In an attempt to compensate for the loss of their backup center, Nene, the Houston Rockets will make some changes to their starting lineup.
The adjustments will be made in Game 5 of their Western Conference Semifinals matchup against the San Antonio Spurs, as the team announced that Eric Gordon will start in place of Ryan Anderson, who will come off the bench to act as their second stringer at the five spot.
Like second half of game four Eric Gordon will start game five with Ryan Anderson the backup at center.
— Mark Berman (@MarkBermanFox26) May 9, 2017
Nene suffered a left adductor tear in their previous match and only saw one minute of court action before being brought to a hospital to undergo an MRI. He is slated to miss the rest of the playoffs, which leaves a gaping hole in the Rockets' big man rotation. The 34-year-old Brazilian has been one of their key rotation players all season long and is playing at a high level in the playoffs with averages of 10.0 points and 4.7 rebounds in 17.9 minutes through nine games.
Mike D'Antoni is hopeful the decision to have Anderson as a sixth man will pay dividends for his team, as he can boost their bench production and give their starting center, Clint Capela, his usual minutes. It remains to be seen how effective his adjustments will be, but in order for the Rockets to continue their run of success, the rest of the team will need to step up their game to fill the void left by Nene.
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