Familiar Faces in Different Places: Houston Rockets vs. Oklahoma City Thunder First Round Preview

Familiar Faces in Different Places:  Houston Rockets vs. Oklahoma City Thunder First Round Preview

Hello, Old Friend.    Blockbusted.    Revenge is a Dish Best Served… a la Russ.    

“What the hell happened here?, the world’s next Batman asks… “It hasn’t happened yet,” Denzel Washington’s son replies in the cinematic event of the century, Tenet. Christopher Nolan, a director ahead of (and obsessed with) time. His magnum opus is a revolutionary picture never before seen in film history. Similarly captivating to Houston’s small ball lineup for spectators when it debuted. People asked themselves, what the hell happened here? The real question is what the hell just happened here? Houston starts their playoff journey in the bubble against none other than former-Rocket Chris Paul, and the Oklahoma City Thunder. So, what the hell happened here!? CP3 was supposed to be the injury-prone old man, on his last legs, reaching for a cane as he ponders retirement. Houston shipped Paul off to OKC for Russell Westbrook. The durable energizer bunny who rarely gets injured, despite coming off knee surgery to start the season. But, as we start this series… Westbrook, not Paul, will be out with an injury as this battle gets under way. CP3 is playing exceptional basketball, pushing a young, dangerous Thunder team’s expectations to infinity and beyond. And the Rockets are once again acquainted with the all-too-familiar playoff injury bug, arriving earlier than expected this season. Houston traded Paul to avoid this exact scenario, but now it’s Westbrook with an injury to start the series. Whether you believe in bad luck or not superstars getting injured for the Rockets in the playoffs this century has been a trend. From Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming, to Chris Paul and Russell Westbrook, the list goes on. Don’t believe me? Look up the franchise’s history.

For the third year in a row, Houston will begin the playoffs with Chris Paul on the court… only this time, he’s not with the good guys. It’s unknown how long Russ will be absent for the Rockets, but he’s officially out for Game 1, and expected to miss at least Game 2. Westbrook is rumored to return this weekend, but only time will tell. So how do the Russ-less Rockets survive a couple games against Paul? A man hell-bent on getting revenge against the squad who swapped his abilities for “healthier” youth. Houston’s going to need Eric Gordon and Austin Rivers, both capable isolation players, to attack and be aggressive. Then Rockets also need The Revitalization of Jeff Green to continue. “Uncle Jeff” has been a perfect fit since his arrival in Houston. And against a big Thunder team, Green will be tasked, along with P.J. Tucker, to stop the likes of Steven Adams, Nerlens Noel, and other bigs for OKC. Hopefully, Benny Mac can find the shooting rhythm he had during the first half of the bubble, and others knock down open shots. Without Westbrook’s presence, Houston is going to need everyone to step up. Chris Paul is one of the smartest, if not the smartest point guard fo all time. He’s the definition of a coach on the floor. And he’s going to have the Thunder ready to bring a storm. There’s nothing CP3 wants more than to knock off his former team and rub it in their face. The Rockets have to be ready for a war. This series is personal.

Ironically enough, Houston has several players who used to play for OKC, all at the same time, in the NBA Finals. This was a decade ago and featured Brodie, James Harden, Jeff Green, and if we’re talking outside the bubble, Thabo Sefolosha was on that squad that also featured Kevin Durant. They were young guns back then, and lost to LeBron’s Miami Heat in the Finals. If those players were all on the same team today, we’d have a superteam on our hands similar to what the Warriors displayed the past few seasons, before injuries pushed them into oblivion. This Thunder team is much different, yet still dangerous to a Rockets team starting this battle without Westbrook. OKC elite’s three-headed perimeter monster of CP3, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Dennis Schroder is lethal. Paul has, in particular, shaped SGA into becoming an All-Star caliber player. Danilo Gallinari has also found a home in OKC, fitting into their system seamlessly as a deadly sniper. The Beard, Eric Gordon, Austin Rivers, and the rest of Houston’s perimeter defense need to be ready for OKC’s outside threat. Steven Adams is still a reliable beast in the paint, one of the league’s toughest players. The Rockets will throw P.J. Tucker, Jeff Green and others at the Aussie in battles for rebounds and loose balls.

Houston still has the best player in this series, the Beard. And they’re going to need James Harden to play at the level he played during last season’s “Unguardable Tour.” The Beard’s had a solid stretch in the bubble bubble, and for the third straight year, finished as the NBA’s leading scorer. The Rockets are going to need every point from Harden, and hope he continues to shoot with efficiency and be stellar defensively, especially in the post. Chris Paul will obviously be the straw that stirs OKC’s drink as they try and splash a storm on the Houston’s title hopes. If Harden can outplay CP3, and the Rockets are disciplined defensively, they should win this series… even with Brodie missing a few games. But it’s not going to be easy. Harden and Paul’s relationship didn’t end well in Houston, and these squads aren’t going to be the slightest bit friendly. Expect an intense, competitive series that will go at least six games. Even with Westbrook, OKC is a tough out. Without Brodie to begin, the Rockets need to be extra sharp, or this series could go the distance. Contrary to Houston’s speedy up-and-down style of play, Paul and the Thunder love to slow the game down. OKC plays at the second slowest pace in the NBA, setting up a series featuring a battle of styles. The Beard vs. The Point God. A testy battle between past teammates and future Hall-of-Famers promises to be must-see TV, one of the best first round series the NBA has to offer.

The blockbuster trade for Westbrook will be deemed a failure if Houston can’t at least beat the guy they traded him for, especially if Brodie returns and the Rockets lose. Although it’ll be tough, Houston’s still versatile and talented, with enough veteran experience to beat the Thunder. I hope. Given their title aspirations, it would be embarrassing for the Rockets to lose to OKC, a team no one considers a contender. Will Harden’s leadership be enough? Or will Westbrook’s absence, and the lack of perimeter shots punish the Rockets, and end Houston’s playoff dreams too soon? Thankfully, time doesn’t move too fast. Luckily for NBA fans, this series has yet to begin. Time hasn’t run out on this highly anticipated first round-matchup. It hasn’t happened yet. But the clock’s ticking. Buckle up… we’re in for quite an epic showdown.

Series Prediction:  Rockets in 6