Rockets Aim for 5 Straight as a Familiar Face, Wizards Come to Town
Chemistry. Togetherness. Teamwork. Talent. Talent is the most important element of basketball. If you don’t have talent, you’re not in the league. Look at me. I have talent, but not that kind of talent. That kind of talent is at the core of winning. Just look at James Harden. The Rockets are riding a 4-game winning streak, almost exclusively courtesy of the Beard. Harden’s playing the best basketball of his life, as he carries a Houston team that otherwise wouldn’t have a chance at 5 in a row tonight. Chris Paul and Eric Gordon haven’t been themselves, struggling shooting the ball and are in a slump. They’ll be back to being the CP3 and EG we’re used to seeing at Toyota Center. Splashing 3’s from deep, while being integral parts of victories. The Rockets are fine. They have James Harden, and he’s been better than ever. That’s where that kind of talent comes into play. But without chemistry, togetherness, and teamwork, good luck winning a lot of games in NBA competition. A championship? Without chemistry, teamwork, and togetherness you can forget about that. You’ve got no shot. Just look at the history of Championship teams and great teams in general. Name one that didn’t have chemistry, teamwork, and togetherness. I’ll wait. Can’t find any? That’s right, there are none. Without those 3 elements, an NBA basketball team can’t win enough games to be great or be a champion. It’s common sense. That at times, sadly, gets overlooked. Tonight, Rockets fans will get a reminder of one of the reasons that made last season’s team the franchise’s best in it’s 51-year history. Trevor Ariza makes his first debut in an opposing team’s uniform since leaving in free agency last summer, as the Wizards come to Houston. Ariza brought those 3 elements. Chemistry, togetherness, and teamwork to the Rockets record-setting season last year, and was one of the main reasons for the team’s historical success. James Harden and Chris Paul were superstars and led the team. P.J. Tucker emerged as the best hustle player in the league. Clint Capela showed Rockets fans why the organization drafter him. Last season, the Rockets won a franchise-record 65 games. Do you think they would have won 65 games if Trevor Ariza wasn’t on that team? I don’t. In my opinion, Trevor Ariza is one of the greatest “glue-guys” in NBA history. He brings all the intangibles to the table. Sacrifices ego for the good of the team. I’m not saying talented players don’t do that, but Trevor is talented too! He just puts whatever team he’s on first because he’s all about winning. He has a ring. None of these Rockets players do, and one of the main reason’s Houston was a hamstring injury away from winning a title last year is Trevor Ariza. Admit it or not, the Rockets miss him. And boy could they use him now. It was a gut-punch when news hit a few days ago, about his trade to the Wizards, after months of speculation that he may return to the team mid-season. Houston’s currently on a 4-game winning streak, and are playing what appears to be their best ball of the year. James Harden has been the main reason for Houston’s current success. The Beard’s playing basketball like his life depends on it. Once CP3 and EG get back to form, the team will be performing at topnotch levels. But, let’s look at the big picture. The Rockets are 15-14 this season through 29 games. Last year, Houston was a staggering 25-4 through 29 games. They got off to a really hot start. But the Rockets lost only 17 games last year, and are only 3 games away from already matching that mark this early into the season. They’re going to lose more than 17 games this year. Unless James Harden has the best season in NBA history, and CP3, Caplea, EG, and PJ all have career years in the same season (which is virtually impossible). This Rockets team hasn’t proven (yet) to have the potential to be better than last year’s team. Trevor Ariza may not put up fancy numbers in the box score or wow you will SportsCenter-like highlights, but Ariza brings so much to a team’ success in terms of chemistry, and playing as a unit. Just look at the Rockets motto. Run As One. Trevor was all about that, and this year’s squad really misses him. He’s durable, always had played well in D’Antoni’s system, and had a lot of fun. His teammates loved him and vice versa. The chemistry was there. This year’s Rockets squad has been beat up, experimented with Carmelo Anthony, and is one-year older in a league where age obviously plays a factor. They really could use Trevor Ariza. Now