Rockets 115, Pelicans 113 - Matchup

By Forrest Walker on January 26, 2018
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The Houston Rockets don't want to meet the New Orleans Pelicans in the playoffs. Every team is dangerous in their own right, and the Pelicans are, of course, not the scariest team in the NBA. They are, however, a nightmare matchup for the Rockets. That the Rockets came within a hair's breadth of winning a game they were down 21 is impressive in its own way. What we've learned, tonight, is something we already knew: matchups matter in the NBA.

Rockets 130, Pelicans 123 - Best Not Miss

The New Orleans Pelicans entered Toyota Center missing Anthony Davis and labeled massive underdogs. The Houston Rockets were on a nine game tear, all but one of those a double-digit win. The Pelicans had nothing to lose and no reason to hold back. For the majority of the game, they played with the looseness and abandon fitting a team in their position. They had a real shot at the team with the best record, longest win streak, and MVP frontrunner. They did the impossible and got the Rockets dead in their sights.

But if you come at the king, you best not miss. They learned this the hard way tonight.

Rockets 117, Pelicans 107 - Rockets Get Revenge on Pelicans

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Exactly seven days after suffering an embarrassing loss the New Orleans Pelicans, the Houston Rockets avenged that performance beating that very same team. The stars came out to play, but, in the end, the Rockets had more contributions from all around the floor.

Three days of rest didn’t seem to actually help the Rockets in any way whatsoever. Houston opened the game on an 11-2 run, but constant turnovers and a sudden hot streak from the Pelicans quickly reversed the score in New Orleans’ favor. NOLA quickly went on a 14-0 run that was stamped by a trio of threes, one from DeMarcus ‘Boogie’ Cousins and two from Solomon Hill (who would hit three total in the quarter).

James Harden caught a scoring bug early, as he scored 17 of his 21 first half points in the opening period. Despite his early scoring punch, the Rockets exhibited some of the sloppiest basketball played all season, turning the ball over 16 times in the first half (they average 15 per game). It’s worth noting that Harden was only responsible for one of these first half turnovers while posting a stat line of 21 points, seven assists, four rebounds, and two steals. Houston somewhat got its act together towards the end of the second quarter and went into halftime down by just one point (50-49).

Harden’s powers of distribution were on display early in the second half, allowing for the Rockets to regain the lead for the first time since the opening minutes. The Rockets looked much shaper in the third, refusing to commit a turnover until the very last possession of the period. With Cousins facing early foul trouble, picking up his third in the early minutes of the quarter, Anthony Davis picked up the slack and ran roughshod over the Rockets. The ‘Brow’ scored 17 points in the period and is always a problem on the glass, so Houston couldn’t muster anything better than a 80-79 lead by period’s end.

Houston opened the fourth quarter with an easy layup for Lou Williams and a Patrick Beverley three that got the crowd at Toyota Center to its feet for the first time in the game. Just when it looked like the Rockets were finding a rhythm offensively, Cousins got away with a two-hand push on Patrick Beverley, which allowed him to drain a three. Beverley made the Pelicans pay a few minutes later by hitting a three off a beautiful pass from Harden, and then by following up a miss with a phenomenal tip-in that gave the Rockets a 97-90 lead. A couple of threes from Ryan Anderson and Eric Gordon looked to be potential daggers, but New Orleans would not go away.

Things got pretty chippy in the final minutes involving none other that Boogie Cousins, who hit Anderson in the face twice, once with an elbow and another with the back of his head. He then proceeded to drain a deeeeeeeep three in Anderson’s face. Harden and Boogie traded baskets, and then Harden did what he does best… draw shooting fouls behind the three-point line. Harden sank all three free throws and gave the Rockets a 110-105 lead with a minute and a half left to play. Following some stoppage of play to treat a Ryan Anderson injury (a twisted ankle), Harden hit a dagger from dead-center three.

Aside from James Harden’s expectedly fantastic performance, the Rockets got a big game from Patrick Beverley (17 points, including some late daggers, and six rebounds), Clint Capela (10 points, 13 rebounds, and 2 blocks), Trevor Ariza (eight points, nine rebounds), and the tandem of Anderson and Gordon contributed a combined 27 points.

