Buzzkill: Rockets Stung by Hornets, 122-97, as Winning Ways End Fast
Lost Season. Regression to the Mean. 29 to Die.
Well that didn’t last long. Houston’s brief winning streak was halted at one game after Charlotte came to town and blew away any hopes the Rockets had for starting a winning streak. The Hornets stung the Rockets, 122-97, to push Houston back into reality. Terry Rozier scored 25 points to lead Charlotte over a Rockets team, that, if you haven’t found out by now, just isn’t very good. John Wall led Houston with 20 points, and Christian Wood had the poor man’s double-double, with 11 points and 10 boards. Victor Oladipo didn’t play for “personal reason.” Those “reasons” were his upcoming deal to the Miami Heat, as Oladipo was traded to his preferred destination, Miami, on Thursday. At 12-31, the Rockets are now completely focused on the rebuild. No more James Harden. No more P.J. Tucker. No more Victor Oladipo. It’s time to move on. How much longer will the old man, John Wall, be in Houston? Will he retire a Rocket, or move on elsewhere to finish his career. Wall is injury-prone, but when healthy, he’s shown he still has plenty left in the tank to help a contender.
So after one win over the reeling Toronto Raptors, the Rockets are back on the losing side of basketball life. This team likely won’t win more than 30 games, but they have a far chance at landing the first overall pick, who most believe will be Oklahoma State’s Cade Cunningham. That is, if Houston keeps losing. And it seems that’s going to be the case. And don’t think the Rockets are tanking, because they aren’t. This squad’s just plain bad.
At 12-31, Houston sits barely ahead of the Minnesota Timberwolves, avoiding the dreaded last place spot in the standings. Ironically enough, the Rockets’ next two games are in Minnesota, as Houston heads north for a weekend back-to-back in the Twin Cities. The Rockets would help their cause by losing both games, although I’m never one to embrace or suggest tanking… it’s merely their reality. Houston has 29 games left to die, and then pray they get lucky in the draft lottery. The squad’s set up nicely for a bright future, but the Rockets won’t likely be a contender again for another 5 years or so, depending on how these future pieces fit into place. So buckle up… the next ride’s only beginning.