Game 6: Houston Rockets At Sacramento Kings Preview
It’s now all about getting back to business Houston Rockets fans!
This team will now break out to the West Coast for a short, two-game back-to-back trip starting with the 1-4 Sacramento Kings tonight.
As the Rockets climb their way back into some respectability with a chance to have a .500 record tonight, one must wonder how did they get themselves in this predicament in the first place.
First and foremost, their defense has been lackluster, a far cry from last season’s consistent stay among the best in the top 10.
It certainly was the engine that made them go last season and they were able to pile up a lot of wins as a result.
For some reason, this year they haven’t committed themselves to such an important craft that not only wins games but can win championships as well.
This team WILL be on the outside looking in if they don’t get it together on the defensive end.
But it’s just as bad on the offensive end, it’s almost as if we don’t have any sense of an offensive plan when this team is bringing the ball up the court except put the ball in James Harden‘s hands and watch him go one-on-one with his defender for 20 seconds.
This type of mindset can’t continue and must change in order for this team to start winning games or else we’ll see the utmost in mediocrity — or even worse — we’ll be the run of the litter.
For the record, the Rockets are ranked 24th — tied with the Kings — in defensive efficiency giving up a horrid 106.8 points per 100 possessions.
And it’s even worse with their offensive efficiency — they’re ranked 26th — scoring just a measly 95.4 points per 100 possessions.
Those are definitely not numbers to write home about and they’ve got to turn it around as soon as possible.
So who’s leading the charge for the Kings?
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Currently, that would be DeMarcus Cousins who leads the team in scoring (22.0 PPG) and rebounding (11.0 RPG). Rajan Rondo leads the team in dimes (6.0 APG), Rudy Gay in steals (1.40 SPG) and Kosta Koufos in blocks (1.20 BPG).
However, Cousins has been ruled OUT tonight as he dealing with a strained right Achilles — the Kings have deemed him “day-to-day” and has missed the past two games against the Memphis Grizzlies and the Phoenix Suns, both blowouts.
Darren Collison — who made his first start with the Kings — has taken the reins is scoring while Boogie has been out, averaging 15.5 PPG in his stead, signifying that they’re offense has been quite meager without their big man.
What do the Kings do well?
They love to have the ball in their hands. The Kings are 2nd in the league in PACE, averaging 105.0 possessions per game.
They are a solid rebounding team. The Kings are 10th in rebound rate (51.3) but these numbers will likely be marred while Cousins continues to sit out.
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Now let’s talk about Rockets injuries:
The Houston Chronicle’s Jonathan Feigen reports that Terrence Jones (eyelid laceration) and Patrick Beverley (concussion) will not play in both games on this road trip.
Dwight Howard will sit out tonight but is expected to play against the Los Angeles Clippers tomorrow night.
With the Kings injuries, the Rockets are likely going to go small as far as their lineup.
Clint Capela is expected to get the start at center and Trevor Ariza will slide over the “4” spot and start at power forward.
As far as match ups, it will be interesting to see who will be the victor between Ty Lawson and Rondo and how much the Beard can capitalize over Collison. It will be a somewhat toned-down battle of the back court.
Next: The Rockets Rocky Road To Respectability
Three Things To Watch:
- Lawson vs. Rondo
- Beard vs. Collison
- Whether the Rockets will have some sense of urgency on the defensive/offensive end
Prediction:
98-90 in a Rockets’ win!
The Rockets take on the Kings tonight at Sleep Train Arena.
Tip-off is scheduled for 9:30 p.m. CDT.
The game will be televised on ESPN/ROOT Sports and broadcast on SportsTalk 790 AM (KBME) & La Ranchera 850 AM (KEYH) in Spanish.
Go Rockets.