Game Ball 

This is a segment of the game recaps that will give the proverbial game ball to a player that proved to be most valuable to the Rockets on a given night. This award won’t necessarily go to the player that puts up the best numbers, but to the player that made the greatest impact on the team – tangible or intangible.

Friday’s game ball goes to James Harden.

Harden was magnificent yet again, scoring 38 points on just 12 shots and dishing out 17 assists. He didn’t record a triple-double (a seemingly important feat nowadays), but he still hauled in seven and committed just three of Houston’s 18 turnovers. Given his usage rate, and how much the Rockets needed him to run the offense in this game, that’s an impressive feat to say the least.

Game Preview: Houston Rockets vs New Orleans Pelicans

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Following a blowout victory over the Los Angeles Lakers, the Rockets head to New Orleans to play the Pelicans for the third time this season, leading the season series 2-0. The Rockets are now riding a three game win streak and have won seven of their last ten, sitting at 47-21 and third place in the West. The leader in points, assists and rebounds for the Rockets is James Harden, who produces 28.9 points, 11.3 assists and 8 rebounds per game. On the season the Rockets rank 2nd in offense, 12th in defense, and 3rd in net rating.

The Pelicans have struggled more than many expected after acquiring DeMarcus Cousins, having won just three of their ten games he has appeared in. Now at 27-41 on the season and five and a half games out of the West's final playoff spot, the Pelicans will likely miss out on the postseason for their second straight season. The Pelicans are led in scoring and rebounding by Anthony Davis with 27.9 points and 11.8 rebounds, and in assists by Jrue Holiday, who dishes out 7.8 assists per game. The Pelicans currently rank 27th in offensive rating, 7th in defensive rating, and just 23rd in net rating.

Starting Lineups

The Rockets will likely continue to start James Harden at point guard, Patrick Beverley at shooting guard, Trevor Ariza at small forward, Ryan Anderson at power forward, and Clint Capela at center to start the game, with competing Sixth Man of the Year candidates Eric Gordon and Lou Williams being the first guys off the bench.

After receiving a kick to the side in his last game, center DeMarcus Cousins did not return to the game, and it is unclear if he will be able to play against the Rockets on Friday. Assuming health, the Pelicans will likely start Jrue Holiday at point guard, one of Wayne Seldon and Hollis Thompson at shooting guard, Solomon Hill at small forward, Anthony Davis at power forward, and DeMarcus Cousins at center.

Three Things to Watch

• Firepower – When using Basketball References version of offensive rating, the Rockets are about tied for the highest offensive rating of all time. While many thought the Rockets would be great offensively, the degree to which they've succeeded on that end is mind boggling. Watch to see if the Rockets are able to keep up this high octane offense for the rest of the season.


• Cleaning Up – Going into the All-Star break the Rockets were just 24th in the NBA at taking care of the basketball, but since the break, and the addition of Lou Williams, the Rockets are all the way up at 7th, doing a much better job at avoiding turnovers. Watch to see if this is a fluke or if the Rockets have cleaned up their game, helping increase the efficiency of the Rockets offense.


• Season Series – The Rockets have won both of the two teams' previous match ups in convincing fashion, with the average margin of victory for them being an impressive 26 points. Watch to see if the Rockets keep up their dominance over their Southwest division rivals.

Prediction and Tip-Off

The Rockets are a much better team and the Pelicans may be entering tank mode, with their playoff chances getting smaller and smaller, so this is a game the Rockets should, and likely will, win big.

Tip-off will be at 7:00 P.M. Central Time in New Orleans on Thursday, March 17th. The game will be televised on ROOTSPORTS with the radio broadcast on Sports Talk 790-AM.

Rockets 129, Pelicans 99 - Welcome to Houston, Lou Williams!

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The biggest story of the NBA Trade Deadline (and probably the biggest in the entire NBA since Kevin Durant decided to take his talents to the California Bay) is the recent trade of DeMarcus Cousins to the New Orleans Pelicans. In the first game following the All-Star Break, Rockets fans were treated to a game with a lot of intrigue. Not only were the Rockets witness to Cousins’ debut with New Orleans, but the newly acquired Lou Williams made his Rockets debut, and Ryan Anderson and Eric Gordon returned to New Orleans for the first time wearing Rockets uniforms – well, aside from Gordon’s victory in the Three-Point contest last Saturday.

