Championship Aspirations
5 reasons why the Houston Rockets can win the NBA Title
Oct 23, 2019, 11:52 am
Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images
The drama the NBA off season brings us every year leads fans to newfound optimism; some with a demented expectation because of fandom, others justified.
When the final buzzer sounded crowning the Toronto Raptors the NBA Champions, a few players such as Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving were now being painted to different teams, while others like Kawhi Leonard had the keys to how things would play out in free agency and where the dominoes would fall.
After the blocks fell and the dust settled, the Houston Rockets jumped in the chaos and made a move that will change the direction of this franchise for the foreseeable future. The Rocket's acquisition of Russell Westbrook while being able to unload an aging Chris Paul and keeping most of their roster intact puts Daryl Morey's experiment as a top 5 contender.
Now we look for answers that can only be found once we see this team hits the court, Thursday brings us the first opportunity to take that look.
Here are 5 Reasons why the Houston Rockets can win the NBA Title.
1) The Obvious- Russell Westbrook joining the team
- MVP- Check
- 8x time All-Star-Check
- 2x All-Star Game MVP-Check
- 8x All-NBA selection-Check
- 2× NBA scoring champion-Check
- 2x NBA assists leader-Check
When you add a player with this type of resume, it automatically leads you to believe the roster is improved. The mystery now remains how can coach Mike D'Antoni make the puzzle fit. The familiarity of the two superstars going back to growing up and then playing at OKC and with team USA could lead to on-court success. The roster undoubtedly improved on paper, now housing two bonafide talents that finished top 10 in MVP voting in each of the past five seasons, and both placed in the top-five in the same season three times over that span.
2) Trust
Over the years rumors have come out about other NBA players aspiring to play with James Harden and whether it was becoming a problem with his style of play. Bringing in someone Harden has a close relationship with and someone the beard pressed for will do wonders for the locker room this season. We think back at the rumors of a feud between Chris Paul and James Harden during the playoffs last year, is that something you want to worry about coming into this season? Now I use the word rumor, because thats all it was, nothing was ever confirmed, but where there is smoke, there is fire.
Trust is essential here as we saw players like Austin Rivers and Clint Capela come out and back the Rockets statements saying things weren't true and how much they trust in Harden's game and style of play. Was the quarrel between Paul and Harden over the way the superstar played in closing quarters and in big moments in playoff games? That's something Harden has been noted for time after time. We all know that even the best of friends can argue, so how will this all play out in late-game situations or when the team struggles? The question going into this season is can Westbrook bring the best out of Harden in situations where some say he's checked out in the past.
3) Change of Pace
Last season the Rockets finished the regular season 27th in pace (98.39). During the playoffs, they were 10th (97.26) playing at an even slower pace. Rostering two players like Paul and Harden that slow the game down can sometimes work against you in situations or matchups where you need to speed up the game. Russell Westbrook plays a completely different game and when on the court the Thunder played at a pace of 104.34.
In Westbrook's 2016-17 MVP season, the Thunder were fifth in pace leading him to his career-high in PPG at 31.6. The downfall is it also was his career-high in turnovers per game at 5.4. The following season his points dipped to 25.4 PPG, as did the Thunder's pace, finishing 20th. Last season Westbrook's team once again moved into the top 10 in pace (9th) but he had his lowest points per game output since 2013-2014.
I see a change of pace as a good thing that the Rockets will perfect as the season progresses. At times last season the offense seemed stagnant, this will give Houston the ability to attack in a different fashion. Over the years we've seen plenty of Westbrook's ability to rebound turn and get up court resulting in fast break points and open shots.
4) Experience
When looking at this Rockets team you see a ton of experience and that will be focal to keeping this team improving.
Russell Westbrook-12th season
Eric Gordon-12th season
James Harden-11th season
PJ Tucker-9th season
Austin Rivers-8th Season
Clint Capela-6th season
Honorable mention- Nene-18th (although now on the court much, mentally in a locker room he helps not to mention the practice he gives the younger guys)
Notably, Houston went out and added a few more players who will add to the team's overall experience
Tyson Chandler-19th season
Thabo Sefolosha-14th season
Ryan Anderson-12th season (He's back)
Ben McLemore-7th season
Houston enters the season with the most experience with an average of 8.9 years. There is one issue with this as it also makes the Rockets the oldest team in the NBA with an average age of 29.7. The time is now for a team with a small window to experiment.
5) A New NBA era
We all know how much the Warriors have dominated the league the last couple of seasons, even without winning the Championship last year. But the powerhouse that was built in Golden State looks to be vulnerable with the departure of key players and a Klay Thompson injury that will put the weight on the shoulders of Steph Curry. Can he carry it? He has before but the shift of powers in the Western Conference points me to believe this will be a down season for the Warriors with Curry being less than 100% healthy over the past few seasons. One injury that causes Curry to miss extended time would plummet the Warriors season. Head Coach Steve Kerr said publicly this week that he didn't think Klay Thompson would be back this season, with that said if the team is struggling why would they risk it.
