With the recent news regarding departure of DeJuan Blair and how it will revive the Dallas Mavericks and San Antonio Spurs rivalry, it seems like folks are looking in the wrong direction. The third component of the vaunted “Texas triangle”, the Houston Rockets, is the real rival the Spurs have to watch out for in the division.
The March 24th matchup last season in Houston was a game where both James Harden and Tony Parker showcased their talents for the fans.
Both players are a perfect fit for what their teams need them to do. Check out this video by the NBA pitting Parker and Harden together during that epic clash they had in Houston this past season.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=4Gbv4wl8Qlw
Parker, in the Spurs offense, is more focused on setting up his teammates and scoring when he needs to while Harden is more suited to score first and then set up his teammates off of his scoring.
On the defensive end, Harden is the defensive stopper the Rockets need to corral the opposing teams point guard, while Parker can hold his own on the defensive end but the hardest defensive assignment go to Kawhi Leonard so he can save his energy for the fourth quarter.
With the recent addition of Dwight Howard, the Rockets now have their own Twin Towers in the middle with Omar Asik and himself to go along with their sharp shooters on the perimeter.
The Rockets are following a similar blueprint to the one the Spurs have used on their way to 16 straight playoff runs.
So Spurs’ fans, how much of a challenge will the James Harden and the Houston Rockets put up to the strangle hold they have had over the Lone Star State? Also, in a one-on-one game, who wins?
