Rockets Try to Stop Playing Cavalier, Head Up to Cleveland
The Good, the Bad, and the Rockets. Who Are They? Avoiding the Future of L.A. Deja-Vu.
“There are two kinds of people in the world: those with guns, and those that dig.” A quote from the classic Spaghetti Western The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. One that makes me think about the current state of the Rockets, and the entire NBA. Houston, a team loaded with guns who continue to dig their own hole for no reason. At this point in the NBA, it’s obvious who’s good, who’s bad, and who’s just plain ugly. We are now approaching a third of the way through this NBA season. It’s evident for every team whether or not they have realistic title chances. Every team except for the Rockets. Who are they? At 15-8, some nights, they look like they can beat any team from any era. Other nights, Houston just confuses you, playing cavalier against their opponent. Since starting the season 11-3, Houston is 4-5, and has sunk to mediocrity. Which Rockets will show up tonight?
On Wednesday, Houston travels to Cleveland to take on one of the NBA’s ugly’s, the Cavaliers. With a record of 5-18, Cleveland is currently on a 7-game losing streak. Only the Knicks and Warriors have worse record. There is absolutely no reason the Rockets shouldn’t win by 20 tonight. The Cavs have no one who can even contain James Harden. If the Beard is shooting with any relative efficiency, expect a big number from #13 in white. The Cavs have Kevin Love on the trading block, a potential star-in-the-making in Collin Sexton, but that’s pretty much it when it comes to news from Cleveland. They should be near the bottom of the East with the Knicks all season. Houston is more experienced, talented, and just better in every phase than Cleveland. But the Rockets are highly unpredictable, and winning on the road is never a guarantee in this league. A loss tonight would be extremely disappointing. Hopefully they look at the big picture, and realize they need to start picking up some slack in the standings.
Seeding is more important than ever this year. Especially in the Western Conference. Don’t be fooled by the records. As we approach the first trimester mark in the season, it’s apparent that there are three and only three teams who can win the West: the Lakers, Clippers, and Rockets. The Mavs and Nuggets are good and will be in the playoffs. Dallas is the biggest surprise of the season, and has the league’s brightest longterm future with Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis. But the Mavs won’t be a real threat to the throne this year. Denver, meanwhile, has always been overrated in my opinion. They’re a great regular season team. They’ll win a lot of games, but I don’t see their current core having a chance at beating the Lakers, Clippers, or Rockets in the playoffs. The Lakers have stormed through the early part of the season, off to a franchise best start at 21-3, and leading the West. The Clippers are the face of Load Management in the NBA, with Kawhi Leonard at the helm, who seems to rest every other game. Nonetheless, they’re currently second in the West, with a record of 18-7. And they won’t be resting in the playoffs. Both teams from L.A. pose as Houston’s biggest obstacles to reach the NBA Finals. The Rockets, at 15-8, should be at least 17-6, but the past can’t be changed. Houston has underperformed, and needs to right the ship while playing upcoming inferior competition on the schedule. Otherwise, they’ll drop too far in the standings. And while playoff seeding doesn’t truly matter, this season the team that gets the #1 seed will have a huge advantage.
So why is seeding more important than ever this season? LeBron James knows. There’s a reason he’s guided the Lakers to the best start in franchise history. It’s simple. The #2 and #3 seeds, if they both advance, will have to battle each other in the second round. Meaning whoever gets the top seed only has to play one of the NBA’s 3 Juggernauts (Lakers, Clippers, Rockets). Meanwhile, the two teams that don’t get the top seed will probably have an all out war in a 7-game playoff series. And then the winner gets the prize of facing a (probably) more rested #1 seed. It’s a brutal scenario. For the Rockets, it means if they can’t catch the Lakers for the top spot, they’ll probably have to play both teams from L.A, that’s if they advance. Two playoff series against the Clippers and Lakers, arguably the NBA’s two best teams, is a nightmare to think about.
Houston needs to get down to business. If James Harden and Russell Westbrook ever want to win a ring, the squad needs to start taking bad teams like tonight’s opponent in Cleveland seriously. Otherwise, the Rockets will be in a seriously deep hole come playoff time. And Houston will have to face two major problems in the playoffs instead of just one. It’s still early enough. The Rockets can catch the Lakers and climb to the top of the West. Houston has an arsenal of weapons just as deadly as they have out in L.A. Despite all the controversies, the Rockets have been their own worst enemy all season. Tonight, they need to stop digging… it’s time to load up.
Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse: Cleveland, Ohio
Jersey Colors:
Houston Rockets (15-8): White
Cleveland Cavaliers (5-18): Black
TV: 6 PM CT – AT&T Sportsnet SW