The Smoothie King Center was buzzing in anticipation of ‘Boogie’ Cousins’ Pelicans debut, and he responded by hitting the first basket of the game. Neither team could get much going early in the quarter, as there was clear ‘ring rust’ after the All-Star Break. Both teams had six turnovers in the quarter and the game grew pretty sloppy. However, a pair of 8-2 runs and a 10-0 run from the Rockets gave the Rockets a 25-16 lead. Amidst the last run, Lou Williams checked into the game for the first time as a Rocket and immediately drained two corner threes. Former Houston Rocket Omri Casspi scored five straight for New Orleans, which kicked off a 12-5 run that would close the quarter out and cut Houston’s lead to just two (30-28).

After Cousins opened the second quarter with a bucket, the Rockets went on a 7-0 run that saw Sam Dekker, who figures to get more playing time with Corey Brewer’s departure, hit a three-pointer and a weirdly Brewer-esque twisting transition layup.

.@dekker with the nice finish. 👀

That Beard reaction on the bench... 😂 pic.twitter.com/rOKpJxCyF3

— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) February 24, 2017

The second period also saw Donatas Motiejunas check into the game. Fans will remember that D-Mo had a strange and rocky relationship with the Rockets earlier this season. Adding his skillset and professional attitude to the tandem of Cousins and Anthony Davis can be very beneficial in terms of depth for this Pelicans’ frontcourt.

Mike D’Antoni rolled out a lineup in the second period that figures to be a staple for the Rockets going forward – a lineup that featured Gordon, Williams, and Beverley running the offense. This lineup paid immediate dividends as Gordon and Williams ended three straight possessions with wide-open threes. New Orleans’ length defensively became an issue for the Rockets, which kept the game close, but Houston quickly bounced back once James Harden checked back into the game. Montrezl Harrell put in six quick points on tough baskets in the paint (any basket in the paint is tough Cousins and Davis are in position), and the Rockets bench actually outscored the starters with an impressive 40 points as a whole. The Rockets ended the period on a 20-6 run, going into halftime with a 66-50 lead.

Things got extremely physical early in the third quarter, specifically between Cousins and Nene. After a double foul was called for both guys trying to establish position without actually boxing out, Nene came alive with two straight baskets at the rim – including a nice jam coming off a pick-and-roll with Harden. Houston held New Orleans to just eight points in the first nine minutes of the period, building up an insurmountable 32-point lead. The Pelicans made a tiny run to cut the lead to less than 30, but Lou Williams made sure to provide a spark by hitting another wide-open corner three and assisting on a Clint Capela alley-oop. Houston outscored the Pelicans 34-17 and got to 100 points by the end of the period. The game was all but over.

This contest wasn’t really about either team’s superstars, but about debuting and returning players (albeit, DeMarcus Cousins is a superstar). ‘Boogie’ made his Pelicans’ debut to much fanfare and put up really good numbers in an overall really bad game (27 points on 60% shooting, 14 rebounds, five steals, and four blocks). On the flip side, Lou Williams was stellar in his Rockets debut, scoring 27 points on 56% shooting – including hitting seven of his eleven attempts from three. Former Pelicans Eric Gordon and Ryan Anderson heard smatterings of boos all night, but weren’t fazed as they scored 19 and 17 points, respectively. Even Omri Casspi scored 12 points!

Houston has now won 41 games this season, which is the same win total as all of last season. The Rockets look to continue winning with this new-look squad when they take on the Minnesota Timberwolves in Houston on Saturday.

Game Ball

This is a segment of the game recaps that will give the proverbial game ball to a player that proved to be most valuable to the Rockets on a given night. This award won’t necessarily go to the player that puts up the best numbers, but to the player that made the greatest impact on the team – tangible or intangible.

Thursday’s game ball goes to Lou Williams.

NOW THAT’S HOW YOU MAKE AN ENTRANCE!

.@TeamLou23 has 6 three-pointers tonight. He's going to fit in just fine. #Rockets50 pic.twitter.com/oLevsdUYns

— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) February 24, 2017

Despite the trade being finalized and officially announced just six hours or so before tip-off, and without a single practice or shootaround under his belt, Lou Williams shined like an absolute diamond in his Rockets debut. Hitting seven threes and creating offense for himself as well as his teammates is exactly why the Rockets gave up Corey Brewer and a first-round pick to get him. After Thursday there’s no question about his fit within D’Antoni’s offense, specifically with how he can help Eric Gordon run the second unit.

