Thunderous Intentions
Fansided

NBA Power Rankings week 14: OKC Thunder among the ‘road warriors’

By Tamberlyn Richardson

JANUARY 20: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander #2 of the Oklahoma City Thunder handles the ball during the game against the Houston Rockets (Photo by Cato Cataldo/NBAE via Getty Images)
JANUARY 20: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander #2 of the Oklahoma City Thunder handles the ball during the game against the Houston Rockets (Photo by Cato Cataldo/NBAE via Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
19 of 31
Next
OKC Thunder, NBA Power Rankings Week 14
OKC Thunder, NBA Power Rankings Week 14: Russell Westbrook, and Thabo Sefolosha of the Houston Rockets hi-five each other during the game against the Denver Nuggets (Photo by Bart Young/NBAE via Getty Images) /

team. 169. . 28-17. Previous: 13th. Houston Rockets. 13

Houston Rockets:

Offense:(113.3) 3rd
Defense: (109.4) 15th
Net: (plus +3.9) 8th

Results Week 14: (2-2): Wins vs. Nuggets: 121-105, Wolves: 124-117, Lost vs. Thunder: 107-112,  Nuggets: 110-117
Games Week 15: (4 games) Mon at Jazz | Weds at Blazers | Fri vs. Mavericks | Sun vs. Pelicans
 

Credit the OKC Thunder for kickstarting whatever is ailing James Harden. Although he was forced to sit after taking a knee to his thigh his issues started on January 9th. In that match, single coverage by Terrance Ferguson held Harden to 17 points on 5 of 17 from the field (2 of 9 from deep).

In the next meeting between the clubs, he scored 29 points but needed 29 shot attempts and 13 trips to the line to amass those points as he made only nine shots from the field and shot 1 of 17 from deep. Worse still? His defender was undrafted rookie Luguentz Dort.

During his eight-game malaise Harden (he sat out the last game versus the Nuggets) is shooting 22.9 percent from deep and if you go back one game despite the win over the Hawks he shot 4 of 20 from long range.

Could it be his typical iron man nature has finally hit a wall? Or is he so used to having the ball in his hands that making time for Russell Westbrook to play make (who is feasting over the same period by the way) has thrown off his shooting rhythm?

Including that first loss to the Thunder, the Rockets are 3-6 since with two of the wins versus the flailing Wolves. And Harden’s production (or lack thereof) is a big reason why.

The Rockets enter week 15 with the same number of wins as the Mavericks and Thunder (28). OKC has already won the tiebreak versus Houston and Dallas won the first meeting with three more contests to come including one this week.

The concern, however, is while Westbrook is playing his best ball since joining Houston it’s not translating into wins and that’s a big problem.

Home/Thunder News