Houston Rockets: 5 things we learned from the preseason

3. Chris Paul and James Harden can coexist on the floor

I think we can lay one concern to rest: Chris Paul and James Harden can definitely coexist on the same team. They didn’t look perfect at every moment, but the beginning of great chemistry is there.

In the three games that Paul played in, Houston averaged 116.3 points and they only allowed 89.3 points. Paul has struggled to score, averaging just 10.3 points on 34.6 percent shooting from the floor, but he’s made up for it in other areas. He’s played air tight defense, deflecting passes left and right and averaging 2.6 steals per contest. He’s also setting up his teammates for easy looks, averaging 8.3 assists.

Harden’s shot has also been a little off, putting up just 18.8 points on 37.1 percent from the floor. But like Paul, he’s made up for it in the assists department (10.2) and by getting steals (2.2).

It’s impressive that Houston has been so proficient both from beyond the arc and on defense even with Paul and Harden struggling to score. It’s going to take some time for the backcourt duo to get completely comfortable playing together, but they’ll figure it out sooner rather than later.

Next: No. 2