I think the Rockets play enough defense to make a deep run in the playoffs. They have run off a lot of the December and January success without Capela who is critical for them on defense. The way they put pressure on the other team with scoring blitzes also gets teams out of their normal game. This is the most fun Rockets team to watch in a long time.
Beverly coming back has really helped the defense on this team; I believe they were in the Top 10 in defensive efficiency after his return. It’ll be nice to get Capela back around the all-star break hopefully.
The best thing about this team is that they don’t seem to ever think they’re out of it. The Toronto game the other night was a perfect example; last year, they would have packed it in early on, but this year’s team kept fighting and fighting and eventually turned 2 13-point deficits into a double-digit win…in Toronto. They’re the only team this year to beat Golden State and San Antonio (both on the road) and only 1 of 2 teams (Golden State) to not lose back-to-back games. Not to mention, now that San Antonio lost, they are technically tied for the 2nd seed in the West and only 2 back of Golden State.
Can they keep it up…maybe. They have a road-heavy schedule to finish this month and March could be brutal. It would also be nice to get one more big in the rotation before the trade deadline (Paul Millsap would have been a great addition).
