Former Houston Rockets star thinks team missed title window

Houston Rockets 2017-2018.

Pain. Pleasure. A total of 65 victories and only 17 defeats.

Twenty-seven missed three points. Heartbreak. Chris Paul’s hamstrings. Suffering.

Could the Rockets have won it all if Paul had been healthy?

Trevor Ariza thinks so.

Let’s be honest, Ariza has to say it. He won’t tell anyone that the Rockets would have lost with a healthy Paul.

That said, he may be right.

Let’s talk about the 2017-18 Houston Rockets

They had the best offensive rating in the NBA (114.7) and the sixth-best defensive rating (106.1). This results in the best net rating in the NBA (+8.7).

It was the best team in the NBA.

Like the NBA runner-up Dallas Mavericks, the Rockets have built their offense around their backcourt and their defense around their frontcourt. This team was built to beat the Warriors with a game-changing defense. Clint Capela could survive in space, and if he got cooked, the Rockets could go small.

Offensively, Harden was the system – at least most of the time. His astronomical usage rates have changed basketball, but no man is an island. When Harden needed a rest, Paul took over.

This changes the entire dynamic of the Rockets. When Harden was running the offense, the Rockets were a statistical marvel. Almost every field goal attempt was a dunk or a three.

This was an offensive system with an extremely high ceiling. He also sometimes hit a low floor. When those three weren’t falling, the Rockets’ system tended to collapse.

This is why Paul was the ideal person. When Harden’s approach hesitated, Paul executed a return pick-and-roll. Probing the defense until he was able to find either his patented mid-range or an open teammate, Paul was a safety valve.

Without him, the Rockets had only one approach.

That’s not to say the Rockets would have won with Paul.

Of course, they were up 3-2 against the Warriors when Paul got hurt. They still had to defeat LeBron James and the Cavaliers in the Finals if they made it to the Finals. We will never know what could have happened.

However, Ariza has a pretty good feeling.