Now, the real question mark revolves around who gets to take home the ‘Sixth Man of the Year’ trophy – Gordon or Williams. Is there a “Seventh Man of the Year” award? Can they share the trophy? Either way, Daryl Morey does it again.

Welcome to Houston, Lou!

Recap: The 2017 NBA Trade Deadline

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Ah yes, the NBA Trade Deadline. Aside from July 1^st in a loaded free agency class, the trade deadline is probably the most exciting day of the NBA’s calendar year. The suspense, the surprises, and the rumors of teams making phone calls take center stage just days after the All-Star Game. NBA Twitter is fully engaged and locked in to the accounts of the likes of Adrian Wojnarowski, Shams Charania, Marc Stein, Brian Windhorst, etc., hoping to be hit with huge trade announcements.

Now, the trade deadline isn’t always as exciting as Twitter rumors make it out to be. Sometimes, nothing happens that would shift the NBA landscape or, as was the case last year, stuff doesn’t materialize until after the 3 PM Eastern/2 PM Central deadline (trades can still be announced after the deadline, so long as the league is notified before). This year, the madness started with two major moves before the All-Star Break had fully settled down – and no, I’m not talking about the Mason Plumlee/ Jusuf Nurkic trade.

On February 14^th, the fans of Toronto got a pretty nice Valentine’s Day gift in the form of Serge Ibaka, a guy who has undoubtedly slipped defensively compared to his role on a monstrous Thunder team a few years ago, but a guy who has improved his shooting range and will definitely help the Raptors in their quest to dethrone the Cleveland Cavaliers in the east. For a team that sees Kyle Lowry’s free agency on the horizon (he can opt out of his contract at season’s end) and is clearly in “win now” mode, giving up an inconsistent bench player like Terrence Ross and a low first-round pick is not a ton to give up for a guy with the name-value Ibaka has.

Then, on Sunday, February 19^th, just hours after the All-Star game ended, the Sacramento Kings dropped a major bombshell when they agreed to trade DeMarcus Cousins (and Omri Casspi) to the New Orleans Pelicans for a lackluster package of Buddy Hield, Tyreke Evans, Langston Galloway, and two picks in this year’s draft. This move pairs Cousins with Anthony Davis and now gives the Pelicans the most formidable backcourt in the NBA. It also allows for the Kings to move on from the controversial Cousins or, perhaps more importantly, it allows for ‘Boogie’ to move on from the highly dysfunctional organization that is the Sacramento Kings. With the addition of a superstar like Boogie, expect the Pelicans to make a major push for the eighth-seed in the Western Conference (they’re only 2.5 games back).

There was a lot of chatter about Paul George and Jimmy Butler potentially being moved with the Boston Celtics and their treasure chest of assets being the likely destination, but, alas, those moves weren’t meant to be.

Here’s a recap of the moves made at the 2017 NBA Trade Deadline (including those mentioned above):

• Portland Trailblazers traded Mason Plumlee, a 2018 second-round pick, and cash considerations to the Denver Nuggets for Jusuf Nurkic and a 2017 first-round pick

• Orlando Magic traded Serge Ibaka to the Toronto Raptors for Terrence Ross and a 2017 first-round pick

• Sacramento Kings traded DeMarcus Cousins and Omri Casspi to the New Orleans Pelicans for Buddy Hield, Tyreke Evans, Langston Galloway, and 2017 first- and second-round picks

• Brooklyn Nets traded Bojan Bogdanovic and Chris McCullogh to the Washington Wizards for Andrew Nicholson, Marcus Thornton, and a 2017 first-round pick

• Philadelphia 76ers traded Ersan Illyasova for the Atlanta Hawks for Tiago Splitter, a protected 2017 first-round pick that has a pick-swap option

• Los Angeles Lakers traded Lou Williams to the Houston Rockets for Corey Brewer and a 2017 first-round pick

• Philadelphia 76ers traded Nerlens Noel to the Dallas Mavericks for Andrew Bogut, Justin Anderson, and a 2017 first-round pick

• Houston Rockets traded KJ McDaniels to the Brooklyn Nets for a heavily protected future second-round pick

