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What a spectacular match awaits in Houston between two powerhouses in the Western Conference. Local Rockets are having a stunning season so far, standing 3rd in the Conference with decent chances to go even higher. James Harden is also on fire and it looks like Rockets are prepared to fly high this season. However, they will have to go through a huge Thunder from Oklahoma, inspired by Russell Westbrook. Thunder is one of the biggest surprises this season and they are proving that a team can lose Durant and still be among the best. So, we will see an ultimate fight between Rockets and Thunder, or more precisely – Harden versus Westbrook. Those two guys used to be teammates, but now they are main contenders for this season’s MVP.
Houston Rockets
Last season Rockets had an average 41-41 record during regular season, which was enough to clinch that last spot in the play-offs… just in order to miserably lose to Golden State Warriors. For a team like Rockets, that season could not be called great by any means. Actually, many experts named Rockets the most disappointing team last year, so no wonder that fans were expecting some changes coming into 2016-2017.
Those changes have come to Houston. Rockets owner has changed quite a few things during the off-season, the most important being letting go of Dwight Howard, and signing a new coach – Mike D’Antoni. D’Antoni is known for his tactical skills on the offensive end of the court. Combining it with Harden’s talent, it can only mean trouble for opponents.
So, it looks like all the changes during the off-season were just perfect for this team, and Rockets are an impressive 26-9 coming to this game. They are also holding a 16-2 record and the best run in the whole Western Conference to start 2017. The only concern is Rockets defense, which is not that bad compared to the last season, but still not good enough to make them real Championship contenders.
One true leader – James Harden
The entire Houston Rockets team is relying on the explosive offense and three point shooting. The only guy who cannot shoot from beyond the arc is Capela, but he recently broke his leg and will miss at least a couple of months before coming back on the court.
Eric Gordon, Ryan Anderson, Nene, and Trevor Ariza are all very important to this team. Especially when it comes to scoring. However, none of them are at least close to the level of James Harden, who is a real contender for MVP this season.
So, James Harden is averaging 28 points, 8 rebounds, and 12 assists per game. All those numbers are the highest in the whole team and that only proves that Rockets is a team, which is fully dependent on Harden's skills. On top of that, James Harden making 44.5 percent of his field goals and 35.6 percent of three-pointers. Those numbers are highly increased compared to last season and only shows that Harden has matured as a player and started to make more reasonable decisions. He is also playing as a point guard for this season. 12 assists per game prove that D'Antoni has made a right decision to make Harden play as a point guard.
Oklahoma City Thunder
Victor Oladipo is back to Thunder rotation after missing most of the December, so fans must be positive in the beginning of 2017. Thunder has won 13 of their last 19 games; they are currently 7th in the Western Conference, and there is only a one victory gap between them and 4th place. That will only give Thunder more energy coming into a game against Rockets.
Also, James Harden used to play for Thunder before moving to Houston. I bet that whole Thunder team with Russell Westbrook up front, will want to show Harden what he lost. On the other hand, Thunder will have to prepare some spectacular defensive schemes to stop Rockets leader because I bet that he will have some extra energy to prove Thunder wrong.
So, even though, Thunder are playing some great basketball so far, they will be asked for something extra in order to come out victorious. In my eyes, that extra will be Russell Westbrook's defense against James Harden. We shall see.
Thunder belongs to Russell Westbrook
Of course, the main true leader of this Thunder team is Russell Westbrook. The guy is playing explosive basketball and he ended up 2016, averaging a triple double per game! That is sick, but it looks like Russ is not ready to stop. I can only imagine how media would lose their heads (and escalate it for years) if Westbrook would finish the season with such stats.
What impresses me the most is that Russell Westbrook is trying to learn how to play basketball not only trusting his physical phenomenon, but also using his brains. Yes, he is still far from being the most intelligent player on the court, but the progress is visible by a clear mile. If Westbrook will continue to improve in this tempo, I am afraid to think how good he will be in a couple of years.
As for the moment, Westbrook is still a beast, but with sometimes questionable and rushed decisions. Some consistency behind the arc and extra basketball IQ can make him the best on the planet.
Of course, there are other guys as well. Victor Oladipo is a solid second option in the offense. He is back from injury and already scoring 18 points per game on 4/6 three point shooting. That can only mean good for Thunder fans.
Steven Adams has found his scoring game, averages 12 points, and is playing the main big guy of this OKC team. Also, other big guys like Kanter, Sabonis, and Lauvergne are always waiting for their moments and usually capitalize on them.
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Presenter: @writingamigo
Originally, Kasparas is from Lithuania, and that automatically means that he is crazy for basketball. He is a geek for sports as he grew up watching everything that was airing (even curling once). Nowadays, Kasparas is practicing kick-box and traveling around Central & South America. The biggest heartbreak in his life so far, was when Italy beat Lithuania in 2004 Olympic basketball semi-finals.