Dunking With Wolves
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Mid-Week Matchup: Houston Rockets vs. Minnesota Timberwolves

By Max Neuhaus

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - SEPTEMBER 22: Andrew Wiggins #22, Karl-Anthony Towns #32 and Jimmy Butler #23 of the Minnesota Timberwolves pose for portraits during the 2017 Media Day on September 22, 2017 at the Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx Courts at Mayo Clinic Square in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - SEPTEMBER 22: Andrew Wiggins #22, Karl-Anthony Towns #32 and Jimmy Butler #23 of the Minnesota Timberwolves pose for portraits during the 2017 Media Day on September 22, 2017 at the Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx Courts at Mayo Clinic Square in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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MINNEAPOLIS, MN – SEPTEMBER 22: Andrew Wiggins #22, Karl-Anthony Towns #32 and Jimmy Butler #23 of the Minnesota Timberwolves pose for portraits during the 2017 Media Day on September 22, 2017 at the Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx Courts at Mayo Clinic Square in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – SEPTEMBER 22: Andrew Wiggins #22, Karl-Anthony Towns #32 and Jimmy Butler #23 of the Minnesota Timberwolves pose for portraits during the 2017 Media Day on September 22, 2017 at the Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx Courts at Mayo Clinic Square in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images) /

With both the Houston Rockets and Minnesota Timberwolves making big additions this offseason, let’s dive into their starting 5 and see who comes out on top.

It seems like every direction you look, an NBA team has added an All-Star caliber player to their roster. The Houston Rockets have one of the best additions in Chris Paul. The former Los Angeles Clipper and New Orleans Hornet is an elite defensive guard and has no problems scoring on the other end of the court. Putting him in Coach of the Year Mike D’antoni’s fast paced, high scoring offense should help his skills flourish

This team is going to score points. Not only do they have the aforementioned Paul and the runner-up to the MVP last year in James Harden, Houston has players who work perfectly with their coach’s style.

Ryan Anderson is a very good player who doesn’t get talked about enough. The former California Golden Bear is one of the best shooting big men in the league. He was among the top 30 players in the league in terms of three-point percentage. Of those 30 players, only six shot seven or more 3’s per game. Anderson was among them. His scoring numbers (13.6 points per game) will help with the loss of one of their biggest bench threats: Lou Williams.

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Trevor Ariza is a solid all-around player. While he might not have shot a great percentage from deep (34.4 percent), he was a steady player on both sides of the court. Last season, it seemed as though the Rockets were more interested in outscoring people the playing any defense. Ariza had a +1.0 defensive plus-minus, so he actually had some interest in stopping opposing players on defense. His win shares (estimated number of win contributed by player) was 6.0. He was second on the team only to Harden’s 15.

While those four players might be the only four that average basketball fans know, there are plenty more noteworthy players. Guys like Sixth Man of the Year Eric Gordon, rim protector/alley-oop recipient Clint Capela, and needed defensive-stopper P.J. Tucker.

The Rockets got better in a lot of different areas. Remember, this is a team that was third in the Western Conference with 55 wins last season.

There are, however, some questions surrounding this team. What if Paul and Harden, two ball dominant players, don’t play well together? Does this team have enough defense to survive in the brutal West? With this team being so top-heavy, what would happen if Paul or Harden goes down?

This Houston team is looking to compete for a top four spot in the west, just like the Timberwolves. Let’s take some time to compare these two squads and see who ends the year on top (on paper).

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