more than ever. But that wishful thinking’s over with and it’s time to get down to business. The Rockets host a Wizards team coming off a tough loss to a bad Hawks team in Ariza’s debut where he was second to only Beal in scoring with 19 points, to go along with 8 rebunds, and 4 assists. However, the Wizards had an inspiring beat-down over the the improved Lakers in their first game after learning Ariza had joined the team. Trevor will undoubtedly make the struggling Wizards a better team. The Rockets come into this game looking for someone to help out James Harden. The Beard has been on a tear. But nothing lasts forever. He’s going to need some help and soon. The Rockets’ next 11 games are arguably the squad’s most challenging part of the schedule this season. With Houston (or Harden), slowly digging themselves out of an early-season hole, they can’t afford too many more losses. After tonight, only 11 games remain for the Rockets until we’re officially halfway though the season. Chris Paul looks like he’s aging a season with each game and Eric Gordon has been in a slump the team desperately needs him to shake off. Clint Capela has slowed down a bit, it seems as if the big fella is getting tired and is already feeling the wear and tear of an NBA season. Like many Rockets, Capela has been forced to play more minutes due to Houston’s injury bug that came earlier than expected. Danuel House Jr. has been a hometown savior for the Rockets, coming out of nowhere in what is by far the in-season signing of this NBA season. House has been fantastic, and Houston’s been outscoring opponents by devastatingly when House is on the court. Gerald Green has been on and off, although recently he’s been a great tandem with House. Their play together has re-energized the Rockets bench, an earned them the popular nickname the “GreenHouseEffect.” Trevor Ariza might not be the most popular player, but Rockets fans and the team feel his absence, whether they want to admit it or not. In the NBA, popularity only gets you to the All-Star Game, if you’re good enough. Popularity doesn’t win championships. Hopefully, James Ennis (who most casual fans have never heard of) will return to his aggressive form prior to his injury and remain on the floor for the rest of the season. Ennis was the guy the Rockets expected to fill-in the void left by Ariza’s absence. Ennis started slow, but showed great signs before suffering another early-season injury. He appears, at least so far, to be one of the more injury prone players in the league. Compare that to Trevor Ariza, who hardly ever misses a game, and is arguably a better player than Ennis, despite being on the downside of his career. The Rockets will try and get their 5th straight win tonight at Toyota Center against a Wizards team that looks to build upon Trevor’s arrival. It will be tough to see Ariza, always a friendly face, and someone who did so much for Houston that went unseen last season. That’s all in the past, however, and the Rockets need to try and contain him as something tells me he’s primed for a big night tonight against his former team. Hopefully, Harden can some help tonight (especially come clutch time) so he doesn’t get worn out before the playoffs start. Unfortunately, the Rockets don’t have the luxury of losing a game here or there. These are must-win games for Houston as they continue to climb out of the hole they built themselves early in the season. The Rockets need to limit Ariza’s looks from the perimeter, and contain Washington’s backcourt threat of John Wall and Bradley Beal, who combined to score 68 points the last time these teams met. James Harden needs to have some help. Look for Clint Capela to provide assistance with a big game, as the Wizards are one of the weaker teams at the Center position. The Rockets’ big man should have himself a feast of points and rebounds in the paint. Hopefully, EG and CP3’s shots will start falling so Harden doesn’t have to shoulder so much of the offensive load for Houston. The Rockets need the “GreenHouse” to be in effect and they should be able to take down a Wizards team that has been inconsistent all year long. Washington has its own trade rumors and chemistry issues, although Trevor Ariza seems to be a big solution when it comes problems in the locker room. Don’t be surprised if the Wizards start to move up the standings in the Eastern Conference. Let’s just hope it doesn’t start tonight.
Toyota Center: Houston, Texas
Jersey Colors:
Washington Wizards (12-19): Black
Houston Rockets (15-14): Red
TV: 7 PM CT – ATTSportsnetSW