Houston Rockets: Top 5 must-watch match ups for the 2018-19 season
No. 1: Oct. 20th: Houston Rockets at Los Angeles Lakers
Well Houston Rockets fans, you shouldn’t be too surprised right? LeBron James decision to move to the Western Conference has created shock waves across the league and we’ll be able to see him on a regular basis rather than just once a year over his storied career.
This match up will mean everything to any hoops alike as we see as to how this team measures up to the new and improved Lake Show with LeBron receiving top-billing for their uncanny cast of supporting characters.
As a matter of fact, LeBron will have Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Brandon Ingram, Lance Stephenson and the always reliable, yet opinionated Rajon Rondo.
On paper, I think this team would marginally be a playoff team but with LeBron in the fold, there’s no telling where he can lead them. Just look at this year’s Cavs, LeBron carried that team on his back all the way to the NBA Finals and his preceding supporting cast was just marginally better with Kevin Love included.
They’ll be some growing pains out of the gate as these guys learn how to play with each other and I’m sure LeBron and Luke Walton figure things out as to how best to employ their strategy but they’ll figure out. There’s no question this team will qualify for the playoffs after not doing so since the 2012-13 season but that’ll change mighty fast. Now whether or not they’re a Top 5 team in the West remains to be seen, I think they’ll fall slightly out of that but we’ll see how that pans out.
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This will be an entertaining match up but I do think the Rockets are the better team — with its massive collection of vets — to seal the deal early in the season. This will be the Rockets‘ first road game so they’ll have plenty of energy to go the distance in this game. Without a doubt, LeBron is going to be good for at least 15-20 extra wins in that column for 2018-19.
Plus, I’m really going to love to see Chris Paul and Rajon Rondo go at it which will be must-see TV within itself. And speaking of television, this game will be dual-televised on ESPN as well as AT&T SportsNet so if you have both channels, you’ll be able get unique perspectives from both ends of the spectrum.
In the words of the illustrious Bart Scott — CAN’T WAIT!