HOUSTON – Aiming to keep their wining streak alive, the Houston Rockets face the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday at the Crypto.com Arena for the second game of the In-Season Tournament. The Clippers have been on the heels of a six game losing streak, with the last five losses occurring when James Harden is on the floor. The “Big 4” in Harden, Russell Westbrook, Paul George, and Kawhi Leonard has been struggling to score and defend accordingly, mainly because of their prior habits of them being the main guy on a playoff contender.
Westbrook Is Coming Off The Bench
Generally, most of the Clippers well when the ball is in their hands, specifically Harden and Westbrook. This leads to common isolation plays and errant turnovers. The Rockets, who share the basketball quite frequently, surely have an advantage. However, a change of circumstance has occurred just recently: Daniel Theis signed with the Clippers to add interior depth. More importantly, Westbrook has requested to come off the bench for Friday's game, a move not directed by the front office.
Brodie's decision might change the dynamic. At this point, the Clips are in desperation mode, throwing darts erratically with the hope that something sticks. Any sort of lineup adjustment to combat the Rockets stellar ball movement and top five defense is needed on their end. For Ime Udoka's squad, this is what they need to do in order to lay a counterattack.
Westbrook on the bench not only solidifies the second unit, but also provides more offensive options in the starting lineup. Terence Mann will likely assume the two guard position with Harden taking the point guard duties. Mann provides more of an off ball role, which is a perfect candidate for Harden's playmaking. Houston will need to be aware of cuts to the basket and attempt to go under screens in case of a Harden bounce pass to the basket.
Harden Is Still An Elite Playmaker
The Beard facilitating the rock has garnered successful results ever since Mike D'Antoni introduced it to him during his heyday in a Rockets uniform. From 2016 up until last season, Harden dished 9.8 assists per game on average.
Although he is past his prime when it comes to blowing by players off the dribble, his assist numbers are still elite. Just last season, Harden led the league with 10.7 assists as the primary facilitator on the Philadelphia 76ers. Westbrook out of the starting lineup creates much more spacing on the floor. This gives more shooting opportunities for PG13 and Kawhi, especially with Harden's facilitation. The Rockets will need to utilize their collapse help defense, which has worked extremely well so far this season.
Westbrook's impact on the second unit has already produced positive results. During the game against the Grizzles, Ty Lue had rotations of Westbrook, Norman Powell, PJ Tucker, Kawhi and Zubac on the floor, which actually worked quite well against the Grizzlies bench, leading to coach Taylor Jenkins inserting back his starters.
Houston's Probable Gameplan
Despite lacking a certified rim protector, Houston has effectively countered inside passes with their strong perimeter and one-on-one defense. The Clippers, utilizing Ivica Zubac, are likely to increase their pick and roll plays, with Paul George and Kawhi Leonard taking shots from the elbow and wings. Terence Mann, excelling off-ball, is expected to make cuts to the basket. Offensively, the Rockets should capitalize on the Clippers' aging roster by increasing their fast break frequency immediately after defensive stops. Despite not being a primary fast break team, as indicated by their rankings in pace and fast break points, this could be a strategic shift for Houston.
With Russell Westbrook coming off the bench, the Clippers may still rely on isolation plays when Harden has the ball. The Rockets face a challenge in penetrating LA's strong perimeter defense, particularly against Leonard and George. Leonard, despite a slower start this season, remains a threat the Rockets cannot afford to overlook due to his potential to significantly impact the game.
Of course, there are some players Houston will likely have trouble with, and that is Paul George. On both ends of the floor, George is having yet another solid NBA season. In 34 minutes, George averages 24.7 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 2.4 steals on 47.1% efficiency and 39% from beyond the arc. To stop him effectively will be forcing turnovers on the perimeter, as he has been streaky with his three point shooting. During a three game stretch before facing Memphis and Denver, George went just 4-23 from downtown. He also committed seven turnovers against Memphis.
Focus On The Paint
The most successful plan of attack for Houston is to focus on the interior. With Mason Plumlee still out, newly acquired big Daniel Theis is next to backup Zubac. The Clippers have struggled with their lack of size in the interior throughout the entire season, with the game against the Denver Nuggets being a prime example. This will be a golden opportunity for Alperen Sengun to have a monster game if he positions himself near the rim. Expect Tari Eason to also get himself more involved.
Additionally, Fred VanVleet and Sengun should continue to execute their elite pick and roll game. The rest of the roster should focus primarily on attacking the basket downhill. Jalen Green and Jabari Smith Jr. are known for scoring, but playing through Fred and Sengun will produce effective results. With size as the Rockets advantage, Eason, Dillon Brooks, and Jae'Sean Tate should have no problem preventing the Clippers from getting an open lane to the basket.
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