Rockets Head to the City of Brotherly Love, Mission: Show No Love to the Sixers
The Manimal. Health Factor. We Had a Dream.
Houston heads to Philadelphia to take on the Sixers on Monday night, as part of the NBA’s annual busy MLK-Day slate. The Rockets have lost two in a row to Eastern Conference foes, including 3 out of 4, and look to buck that trend. Tonight’s contest will not be easy, and is the 1st of 4 straight against the East. The Sixers are legitimate title contenders for the Eastern crown and their “Big 3” is one of the NBA’s most talented. Philly is led by Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid, and recently acquired Jimmy Butler to be the veteran presence in their star-studded lineup. Despite rumors that Butler and the team had problems co-existing, the Sixers have improved since Butler’s arrival. Philly has won 3 of 4 but are coming off a heartbreaking home-loss to the Thunder in their previous game. The Rockets have a new face to show off tonight. Kenneth Faried aka “The Manimal” was recently bought out from the Nets and signed with Houston for the remainder of the year. Look for Faried to provide instant depth and muscle in a Rockets frontcourt that is one of the league’s weakest with Capela sidelined. Faried is an excellent rebounder and finisher around the rim. His outstanding help-defense should give the Rockets a tougher presence in the interior and on the glass. Houston needs help in the frontcourt, even when Capela is healthy. Despite having a great season thus far, Nene is older and injury prone, not good attributes for your backup Center. Faried will add much-needed versatility to a Rockets’ frontcourt that has been desperately outmanned on the boards since Capela’s injury.
Tonight’s matchup could feature many sidelined stars. Chris Paul and Clint Capela remain out for the Rockets. Joel Embiid (back) and Jimmy Butler (wrist) are both questionable heading into the matchup. If they can’t play, Houston will have a lot less to worry about, but regardless, Philly is always a tough place to play. Tonight’s contest will certainly be a challenge for the Rockets with their health problems remaining a factor, seemingly for the entire season thus far. Hopefully, Kenneth Faried will be integrated into the lineup seamlessly like Austin Rivers and ex-Rocket, Danuel House Jr. Kenneth Faried’s skill sets are tailor-made for Houston’s system. The “Manimal” is a grinder, who hustles and puts his ego aside for the betterment of the team. I’m very excited that he’s joining the Rockets and I can’t wait to see what he brings to the squad. Once the team can get Chris Paul and Clint Capela back, Houston will have the deepest team in the league. Expect the squad to release James Nunnally, who hasn’t been a good fit, to free up a roster spot for Faried. The Rockets are aggressively trying to trade Carmelo Anthony, with some rumors have him headed for Chicago. House still has yet to play for the Houston’s G-League affiliate, so there are some hopes the Rockets may be able to cave and get him back. It still seems more like wishful thinking, or a dream, for House to return.
Today is Martin Luther King Day, a widely celebrated day across the NBA. The league always has a full slate of games on MLK Day and today is no different. It also happens to be Hakeem “The Dream” Olajuwon’s birthday. The greatest Rocket ever turns 56 today. Those special Rockets teams in the 90’s had a Dream, in Hakeem. Houston had the greatest center to ever play the game, based purely on talent, skill, and the competition he faced during his time in the league. This Rockets team has another dream. Similar to the one Olajuwon had. Winning a Championship. Houston can continue to move towards that dream with a big win over the Sixers tonight. The Philly crowd will be a raucous atmosphere, and the Rockets need to use their newest asset and work together to gut out a victory over a grinding, talented Philadephia 76ers squad.
Wells Fargo Center: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Jersey Colors:
Houston Rockets (26-19): “Earned” Red
Philadelphia 76ers (30-17): Blue
TV: 7 PM CT – TNT