By: Paul McGuire
The Houston Rockets lost to the Orlando Magic on Wednesday because they didn't play any defense.
The Houston Rockets beat the San Antonio Spurs today because their defensive intensity hit a gear reminiscent of last season and slammed the door shut on the vaunted Spurs juggernaut.
The personnel was almost entirely the same ( Marcus Thornton was a DNP-CD tonight, while Jason Terry was a DNP-CD against Orlando). The Spurs are obviously a better offensive team than the Magic. So what was the reason? How did the Rockets become this good on defense in the span of two days?
The answer comes down to effort. Effort and execution from everyone on the floor tonight. And I mean everyone, including James Harden.
Yes, Harden. It is frustrating in a sense that we have to single out a good defensive game from Harden like it is something to be proud of, but it is what it is. He actually chased after loose balls, hounded Kawhi Leonard in the third quarter when Trevor Ariza had to sit with four fouls, and was not caught ball-watching like he has so often this season.
The ESPN announcers were clearly confused as they wondered how a Rockets team with Dwight Howard, Clint Capela, Ariza, and Pat Beverley could be a bad defensive team, but with Harden not being a weak link, every player on the floor played their hearts out on the floor. During the 11-0 fourth quarter run which saw Houston take the lead for good, the Rockets looked to force turnovers and disrupt San Antonio's passing game. The Spurs still managed to execute their way towards points, but they did not have any of those amazing plays which make you philosophize about the beauty of team basketball blah blah blah. They did in the first half, but even then Houston's defense largely kept things under control.
That was on defense. And on offense, the big story was the bench. Terrence Jones continued his strong play as of late, and was not manhandled and muscled around by Aldridge like he was in the 2014 playoffs. But most important has been the belated arrival of Ty Lawson after 20 games of awfulness. Like he did in Orlando, Lawson really looked like the player he was supposed to be on his Houston arrival.
It is almost outright shocking how simple Lawson's improved play is, and perhaps we all underestimated just how badly his worry over his off-court habits just affected his play. Lawson is hitting open shots, he has been driving, and he has been making some good passes. It is nothing all that fantastic, and yet it has been such a refreshing difference compared to earlier player which made both Rahat and myself discuss whether he was one of the worst acquisitions in Rockets history.
And with Lawson looking like an actual NBA player, I cannot help but wonder if perhaps the replacement of Thornton with Terry is more positive than might be supposed. Thornton has definitely been a pleasant surprise for Houston this season, and has won games when Harden is off. But he looks for his own shot too often, and will force shots. Terry by contrast plays within his limits and is a much better three-point shooter. If Lawson can be the Harden backup like was envisioned, then Thornton's role may become redundant.
Today, Terry had a near-perfect game, missing only a single free throw, scoring 12 points on just three shots, and forcing turnovers against Manu Ginobili. Over the past two years, Terry has been a model of wily smarts, toughness, and leadership on and off the court. It's crazy that a player who most Rockets fans could not stand for destroying us over and over as a Dallas Maverick has been a terrific Rocket and rose from the dead after looking moribund in Brooklyn and Sacramento.
May Terry, with all of his "35 years" of NBA experience, have 35 years more.
Also, a slight confession to make about the Spurs. I've always admired the Spurs, and Duncan in particular. But all too often, I do think that we are too eager to rhapsodize about Duncan's accomplishments using the standards of his old age. While they are incredible, it sometimes feels like how we might praise an 8-year old's drawing which while good for an 8-year old is hardly going to secure a spot in the Louvre.
But it is still sad to see how this Spurs team really now is the team of Kawhi Leonard and Lamarcus Aldridge, and the famous Duncan-Manu-Parker trio is taking a backseat and enjoying the show. And Kawhi is just such a monster defensively, and now has the offensive iso game to boot so that he can carry the Spurs to another dominant year.
Death. Taxes. The Spurs winning 50 games in a season. These are just inevitabilities, it seems.
Tomorrow, the now over-.500 Rockets will take on a New Orleans Pelicans team that has been even more disappointing. Anthony Davis has actually had a good season, but at the rate things are going, he will end up as the next Kevin Garnett instead of the next Kareem. One player can only do so much at the end of the day.
