Rockets Off To Hot Start, Can They Keep It Up?

The Houston Rockets came into this season as a wild card.  Experts thought they could finish anywhere from 12th place to potentially an eight or even a seven seed considering what happened last year against the Lakers in the playoffs.

Now, after six games, the gritty Rockets have made their case for being a true contender in the West. 

Yes, I said contender. And here's why.

The opening night of the season, they lost at Portland. They fought hard, they hustled, they scrapped as we knew they would. But in the end, they didn't have a true play-maker, a true scoring threat to keep pace with the talented likes of Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge. It felt like the type of night that would be the norm, not the exception for the Rockets this season.

But not so fast.

They followed that game by going on the road and beating a lowly Golden State team. Not too difficult a challenge. That's a game they probably should win.

Since then, they beat Portland at home, which came as a surprise considering Portland should be considered a top four team in the West.

Their next battle would be against Utah at Salt Lake City.  No chance in that game right?  The Jazz's home record the past three years...33-8, 37-4, 31-10.  They are no joke at home. And the Rockets went in and beat them. Soundly. 113-96. 

On November 4th, the Rockets took on their biggest test. The NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers. The team they took to the brink of seven games in the playoffs last year. The only team to take the Lakers to seven games in the playoffs last year.

A back and forth battle took place with the Rockets answering every run the Lakers made. Even with the Rockets MVP through the first six games (Trevor Ariza) not playing so well, the game was tightly contested throughout.  And even despite Mr. Ariza's struggles, he still overcame them to hit a clutch three to send the game to overtime. 

The Rockets pushed the Lakers like they did last season. In a game they had no business even contesting in. And lost by only a point.  In overtime. To the NBA Champs. Without Yao. Without McGrady.

Finally, on their home floor, they beat an up and coming Oklahoma City Thunder team. Not that the Thunder are an especially great team, but they should be competing for an eight or seven spot in the playoffs this year. 

So now. Tied for first in the Southwest Division.  A couple impressive victories under their belt.  Even more impressive performances overall, even in their losses. 

Can this be for real? 

The answer. Absolutely.

Trevor Ariza was a big play-maker for the Lakers. He just was a quaternary player behind Pau Gasol, Kobe Bryant and Lamar Odom. 

When the Rockets signed him and Ron Artest signed with the Lakers, Houston fans couldn't have been happier.

Ariza is young and full of promise.  He can fly in for a monster dunk, he can shoot from the outside, he can play defense, but most importantly, and here is where he has the edge over Artest, he makes good team decisions (for the most part.)

Granted, during the Lakers game his emotions got the better of him and he tried to do too much. However, I would take that over the multiple games the Rockets lost due to Artest not knowing how to manage a game. 

Here's an example. The Rockets played the Chicago Bulls in Chicago last year. They had a 17 point lead with six minutes to play.  It's hard enough to outscore someone by 17 points in a quarter, much less six minutes.  Yet the Bulls did exactly that. They came back and beat the Rockets, outscoring them 23-3 in those final six minutes.

Three points in the final six minutes.  Three lousy points.  And why? Go back and look at the tape.

You'll see Ron Artest chucking up a three-pointer six seconds into the shot clock with a hand in his face for no reason other than he thinks the game is over. On multiple possessions. And then, when the Bulls start getting closer and closer, he tries to become Kobe Bryant. Starts taking shots double-teamed because he wants to be the hero. He didn't try and get Yao involved. He didn't kick out to open shooters. Just bad shot after bad shot after bad shot.

That is why losing Artest actually makes the Rockets better. They now have an entire team of self-less players who do anything to help their team win. (Within reason. There are no eye-gougers or hair pullers on this team.)

Chuck Hayes will get 10 rebounds and if he doesn't shoot the ball over the course of 48 minutes, so be it.  Aaron Brooks is always looking to penetrate and kick out for an open three. Battier, Scola, Landry, and, well pretty much everyone else on this team is willing to sacrifice their body for a rebound, whether it's in the 4th quarter of a tie ballgame, or it's in the 1st quarter a minute after tip-off. 

The Rockets of 2009-2010 came in as underdogs.  They will finish the season as the little trains that could. The Seabiscuit of the season if you will.

They are going to prove that a team full of players who play as a team is better than any star-studded lineup you can throw on the floor. They have no ego. They want the challenge of beating you, because everyone thinks you're better than them. And that's what makes them want a win more than you. And why they'll get it. 

And if you do beat them, you are going to be bruised and exhausted by the end of it because they will push you to the brink. 

Throughout the 2000's, the San Antonio Spurs won championships by playing fundamental offense alongside suffocating defense. People said it wasn't exciting or fun to watch.

Well the Rockets, if they can put together a full season playing at this level of competitiveness and with this much heart, will be fun to watch.

How can you not want to see players constantly diving, jostling, pestering, running the floor at full speed every time there's the slightest chance of an easy basket on a fast break. 

They are this year's darlings or Cinderellas, only that term couldn't be further from their image.  Calling them the James J. Braddocks would be more appropriate.  Better yet, they are the Rocky Balboas. They probably have no shot at a championship this year. But don't be surprised if they make it that far. They will push anyone and everyone to the brink. They are players who are just happy to be on the floor. They take pride in playing the best possible basketball they can play.

Be ready Western Conference.  The Rockets are for real.