tables have turned for Daryl Morey, who is fresh from an Executive of the Year award.
After the game against Portland, the Rockets embark on a 5-game road trip. These matches will tell us a lot more about what we can expect. If the results are not satisfactory, there are bound to be some changes.
Everything looks to have an air of desperation at the Toyota Center right now, and everyone connected to the club will be hoping they can turn things around.
It can prove to be one of those high risk/high reward situations, but the team has a long road ahead of them.
So can the Rockets still be a contender in the 2018 NBA season? To be honest, I’m not counting on it.
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