Even though James Harden went off for 37 points on Friday against the Clippers, the Houston Rockets played very well on offense, despite not having Russell Westbrook. The Rockets often struggled to move the ball around and get everyone involved last year, especially when both of their point guards were off the floor, but Houston’s ball movement looked great in Hawaii.
Harden was able to keep his teammates involved and get to his spots faster. Houston played at a much faster pace and they often initiated the offense much earlier in the shot clock, which led to more efficient shots in half court sets.