What the Rockets are banking on is …

What the Rockets are banking on is discomfort. Making opposing teams have to adjust to their style. We’ve seen them do it before to good teams—the Lakers, Celtics, and Jazz come to mind although you could make the case that Boston already plays a similar brand. Houston wants teams to believe they have the advantage, force inefficient post-ups down their throat, only to cause a shift to match a style of play they already excel in. It’s a five-on-five chess game and Houston is dead set on putting you in checkmate with bishops and knights. “That’s the point,” Harden said. “To be able to use our advantages against our opponent. Most teams have traditional centers and seven-footers and we don’t. We have to use our quickness to our advantage. Obviously, transition defense and rebounding are going to be key for us and we have to focus on that at a high level.”