According to Vegas here are the top 5 favorites
Los Angeles Clippers 7/2
Los Angeles Lakers 4/1
Milwaukee Bucks 6-1
Philadelphia 76ers 8/1
Houston Rockets 8/1
The interesting thing here is how will these top teams deal with load management becoming somewhat of a ritual in the NBA?We know the Lakers will use it plenty with LeBron James, how many games with managing time and injuries will Anthony Davis be good for?In the last 3 years, Davis and James have missed a combined 75 games, and yes last season was somewhat of an outlier as the future of both players and their franchises had a lot to do with the games played but Davis has never played an 82 game season in his previous 7 years. LeBron had his eyes already set on this season, risking further injuries would have been pointless.
Kawhi Leonard and Paul George are another tandem the are known to miss games and as no surprise, we enter the season with George recovering from an injury. Last year Leonard only played 60 games and I look for the load management to continue as that was a big factor in him signing with LA.
Joel Embiid another Superstar on a top 5 contender that misses extended amounts of time often and is used with precaution at times during the season. In his first three seasons, Embiid has played 31, 63 and 64 games. That's not something that can be relied upon.
Now let's look at the Houston duo
Harden's games played last 4 seasons
82
81
72
78
Westbrook
80
81
80
73
Being on the court together will be essential in getting in-game adjustments right and will be crucial for seeding. Of the Western Conference favorites, I look for the Rockets to get the most on-court time out of their star players. Seeding and getting home court in an extremely competitive conference will be key for Houston's title aspirations.
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The Houston Astros and Seattle Mariners return from the All-Star break with no time to ease in. Instead, the two top teams in the American League West jump straight into a three-game clash at T-Mobile Park that could shape the tone of the division race as the second half gets underway.
Houston enters the weekend at 56-40, holding a five-game edge over Seattle and holding off a division that refuses to go quietly. The Astros stumbled into the break with a 1-5 homestand, but their body of work across the first half, especially offensively, still makes them the standard in the West. Friday marks the eighth meeting between the clubs this year, with Houston currently holding a slight 4-3 edge in the season series.
The Astros hand the ball to lefty Brandon Walter (1-2, 3.98 ERA), a name that’s quietly become more relevant in a rotation still trying to stabilize. Walter has walked just two batters across his first 40 2/3 innings and carries a tidy 1.008 WHIP into Friday’s matchup. With the Astros still without Yordan Alvarez, Jeremy Peña, and Jake Meyers, they’ll need pitching to hold serve until reinforcements arrive, or deals are made.
The Mariners will counter with their ace, right-hander Luis Castillo (6-5, 3.41 ERA), who has been Seattle’s most consistent arm. Castillo has 93 strikeouts and has historically pitched well at home, where the Mariners are 25-21 this season. He’ll look to neutralize a Houston offense that, while banged up, is still dangerous, particularly when the ball leaves the yard. The Astros are 21-6 in games when they hit two or more home runs.
Jose Altuve has been on a tear, going 16-for-37 over his last 10 games with four homers and 14 RBIs. He’s part of an Astros lineup that ranks ninth in OPS and first in batting average on the year. Isaac Paredes continues to provide pop with a team-best 19 home runs, and the team as a whole is hitting .269 over its last 10 games. But pitching has wobbled a bit lately, posting a 4.60 ERA in that same span.
Seattle, meanwhile, comes in having won six of 10, outscoring opponents by 17 runs across that stretch. Cal Raleigh continues to be a force in the middle of the order with 38 home runs and 82 RBIs, while J.P. Crawford has quietly sparked the lineup with a .341 average and six RBIs in his last 10 contests. The Mariners are also getting healthier on the mound, and their rotation,once thin, is now a looming threat.
It’s only July, and the cliché says it’s just another series. But with the trade deadline two weeks away and the division gap sitting at five games, both teams understand what this weekend could mean. A Seattle sweep tightens the race dramatically. A Houston series win could widen the gap enough to change the calculus in the front office war rooms.
The stakes are high, the rosters aren’t at full strength, and the calendar is only getting shorter. That’s the recipe for a classic Astros-Mariners showdown.
BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Mariners -134, Astros +113; over/under is 7 1/2 runs
Here's an early look at the Astros lineup for Game 1!
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What stands out? Cam Smith is back in the two-spot with Christian Walker hitting cleanup. He's followed by DH Victor Caratini, Yainer Diaz (C), Taylor Trammell (CF), Mauricio Dubon (SS), and Brice Matthews at second base.
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