Last season, the Houston Rockets were within a couple games of the NBA Finals. James Harden was the MVP runner-up and the team had a decidedly positive offseason, acquiring Ty Lawson, bringing back several key contributors, and continuing the development of their young talent. As a result, they were highly touted as a title favorite going into the 2015-16 season. So it is no surprise that when the team started at 0-3, the alarm was sounded and panic struck in Houston. Now, the Rockets appear to be back on track, but their up and down start begs the question: which team is the real Houston Rockets?
The first three games depicted the Rockets as a team that was still playing in the preseason. James Harden was ice cold from the field, Dwight Howard missed two of those games and the team was still coming together as a unit. As a result, they lost by 20 in all three of those games. It was clear that the absence of Howard played a big role in their losses, but the real culprit was Harden’s inability to make shots. Lawson and Patrick Beverley were adjusting to their new roles and everyone seemed to be out of sorts.
Then, the shots started falling. Houston won four in a row and Harden looked like an MVP candidate again. Howard was dominant, and the role players did their jobs. Last season, the Rockets excelled at small ball, and they got back to that during this win streak. However, that only works when the team hits shots. That will be the determining factor of the Rockets’ season in 2015-16, much like it was in 2014-15 when they shot the most three pointers in NBA history.
The trick answer is that both of these teams are the real Houston Rockets. Since they shoot so many three pointers, their games will be decided largely based on their success from behind the arc. They could get hot and win four games in a row, or they could shoot 8 for 34 and lose to the previously winless Brooklyn Nets, like they did on Wednesday night. Given their overall talent level, it is more likely that most nights they will play like they did during the winning streak. However, their style of play dictates how the team will fare, and that’s a calculated risk that they are willing to take. The real Rockets are exactly what we’ve seen so far, and should expect to continue to see for the rest of the season.