- Blasphemy, I know. It’s only been five games, and neither Dwight Howard or James Harden are on the same stratosphere as Hakeem Olajuwon. But as I had been noting back to preseason, there’s a very different feel to this team right now, distinct from what we had become accustomed to in the past few years. Through the duration of the Yao Ming era, overlapped primarily by Jeff Van Gundy’s tenure as head coach, the team was characterized by hard-nosed defense, regularly ranking amongst the best in the league in various defensive categories. Even after Van Gundy was succeeded by the offensive-minded Rick Adelman, this ethos remained intact (though it has been posited that much of this could be attributed to the players held over into the succeeding reign, evidenced by the drastic dropoff upon the departure of certain incumbent players). In recent years, the focus shifted back to offense, with the team’s best player one of the league’s most dangerous in that area. This year, they’ve reclaimed the defense, while retaining the superstar power they didn’t have during the Kyle Lowry/Shane Battier/Chuck Hayes days of the franchise’s history. Simply put, it’s a 1995esque blend of individual greatness mixed in with workmanlike grit at the other end. And this team looks the same as those ones did too, featuring less pick and rolls than they did the previous season, opting to spread the floor with Harden ISO’s and Howard postups, and dotting the perimeter with dangerous shooting. On defense, they are suffocating opponents at critical points.
- Miami was Houston’s first true test of the season and the Rockets rose to the challenge, their two stars posting All-NBA numbers, and their defense strangling the life out of the Heat upon every mini run. This team would be 3-2 last season, but this year, they’re responding to every threat, ramping up their intensity rather than merely trying to outscore the opponent. The defense has been infectious with a springier Dwight Howard anchoring the middle, and the ever-active Patrick Beverley and Trevor Ariza clamping down on the perimeter. James Harden has caught the cold too, exhibiting determination we hadn’t known was possible, closing out ferociously on shooters and staying active in the passing lanes. It’s been a complete 180 for Harden, and the Heat announcers took ample time to praise his efforts, primarily in transitional sprints.
- Right now, Harden is the MVP, and if things hold form, he could win the whole thing, though the season is very, very young. He’s coupled the same devastating offense with the aforementioned defensive focus, and now his team sits at the very top of the NBA standings. If he finished 5th a year ago amidst all the negative press (Harden is probably the most unliked star in the league), he should be Top 3 bare minimum if Houston finishes where they seem they will in the standings. The other hopefuls appear to be the prodigal son in Cleveland, and the pair of All-NBAers in L.A., though the latter two teammates may steal votes from one another. I do not think the Pelicans will win enough games to merit Anthony Davis serious consideration. But if the Rockets take home the 2nd seed, Harden averages at least 26 a game and manages to force a corrective regarding his narrative, he could find himself at the podium by season’s end. Voter fatigue is real and I don’t think Lebron is the favorite.
- At the least, could those of you who plan to be in the stands on Thursday night shower the man with some love upon his trips to the line? I do not recall an MVP chant in Houston since Tracy McGrady’s last functional season, and they always manage to give me slight chills when actually merited. Having a truly elite player is a very, very rare thing.
- On Harden’s defense: in any domain, there is always a considerable lag between conventional wisdom and reality/truth, whereby the former must catch up. Most of the world still doesn’t know yet, that the Beard is a new man, so the jokes will continue. He just needs to continue the focus and continue winning.
- What more can be said about Trevor Ariza who is doing everything anyone could have dreamed up for a small forward for this team. When he poked the ball away from Dwyane Wade in the closing minute, bringing it down to casually splash another triple, the play embodied everything he’s meant to this club, and everything upon which so many philosophical discussions had been centered the past two years: 3 & D. “I’m not entirely sure Chandler Parsons and James Harden can coexist on a team with title aspirations,” I had mused after the Portland loss, and now I’m understanding why. This team needed defense.
- Donatas Motiejunas, filling in for the injured Terrence Jones, played much better than the box score indicates, rotating smartly and overall playing physical defense. To say that Motiejunas has struggled would be an understatement, but it would not be fair to say he was disastrous last night, despite the foul troubles. Still, he’s going to have to turn it around, and soon, or I’m afraid he could lose his roster spot.
- The team seems to be featuring far more Dwight Howard post-ups this season, leading one to wonder if last summer’s performance had some impact on this year’s strategy. Howard killed the Blazers, but the Inside the NBA crew noted that “everyone else is just standing around because this isn’t how they played during the year.” This time, they’re incorporating it from Day 1, and that anchor is allowing everyone else to rest. A good inside presence is like a good run game, where you can gain short yardage without going all out.
- Patrick Beverley returned from injury, nailing four triples, adding rebirth to my previous belief that he is the ideal fit at point guard next to James Harden. If he hits his threes, with his defense, he’s perfect; when he doesn’t, it is a tough pill to swallow, because he can’t create.
- Fearless prediction: by season’s end, Kostas Papanikolaou will be featured in the Delfino role, closing out games at the power forward spot.