• Chicago Bulls traded Taj Gibson, Doug McDermott, and a 2018 second-round pick to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Cameron Payne, Joffrey Lauvergne, and Anthony Morrow

• Milwaukee Bucks traded Roy Hibbert to the Denver Nuggets for a heavily protected second-round pick

• Houston Rockets traded Tyler Ennis to the Los Angeles Lakers for Marcelo Huertas

• Atlanta Hawks traded Mike Scott to the Phoenix Suns for cash considerations

• Phoenix Suns traded P.J. Tucker to the Toronto Raptors for Jared Sullinger and 2017 and 2018 second-round picks

Not a lot off significant moves were made at the actual trade deadline as some of the most impactful moves were made in the days leading up to it. However, there are some clear winners as far as teams improving at this year's deadline goes. First, as mentioned above, both the Pelicans and DeMarcus Cousins are huge winners following the most notable move of this deadline. Also, the Raptors, who have fallen to fourth in the Eastern Conference standings in recent weeks, are big winners with the additions of Serge Ibaka and P.J. Tucker – two pieces that will certainly help the Raptors make a run at the Cavs.

The Houston Rockets, who will always be active at the trade deadline, were also big winners with the addition of Lou Williams – a perennial sixth man of the year candidate (and Eric Gordon’s only competition in that regard this season) and a scorer that is seemingly a perfect fit for what Mike D’Antoni wants to do with that offense. Also, trading K.J. McDaniels and Tyler Ennis away for essentially nothing (Marcelo Huertas is going to be released) gives the Rockets some extra cap space, allowing for the acquisition of players that may be bought out post-deadline (i.e. Andrew Bogut or Deron Williams).

The NBA Trade Deadline has come and gone, but the excitement for the rest of this season is just ramping up. With championship contenders looking to sign free agents to bolster roster depth and with roughly 26 games left in the season, the NBA is preparing for the last, most exciting phase of the calendar year – The Playoffs.

Game Preview: Houston Rockets vs. New Orleans Pelicans

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The Rockets are back! After a week off for the all star break the Rockets get ready to face the Pelicans to start off the last stretch of the season. The Rockets are currently 3rd in the West and 40-18 on the season. The Rockets are led in scoring, assists and rebounds by MVP candidate James Harden, at 29.2 points, 11.3 assists, and  8.3 rebounds a game. The Rockets are ranked 2nd in offensive rating, 14th in defensive rating, and 3rd in net rating.

The new look Pelicans (more on that later) come into town at 23-24, and 11th in the West, desperate to close the 2.5 game gap between they and the 8th seeded Nuggets. The Pelicans are led in scoring and rebounding by Anthony Davis, at 27.7 points and 12 rebounds, while Jrue Holiday leads them in assists at 7.5 per game. The Pelicans rank 27th in offensive rating, 8th in defensive rating, and 22nd in net rating.

Starting Lineups

The Rockets are all rested up, and barring any late deadline shakeups, will likely continue start James Harden at point guard, Patrick Beverley at shooting guard, Trevor Ariza at small forward, Ryan Anderson at power forward, and Clint Capela at center, with Eric Gordon getting starter’s minutes.

The trade deadline madness kicked off with the Pelicans snatching superstar center, DeMarcus Cousins, along with Omri Caspi, from the Kings. While Cousins' debut will be made on Thursday, Omri Caspi will be out with a calf injury. The Pelicans will start the game with Jrue Holiday at point guard, E'Twaun Moore at shooting guard, Soloman Hill at small forward, Anthony Davis at power forward, and DeMarcus Cousins at center.

Three Things to Watch

• Goodbye Brewer – To no ones surprise, Morey pulled off a move near the deadline, shipping Brewer and a first rounder away for super sixth man, now seventh man, Lou Williams. Although Lou likely won't be able to make his Rockets debut on Thursday, we will get to see how the rotations change with Brewer gone, or any other pieces Morey moves by Thursday afternoons deadline.
  


• "Fire And Ice" – The Rockets are lucky enough to be the first team to get a close up look at the new super front court of Brow and Boogie, who decided to call themselves Fire and Ice (lame, I know). Watch to see how these two dominate big man mesh together in their first game, and how the Rockets try to stop that deadly combo.


