NBA 2018-19: 3 Key takeaways from the Houston Rockets' performance so far

Win-loss record: 19-15 (7th in West)

After an impressive run last season where they almost shocked the Golden State Warriors in the Conference Finals, the Houston Rockets entered this year with a not-so-great team. They lost a lot of their role players in the offseason and even though they added 10-time All-Star Carmelo Anthony, his run ended after just 10 days in Houston.

The Rockets after a slow and sluggish start have picked up steam and are currently at the seventh spot in the Western Conference Standings fighting for a spot in the playoffs. In this article, let us take a look at three key takeaways from the Houston Rockets' performance so far this season.

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#3 Clint Capela is averaging career-high numbers for a double-double

Clint Capela signed a 5-year $90 million deal in the offseason to return to Rockets

After a breakout season with the Houston Rockets last year, Clint Capela signed a 5-year $90 million deal in the offseason to return to the franchise. The 24-year-old center whose career has been on the rise since the day he was drafted into the league in 2014 continues to get better this season.

He is currently averaging career-high numbers in all the five categories and has already transitioned into one of the mainstays of the Rockets team. He is currently the second leading scorer on the team with 17.3 points. Capela is also averaging career-high 12.6 rebounds per game to put together a double-double over the season.

Earlier this week, Capela had two back-to-back standout performances where he grabbed 23 rebounds in each of the two games to lead the team to victory. Capela's presence in the paint is causing nightmares to the opposing offenses and with 5.1 offensive rebounds per game, he is currently second on the list of most offensive rebounds per game this season.

#2 Chris Paul's injury bothering the Rockets

Chris Paul is out with

injured

hamstring

Last season, after going up 3-2 over the Warriors in the Conference Finals, the Houston Rockets lost Chris Paul due to a hamstring strain. That had a huge impact on the outcome of the series as the Rockets lost the series in seven games and missed out on a golden opportunity of bringing home the title.

This season, with the Rockets already struggling to pick up wins early in the season, mainly because of losing their star wing players, Chris Paul's injury will only make things worse for the franchise.

Paul is one of the best guards in the league and is known for his passing ability. He can also score effortlessly and that is one more thing the Rockets will miss the most. To the most part this season, Harden has been scoring heavily to nullify Paul's absence.

However, when Harden struggles, the team is crumbling as they do not have a lot of players who can create his own shot besides sharpshooter Eric Gordon. To address the backcourt depth issues, the Rockets have recently signed Austin Rivers and he was impressive in the debut game against the Los Angeles Lakers in the Christmas night matchup.

#1 James Harden making a strong case for second straight MVP award

James Harden can't be stopped as he is leading the league in points per game

Stats: 32.7 points, 5.5 rebounds, 8.3 assists and 2.1 steals per game on 44.4 % shooting

The Houston Rockets started the season with a poor 11-14 win-loss record but have improved their record significantly since then and are currently at the seventh spot in the West with 19-15 win-loss record.

This improvement happened solely because of one player named James Harden who went on a tear to help the Rockets get some crucial victories. 'The Beard' can't be stopped as he is currently leading the league in points per game with 32.7.

He has started making a case for MVP and is looking like he is on a mission to defend his title. The defending MVP is averaging 39.0 points, 4.2 rebounds and 8.8 assists per game in the last five games and the Rockets are currently on a three-game win streak.

James' highest-scoring game of the season came against the Washington Wizards on the road. He scored 54 points on 53.1 % shooting to lead the Houston Rockets past the Wizards.