Rockets Outplayed by Nuggets, 124-111, as Questions Arise
Bleak Start. The Elephant Room. Long Term Ramifications.
Even before the opening tip, this game had eerie premonitions all around, as Christian Wood was suspiciously out of the starting lineup for the first time all season. Many came to the logical conclusion that Daniel Theis was inserted in the starting unit to provide a bigger body to counter with Denver’s Nikola Jokic. But, that was far from the sad truth. I said in my last column that 2022 couldn’t possibly be worse a year than 2021 was for the Houston Rockets. Well, the squad got off to fast start trying to prove me wrong. The Rockets lost their seventh straight game on Saturday night, 124-111, to a short-handed Nuggets team. Jokic led Denver with 24 points and 12 boards, as they won their third straight game. The result was similar to New Year’s Eve for Houston, where the Rockets held a one-point edge after the first quarter, only to fall apart in the second quarter. Houston allowed the Nuggets to shoot 74% from the floor and score a season-high 47 points in the second period. Denver led by as many as 31 points, a deficit too steep for the Rockets to overcome. If there was any good news on Saturday, Jalen Green scored 29 points to lead the Rockets, and has been playing All-Star caliber basketball since returning from injury.
Some games have long-term ramifications that got beyond the final box score. Saturday night’s affair was one the Rockets won’t forget anytime soon. And not because it was their seventh straight loss, or their ninth loss in the last ten games. This season’s record no longer matters. Keeping the long-term future is the most important goal for a young team in rebuilding mode. A goal that was tested to the fullest on the first day the year. Christian Wood was suspiciously out of the starting lineup on Saturday night. Reports surfaced Wood was late to a COVID-test, and therefore Silas decided to discipline the big-man. Matters only worsened at halftime. During the break, Kevin Porter Jr. got into an altercation with Rockets assistant coach John Lucas, one of the most respected men in the league. KPJ apparently had to be separated from Lucas after throwing an object at the one of the great men in Rocket franchise history. In conclusion, Porter Jr. left the arena and went home, failing to return. And if you’re wondering if this happens often, the answer is hardy ever. It’s the first time in the NBA an incident of such childish behavior has surfaced this season. KPJ was kicked out of Cleveland for a locker room outburst when the Cavaliers tried to change his locker. He’s only 21, but Scoot needs to show more maturity and grow up soon, or KPJ could be out of the league, looking for a team once again. This is the first incident Houston’s had regarding Scoot’s behavior. He’s a young guy, and if the Rockets can’t patch this up, KPJ’s time in the NBA probably won’t last long.
The more troublesome news is about Christian Wood. Well out of his teenage years, but disappointingly refused to enter the second half after being benched to start the game. Wood was playing with noticeably less energy, and his refusal to play in the second-half, is almost as childish as KPJ scooting away from the arena at halftime. As a player, if you can’t learn to be coached, and accept coaching, you’ll never make it in the NBA. The bottom line is… in this league, you’re always going to be at-odds with your opponent, in mental and physical warfare. However when these conflicts arise in-house, they can be extremely destructive to a team, especially to a young squad with a young coach. It will be interesting to see how the Rockets resolve their issues with Wood and Porter Jr., two of their best players, and as of now, core parts of the franchise’s future. Sure, Wood has been one of the names flying around in trade rumors, and an incident like Saturday night’s will only speed up the rumor mill. Houston now has the most challenging task since James Harden left the franchise for dead nearly a year ago: mending these relationships with Wood and KPJ. And it’s not a choice for the Rockets. Houston brought these guys in and made them cornerstones of the franchise. They have to keep them… or risk having the rebuild pushed suspiciously back even further.