Big Easy Blues: Rockets Get Hammered by Pelicans in New Orleans, 130-101
Low-Quality H2O. Sinking Ship. Necessary Changes.
“During that winning streak, we drank some of that water we shouldn’t have. Our defense has been s***ty the last couple games,” John Wall said after the Rockets most recent blowout, a 130-101 beatdown in the Big Easy. And he’s right, the Rockets defense has been ugly the last few games. On Tuesday night, New Orleans pretty much dominated from start to finish. Houston trailed by 20 midway through the second, got back within 11 to start the fourth, but by then, had no energy to finish the game. a balanced Pelicans attack saw seven players score in double-figures. John Wall scored 25 points to lead Houston, and Eric Gordon continues to pass the 20-point mark, notching 23 points in the loss. Other than that, Sterling Brown supplied 11 points off the bench, and Jae-Sean Tate and Danuel House Jr. both chipped in 13 points apiece. But without Christian Wood, this Rockets team has struggled to win games. They’ve yet to win one since he went down with his second injury of the year. Throw in a missing Victor Oladipo, and Houston just didn’t have enough firepower against a New Orleans team that’s rolling, now winners of four straight.
Seemingly overnight, the Rockets have gone playoff contenders to a sinking ship. I get it, players have to rest for their health. But if Houston never suits up its entire roster, the Rockets will never build the chemistry required to beat the best. Hopefully, Christian Wood gets back as quickly as possible. His absence is a gigantic void Houston can’t fill. Until then, the squad will has to play harder, and hope Coach Stephen Silas makes the right rotational moves. It’s tricky when you never a full roster to work with.
What changes can the Rockets make to start winning again? The first answer is health. Take away two of the top three players from any NBA team, and logically, they’re going to be weakened. The Lakers without LeBron James and Anthony Davis, wouldn’t be contenders. In New Orleans, Wood and Oladipo’s absence couldn’t be salvaged by Houston teammates trying to mask the void that opens when two All-Star caliber players aren’t on the court. The second answer is quit resting John Wall and Victor Oladipo on back-to-backs. The Rockets don’t have time to worry about long-term health. If an injury happens, it’s bad luck. But if Houston keeps leaving their valuables off the court, they have no chance to be a valuable squad this season. And the final answer… maybe they should go back to drinking some of that water.