Are the Rockets ready for a matchup versus Lou Williams and the Clippers?

With the playoff picture taking shape, Houston Rockets G Chris Paul discussed the possibility of facing his former team the Los Angeles Clippers in the opening round of the playoffs. The Rockets are currently the three seed in the western conference with a record of 51-28. The sixth-seeded Clippers are 47-32 led by the two-time sixth man of the year winner Lou Williams. The possibility of this matchup coming into fruition however did not make Paul look towards the future as he focuses on the final games of the season.

“It’ll be a tough series. That’s a team that they’re very disciplined and they pay attention to detail. We’ll worry about that when it happens,” Paul said.

The Rockets led by MVP front-runner James Harden have a chance this year to prove they are a contender out of the western conference.  Just as Paul states in the interview the Rockets can be a very tough team to beat, especially when making their shots.

Houston leads the league this year with 45 three-pointers attempted per game, which is seven more than Milwaukee. However, despite averaging the most 3PA, the Rockets sit at 13th in the league shooting 35 percent from three.

When the Rockets make their shots, they are one of the toughest teams to beat in the league. They are only second behind the warriors in offensive rating, but their defense will be the deciding factor. They are ranked 20th in the league with a 110.3 defensive rating but additions like Kenneth Faried have been a spark plug for the Rockets defensive intensity.

“They’re huge for us, his energy is contagious, rebounding and running the court we need that with guys coming off our bench,” said Paul.

The Rockets have a chance this year to make a late run in the playoffs, led by Paul and Harden. Just as CP3 showed in his post-game interview, he is locked in and is not taking regular season success for granted.