Size-able Test: Rockets Battle Lakers in First Game Since Trade Deadline
Micro-Ballers. The Heights Five. All In.
“How many times do I have to teach you: just because something works doesn’t mean it can’t be improved,” Shuri states in the film Black Panther. A quote that came to mind after all the deadline-madness. And the Rockets made the boldest statement of all at the trade deadline. Houston shipped off homegrown Center Clint Capela to the Atlanta Hawks in four-team deal, and received Robert Covington, the man they’ve been after. A player who suits the Rockets style of play perfectly. RoCo makes his Rockets debut tonight, as Houston begins a new-era of small-ball in the NBA. In their first game as the NBA’s “Micro-Ballers”, the Rockets battle the Lakers on Thursday night in a TNT national TV exclusive. Houston gets a tough test, as Anthony Davis will pose a giant problem to a Rockets team whose rotation now consists of no one taller than 6’7. Hopefully, the deadline moves will force Coach Mike D’Antoni to play Isaiah Hartenstein when Houston needs to put more size on the court. Harty has been great when he’s seen rare playing time this season. Robert Covington gets a chance to immediately show the impact he can bring, against a championship-caliber opponent. The Lakers have dedicated the season to Kobe Bryant and will have more emotional motivation in the long-run, led by the ultimate leader, LeBron James. On Thursday night, the Rockets will try and get closer to the King’s throne by knocking off the Lakers in an upset with a national TV audience as witnesses.
Tonight marks the first of back-to-back for Houston. The squad travels to Phoenix tomorrow night for a tilt with the Suns. Russell Westbrook has rested on the second night of back-to-backs this season, although that will change tonight. D’Antoni announced that Russ will play tonight, and rest tomorrow instead. A smart move, as Houston has a chance to beat L.A. with a full lineup. Tomorrow’s weaker Phoenix team can be dispatched with Brodie on the sidelines. This small-lineup has drawn up comparisons to Golden State’s “Hamptons 5” lineup that consisted of a similarly small lineup: Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, Andre Iguodala, and Harrison Barnes. A Warriors team that won the championship before Kevin Durant arrived to bring them two more titles. Due to their lack of size, call these Rockets the, “Heights 5.” A lineup that will consist of James Harden, Russell Westbrook, Robert Covington, P.J. Tucker, and either Danuel House Jr., Eric Gordon, or Ben McLemore. It’s not clear at the moment who will start. I’m assuming House will get the starting nod. But nonetheless, Houston will have a potently small lineup on the court the majority of the time.
With the move, Rockets GM Daryl Morey has decided to go all-in on Houston’s small-ball style. Getting Covington creates a copious amount of floor space for Harden and Westbrook to work with. They can isolate and destroy their defenders, and if the double-team comes, potent shooters will be lining the perimeter. Moving Clint Capela was essentially about creating more space for Westbrook. The two were never on the same page, and Houston as a team has started to trend toward less pick-and-roll, and more isolation. Capela was useful in pick-and-roll. When Harden and Westbrook isolated, Capela clogged the paint due to his inability to make perimeter shots. Clint couldn’t step out, and it created havoc situations that made it easier for the opponent to defend Houston’s drive, dish, and shoot style of play. Now, there’s no one clogging the interior. The Rockets have all the room in the world to run teams out of the building every night. Tonight, they’re going to get a real test. The Lakers are still the top seed out West. They still have Anthony Davis, the league’s biggest interior threat. He’s going to be a handful for this small Houston lineup. Thursday night will go a long way in showing if this was the right move, and if this style works against teams with dominant big men. Not many elite teams have truly dominant centers. Anthony Davis is one of the few true centers left in the league, and the most dominant… by far. It’s the first game for these new-look Rockets. So a loss, won’t necessarily mean the trade’s the culprit. However, if Houston can manage to micro-ball their way to an upset, it’s a great sign for the future. The Rockets didn’t have problems when Capela didn’t play. Houston went 10-1 this season without Capela. Maybe they didn’t need him after all. Maybe all they needed to do was ton fully dedicate themselves to their style of play. Adding RoCo gives the Rockets a perfect player for D’Antoni’s isolation-heavy, perimeter-oriented offense, as well as a solid defender. Houston might have won a title with Clint Capela. We’ll never know. We do know the Rockets believed a move was necessary to improve the squad. They took a cue from Black Panther… just because something works, doesn’t mean it can’t be improved.
Staples Center: Los Angeles, California
Jersey Colors:
Houston Rockets (32-18): Red
Los Angeles Lakers (38-11): Yellow
TV: 9:30 PM CT – TNT