OKC Thunder: Regrading Russell Westbrook trade to Rockets – one year later
Is the Rockets’ micro ball system only good for one of their superstars?
Although the Rockets initially looked like they had the magic elixir with the small ball system it quickly wore on the team who lost four of their last five games entering the season suspension. Undoubtedly having to consistently run and push the ball in transition coupled with the need to rebound and defend against much larger teams took a toll.
Harden, in particular, witnessed regression in several areas of his game in the new system. To wit, through the 47 games, he played pre-trade deadline he averaged 35.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 7.3 assists in 37.2 minutes. His shooting splits were 43.6 percent from the field on 23.7 shot attempts, 36 percent from the perimeter on 13 attempts, and 86.7 percent from the charity stripe on 12.1 attempts.
In the 14 games, he played after the trade deadline he averaged 29.4 points (-6.4), 5.9 rebounds (-0.6), and 7.5 assists (+0.2) in 35.2 minutes (-2 mins).
His shooting splits tell the real story as he shot 43.1 percent from the field on 19.6 shot attempts, 32.5 percent from the perimeter on 11.4 attempts, and 83.8 percent from the charity stripe on 10.6 attempts.
His shot attempts decreased as did his effectiveness and maybe most concerning was the free throw attempts. Notably, the 11.4 attempts are generous based on which games he got to the line with ease. In six matches versus lottery teams, he shot 78 free throws or 13 per game.
In the nine matches against playoff teams, the attempts drop to 9.0, however, there is an outlier game in the mix. Houston played Boston twice in this period with him getting 18 attempts in the first match versus three in the second. Removing the first Celtics game from the mix he averaged 6.5 FTA in the other eight matches against playoff squads.
And while the Rockets jumped out to a 7-2 start after the switch they lost four of their last five games before the hiatus and looked completely spent.
That could be why James Harden spent the hiatus losing what appears to be about 30 pounds. The biggest question the Rockets will face in Orlando is whether they’ll be able to sustain energy throughout the remainder of the season and playoffs. And, will Harden’s slimmed-down frame be able to take the constant defensive beating he’ll undoubtedly deal with.
The Rockets record against top tier teams is middling (15-11) and in clutch situations, they struggle — 4-5 in matches decided by three points or less.
The Thunder won the season series two games to one but haven’t played the new-look micro-ball iteration.