Earlier in the season, we witnessed a blockbuster trade that featured the Houston Rockets and the Brooklyn Nets. James Harden was traded to the Brooklyn Nets for an immense amount of picks. With James Harden coming to the roster, the Brooklyn Nets are viewed by many to be a lock for the NBA Finals. It would make sense: two former MVPs and an All-NBA performer on the same team is bound to turn heads. With the amount of star power that the Brooklyn Nets possess, many have labeled the team as championship or bust.
While the trade has clearly done wonders for their offense, the Brooklyn Nets still have to fix their defense. Meanwhile, with James Harden out of Houston, the remaining Rockets have found a defensive identity. StatMuse compared the defenses of the Brooklyn Nets and the Houston Rockets based on DRTg:
Since the Harden trade
Rockets:
– 6-3 record
– Best defensive rating in NBA
Nets:
– 6-3 record
– Worst defensive rating in NBA pic.twitter.com/wnRPvpC5PF
— StatMuse (@statmuse) February 1, 2021
Since James Harden has left, the Rockets’ defense has been amazing. Perhaps not having outside distractions had let the team find its chemistry. Since January 14th (Offical James Harden Trade), the Houston Rockets have a DRTg stat of 103.7 which is the best in the league (the lower the better). They also allow few points, having one of the lowest PPG allowed to the opposing team since the Harden trade coming in at 105.89, which is good for a top 5 mark in the league. Meanwhile, the Brooklyn Nets have had one of the worst defenses in the league: their DRTg is 119.9 since January 14th and they allow the most points per game out of any team since the Harden trade, at 124.56.
The Brooklyn Nets will likely improve their defense sooner rather than later. The acquisition of a superstar has supercharged their offense, but a high offensive load for all three superstars is bound to take a toll on the defensive end. Defense wins championships, and hopefully, the Brooklyn Nets can be a top defensive team by playoffs time.
