http://www.nba.com/article/2017/09/16/30-teams-30-days-houston-rockets media conspiracy 30 Teams in 30 Days: Houston Rockets hope title chances get boost with addition of Chris Paul A year after putting ball in James Harden's hands, franchise hopes backcourt starters can mesh quickly Shaun Powell @Powell2daPeopleArchive Sep 17, 2017 10:19 AM ET Today's team: Houston Rockets 2016-17 Record: 55-27 Who’s new: Chris Paul (trade), Luc Mbah a Moute (free agency), PJ Tucker (free agency). Who’s gone: Patrick Beverley, Lou Williams, Sam Dekker, Montrezl Harrell. The Lowdown: Boosted by an MVP-like effort from James Harden, the Rockets won 55 games but only reached the second round. After the season ended, the Rockets headed into the offseason looking to get more help for Harden. It’s not easy to add a franchise-type player, but when you have the chance to pair him with your own, you go for it. Yes, there could be chemistry issues, and maybe an initial adjustment, and perhaps the new guy will be tough to keep beyond one year … and, so what? Paul and Harden on the same team. What possibly could go wrong? The Rockets and GM Daryl Morey decided to roll with any potential downside when they swung a deal with the Clippers for Paul, one of the best point guards of his generation. Paul checks all the boxes; he’s a solid shooter, defender, first-rate leader and passer, and can be counted on to take big shots. Those are the pluses. He also has never reached the conference finals and is on the wrong side of 30 and he’ll be looking for big money next summer. By trading for him without a parachute, the Rockets have ceded most leverage in the upcoming contract talks to Paul, because if he leaves, they’ll have nothing to show for the deal except broken dreams. But that’s a story for next summer. Right now, Harden has a mighty co-star and a fair chance to raise the Rockets among the two or three very best teams in the NBA. It all depends on how he and Paul mesh. Harden played point guard last season in a system that new coach Mike D’Antoni designed for him, and the transition went well enough to make the MVP race with eventual winner Russell Westbrook an interesting one. D’Antoni discovered what everyone already knew, that Harden is ball-dominant and flourishes when he’s at the controls of the offense. The recurring scene was Harden dribbling upcourt, then dribbling around the perimeter, then either launching a step-back three-pointer or driving to the rim or dishing to one of four teammates standing on the three-point circle. He’s so difficult to guard one-on-one, given his ability to break down a defense, which made the Rockets tough to stop especially when the shots fell. But with Paul around, he and Harden must take turns playing off the ball. Paul has the ability to do that; his shooting, especially at mid-range, is solid enough. But does Harden have the mentality to become a catch-and-shooter? That’s a tougher call, simply because he seldom did so in this system. more at the link
Signed, Tariq Black and Chinese Fans Who’s new: Chris Paul (trade), Luc Mbah a Moute (free agency), PJ Tucker (free agency
I always find it surprising of how shallow the proffesional sports articles on the main media sites are. Even a specialised site for the NBA. Literally said nothing.
The rockets decided to roll the dice, will they get better... maybe not. Stay tuned for the next episode of Dragon ball Z.
