Man, is it fun to watch Houston Rockets basketball again. Riding high following a 6-1 home stand, the Rockets will travel to Los Angeles and play against the slumping Clippers this Friday in their second game of the in-season tournament. In West Group B, the Rockets will look to make it 2-0 in group play.
Lost Momentum After Five Days Rest?
With a 6-3 record, this will be the first game Houston will play after a long five-day rest. As weird as the 2023-2024 NBA schedule may seem, Houston's momentum from a six-game winning streak is at risk of being snapped. Regarding the rather long hiatus during the young season, Rockets head coach Ime Udoka didn't appear worried during Tuesday's practice.
“It's a chance for us to continue to build on things we've done well. Reiterate a lot of points. … You don't get a lot of practice time in the NBA this time of year. To have these three, four days off, you know, we get to tighten up some things, get a ton of shots in and really start to focus on this road trip. Our guys will stay fresh and we got workers on this team. … Take advantage of this time for us to get better.”
If Udoka's guys stay fresh, it'll be advantageous, especially against a Clippers team that is 0-5 after acquiring James Harden. It has been a tumultuous stretch of games for the Clippers. At this point, Tyronn Lue and his squad of former MVPs and All-Stars are searching for answers. The offense since Harden arrived has been abysmal, averaging just 104.3 points per game and 22.5 assists as a team, each of which are dead last in the league.
Russell Westbrook and Harden were two of the best ball distributors in the league throughout their prime, but both of them only excelled when the ball was in their hands. Kawhi Leonard and Paul George are good off the ball, but are having trouble taking the ball out of Westbrook and Harden's hands when making plays. To top this all off, Harden leads the league with the worst plus /minus at -67.
More Than Just The Beard
It hasn't been all of Harden's fault. They've got massive trouble defending the interior as well, with Ivica Zubac playing awful off the ball. Many teams play to switch him on a guard, leaving the interior wide open for a drive or a glaring mismatch at the perimeter for an easy three point shot.
Nevertheless, Ty Lue and his squad are in good spirits, as team play has improved game after game. Against the Denver Nuggets, LA had a shot to win with many key opportunities, but fell short to the defending champs, a team that the Rockets beat recently.
LA will surely take this momentum in the next game against Houston. For the young Rockets, expect Lue's Clips to show no mercy. His squad is still tinkering with the aging stars, a prime opportunity for Houston to win a seventh straight game. First off, the interior depth of LA is lacking with just Zubac as the only center on the active roster. There are rumors that versatile big man Daniel Theis is joining the Clippers following his buyout from the Indiana Pacers, but will he have enough time to change teams and suit up in LA this Friday?
Rockets Should Take Advantage
Regardless, expect Udoka to utilize switching as his secret weapon. With a vulnerable interior, it's a golden opportunity for Alperen Sengun to have a monster stat line. Although Jalen Green went 1-for-13 against Denver's tough perimeter defense, LA's perimeter defense of mostly Harden and Westbrook is leagues below the likes of Michael Porter Jr. and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. This should be a bounce-back game for the former second overall pick.
PG-13 and Kawhi are known to be great defenders, but it's only viable when Harden is off the court. When The Beard is on the bench, LA's defensive rating shoots from 125.8 to a solid 107.8, according to NBA.com. It might behoove the Clippers' ball movement and defense if Lue starts Norman Powell or Terance Mann over Harden, and inserts him in the second unit more.
All stats aside, it should be an exciting offensive showdown for Houston.
Follow Us
Subscribe