Rockets guard James Harden appears to be a fan of Houston’s clear emphasis on floor spacing, in large part because of the increased ability it gives backcourt co-star Russell Westbrook to drive to the basket.
Speaking at Saturday’s All-Star Media Day in Chicago, Harden said of his nine-time All-Star teammate:
We’re giving him space for him to go out there and do what he does at a high level, what he’s been doing for the last 12 years. That’s all you can give somebody that’s a former MVP. You let him go out there and be himself. The comfort level is there. And it’s still only been a few months since he’s been here. He’s still getting adjusted, but he’s looking more comfortable and he’s playing more free.
One of the big benefits of the suddenly smaller lineup for the Rockets is supposed to be floor spacing. In three games since the Feb. 5 trade of traditional big Clint Capela — and with versatile defensive ace and corner 3-point specialist P.J. Tucker starting at center, instead — Westbrook has scored at least 36 points in each game on 54% or better shooting.
That matches the longest such streak in the NBA in over 20 years. The last player to do it for four games was Hall of Fame center Shaquille O’Neal, who did so in November 1999. He was that season’s MVP.
Prior to last Tuesday’s win over Boston, Celtics coach Brad Stevens referred to Westbrook as “like a jet engine flying into the paint.”
“Internally, we don’t think it’s small ball,” Westbrook said Saturday about the lineup. “We just play our personnel and go compete, and that’s it.”
Nonetheless, Westbrook’s increased shooting efficiency has come amid a dramatic change in his shot profile. In his last 10 games entering Tuesday, Westbrook’s average shot distance had dropped by more than four feet relative to his first 34 games in Houston.
In that 10-game stretch, Westbrook’s rate of shots in the paint increased from 52% to 71%, while his attempted 3-pointers fell from 23% to 5%.
Over his last 14 outings, the 31-year-old Westbrook is averaging 34.0 points (53.0% shooting), 8.1 rebounds, and 7.6 assists per game. That makes him the NBA’s No. 2 overall scorer over that span on a per-game basis, trailing only Portland’s Damian Lillard (35.5).
During that 14-game span, Westbrook leads the NBA by far with an average of 25.3 drives per game. Prior to that period, Westbrook ranked No. 6 in the league at 18.2 drives per game.
“Obviously, with this style of playing, different guys on the floor have to be able to guard in a lot of space, which is to my advantage,” Westbrook said during Saturday’s media session. “We’re moving in the right direction. I’m happy where we are, and I’m happy where we’re headed.”
Westbrook and Harden will both play on Team LeBron in Sunday’s All-Star Game, which tips off at 7:00 p.m. Central and will be televised nationally on TNT. Harden will start, while Westbrook comes off the bench.
As for the Rockets (34-20), they return to action on Thursday night at Golden State (12-42). That game tips off at 9:30 p.m. Central, with an exclusive national broadcast on TNT.
Houston enters the All-Star break having won five of its last seven games, and it could be six if not for Bojan Bogdanovic’s stunning buzzer-beater.
