The Houston Rockets will be without Chris Paul and Gerald Green when they take on the Washington Wizards on Monday night.

Chris Paul is currently dealing with a sore left leg while Gerald Green has a right ankle soreness, forcing the Rockets to sideline them when they visit the Wizards at Capital One Arena.

The Rockets and Wizards have begun the season in similar fashion. Both teams are underperforming by a significant margin and their poor play has led to significant questions about roster construction and the future of the team. The problems have been far more drastic for Washington, but Houston is not immune to some roster turnover.

Washington entered the season with playoff aspirations in a weak Eastern Conference. They sit at 7-12 and face serious questions about whether or not the team will move Bradley Beal or John Wall in the near future.

Conversely, the Rockets were the top team in the Western Conference last season, winning 65 games. This year, however, they sit at 9-9 and remain outside of the playoff picture.

Paul is having a down season, by his standards, and Rockets head coach Mike D'Antoni needs to get his All-Star point guard back on track if Houston has any hope of presenting a credible challenge to the Golden State Warriors. Rockets fans thought that they could knock off Golden State last year, but Paul's untimely injury doomed Houston's championship dreams.

Monday's matchup will feature two teams looking to establish some momentum, and D'Antoni has his work cut out for him with a shorthanded squad.