NBA: The Six Biggest Surprises From The First Half Of The 2016-17 Season
The Houston Rockets Are Really Good
After falling short of expectations last season, which included firing Kevin McHale early in the year, I don’t think anyone predicted the Houston Rockets to be a top 3 seed in the Western Conference in the month of January.
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Mike D’Antoni, who right now might be the favorite for the NBA’s Coach of the Year award, deserves a lot of that credit. During the month of December, the Rockets went 15-2, beating every team on their schedule except the Utah Jazz and San Antonio Spurs.
The Rockets rank third in the NBA in offensive rating, only behind the Warriors and Raptors. Houston is also sixth in the league in three-point shooting, hitting the long ball at a 37 percent clip. They’re also attempted a league-high 40 three’s per game.
Perhaps the biggest factor in the Rockets’ turnaround, though, is the decision to make James Harden the team’s “full-time” point guard. It was a brilliant decision by D’Antoni, even though many laughed him off during training camp.
Harden is averaging a career-high in points, rebounds and assists – 28 points, eight rebounds and 12 assists per contest. Harden leads the NBA in assists and is posting a 27.99 Player Efficiency Rating this season, the highest its ever been for his career.
Houston just isn’t about Harden, though. Patrick Beverley’s defense can’t be overlooked. Neither can the rebirth of Eric Gordon, who is averaging nearly 18 points per game on 40 percent shooting from distance.
The Rockets have been scary good.