James Harden and Russell Westbrook are the undisputed leaders of the Rockets and without them, the Rockets would likely be in the lottery.
Still, there’s another ruler in Houston that has been a huge culprit in their success so far this season: small-ball.
The Rockets have been the poster-child of the small-ball, “three-point or die” strategy for years now, but the Clint Capela trade near the deadline signaled a dedication to the cause never before seen in NBA history.
Crazily enough, it’s actually working. Despite having no true big man in the regular rotation, the Rockets have been pretty good on both ends of the floor and we saw that in Game 1 against the Lakers.
But is there more at stake than the playoff lives of L.A.? According to Warriors star Draymond Green, a Rockets win in this series could further the devaluation of bigs in the modern NBA.
All big centers not named Joel, KAT, and Joker should be cheering hard for the lakers right now. If Houston take this series it’s going to hurt the value of the big man even more.
— Draymond Green (@Money23Green) September 5, 2020
Old school/traditional bigs are going extinct and the ones that are still around are gravitating to the three-point line more and more with each passing year.
If Houston and their ultra-small ball strategy get them past the Lakers, or even to the Finals, it will only be used as more proof that going small is the best way to win.
It’s a scary thought for those that still love watching those traditional, rim-running bigs do their thing. But nowadays spacing is everything and you can’t fault a team for wanting to take advantage of the current time.
Either way, this series is going to be interesting in more ways than one.
