Ranking the 5 best Houston Rockets this season

#1 Best Houston Rocket: Kelly Olynyk

Kelly Olynyk claiming the number one spot says an awful lot about the Rockets’ and Olynyk’s season. Olynyk has been truly amazing for the Rockets since he came over from the Miami Heat as part of the Victor Oladipo trade.

In 24 games he’s averaging 18.9 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game, which would all be full-season career highs for him, on 56.1-percent shooting from the field and 38.2-percent from 3-point. Olynyk has posted career-best metrics with the Rockets and in his brief stint has played like an All-Star.

Olynyk is an impending free agent and with the way he has played in Houston, it’s possible he could land himself a hefty contract in a free agent market that lacks serious star power. Should the Rockets pony up to keep him around? Probably not, but if they can land him for around $16 million per season it’s a deal worth doing.

The reality is that Olynyk is just going through a hot stretch and over the course of a full season his shooting will come back down to Earth. It shouldn’t be lost on Rockets’ fans but in his first 43 games with Miami, he was on pace to have the worst season of his career.

Olynyk has been the best Rocket because he has been at his absolute personal best as a Rocket. If the sample were larger, Olynyk would post a few clunkers and his metrics would begin to settle around his career averages.

Christian Wood is the best Rocket, but Kelly Olynyk has made the most of his time in Houston. In a season where you’re the worst team in the league, it shouldn’t be a surprise when your best player comes out of left field or in this case, from Miami.