The Houston Rockets continue to fire on all cylinders coming into their matchup with the San Antonio Spurs riding an 11-game win streak. Their dominance thus far has immediately put them in the discussion of the best team in the NBA.
The biggest reason has been thanks to their superstar backcourt pairing of point guard Chris Paul and shooting guard James Harden. However, the dominance of the Rockets has come as somewhat of a surprise to those who were unsure how, or if, the new dynamic would work. According to ESPN's Alykhan Bijani, Popovich had no doubts that the two would flourish together:
“Well they were wrong. Whoever those guys have been talking to. Those are two of the best players in the league. You’re not going to find a better leader, tougher competitor than Chris Paul. Nobody can guard James Harden. That’s a good problem. And Mike's [D'Antoni] philosophy works great with those guys and everybody else that's been put together here. So they're having a great year. There's a reason for it, it fits and they’re (Rockets) a monster. No doubt about it.”
Although both Paul and Harden had been well-established as two of the NBA's most elite players, there was still some speculation that they would struggle with touches. Despite their reputation as ball-dominant players, they have undoubtedly made it work thus far in the season.
Aside from the Rockets being a known offensive juggernaut, they have managed to become one of the most formidable defensive teams in the league as well. That said, skeptics have no choice now but to eat their words with Houston currently sitting atop the powerhouse Western Conference.
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