• More Trade Deadline Shenanigans? – Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical (if you're not following him on twitter, how dare you: @WojVerticalNBA) reported Wednesday morning that the Rockets are hoping to get another deal done before the deadline, just hours before Thursday's game. Watch to see what names come up in rumors, and if the Rockets are able to make another deal to bolster the roster as they head into the playoffs.

Prediction and Tip-Off

Even with the Pelicans new front court the Rockets are the better team, and have better chemistry than their shaken up opponents. I expect the Rockets to win, and match last seasons win total, at 41.

Tip-off will be at 7:00 P.M. Central Time in New Orleans on Thursday, February 23rd. The game will be televised on ROOTSPORTS with the radio broadcast on Sports Talk 790-AM.

Game Preview: Houston Rockets vs Sacramento Kings

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After yet another loss, the Rockets sit at 35-16, finishing their 5 game road trip just 2-3. The Rockets are surely happy to be back at the Toyota Center, to play the Kings, after playing 29 of their first 51 games on the road. The Rockets are led in scoring, assists and rebounds by MVP candidate James Harden, at 28.8 points, 11.5 assists, and  8.2 rebounds a game. The Rockets are ranked 3rd in offensive rating, 20th in defensive rating, and 4th in net rating.

After having a cup of tea with the 8th seed, the Kings have fallen back down, losing eight out of their last 10 games, sitting at 19-29, following their loss to the 76ers. The Kings will be playing on a back to back on Tuesday, as they played in Philadelphia just the day before, so they will not be well rested for their game against the Rockets. The Kings are led in scoring and rebounding by all star, DeMarcus Cousins, at 28.4 points and 10.6 rebounds, and in assists by former Rocket we try and forget about, Ty Lawson at 4.5 assists per game. The Kings rank 15th in offensive rating, 27th in defensive rating, and 25th in net rating.

Starting Lineups

Everyone was available for the Rockets in their last game, and that appears to be the case again for Tuesday. It is worth noting that the Rockets have been rotating their starters at center, starting Capela, then Nene, then Harrell in their last three games. The Rockets will likely start James Harden at point guard, Patrick Beverley at shooting guard, Trevor Ariza at small forward, Ryan Anderson at power forward, and one of their three centers (Clint Capela, Montrezl Harrell or Nene Hilario), with Eric Gordon getting starter’s minutes.

The Kings took a major hit when forward, Rudy Gay went down for the season with a torn Achilles, as he was averaging 18.7 points and 6.3 rebounds a game for them. The Kings will likely start the game with Darren Collison at point guard, Garrett Temple at shooting guard, Arron Afflalo at small forward, Kosta Koufos at power forward, and DeMarcus Cousins at center.

Three Things to Watch

• Finally Home – After what felt like an eternity, the Rockets are finally back in Houston, and fully healthy. Watch to see if the Rockets have a little more pep in their step, now that they are back in the Toyota Center.


• Get to the Line – The Kings are currently the 4th worst team at keeping the opposition off of the free throw line, by free throw attempt rate. Against a free throw maestro like James Harden, the Kings may be stuck watching Harden shoot 3 free throws at a time for most of the game. Watch to see if Harden and the Rockets are able to take advantage of the Kings fouling tendencies and get them in trouble with players fouling out, and getting into the penalty early.


• HIT SOME THREES – The Rockets continue to shoot poorly in January, hitting just 33.3% of their threes, second to last in the league during that span. The good news for the Rockets is that the Kings are terrible at defending threes. The Kings allow more three point attempts per 100 possessions, at 29.7, than all but 2 other teams, and allow a blistering 37.6% on those attempts, the fourth highest percentage in the league. Watch to see if the Rockets are able to take advantage of being back at home and a soft defense and get back to their old run n' gun ways.

Prediction and Tip-Off

The Rockets should pull out a win here, quite comfortably. The Kings match up poorly with the Rockets, and are severely hampered by the Gay injury.

Tip-off will be at 7:00 P.M. Central Time in Indiana on Sunday, January 29th. The game will be televised on ROOT SPORTS, with the radio broadcast on Sports Talk 790-AM.

Game Preview: Houston Rockets vs Sacramento Kings

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After dropping to 9-6 at the hands of the Toronto Raptors, the Rockets head to Sacramento to take on the Kings. James Harden leads the Rockets in both scoring and assists, at 28.7 points and 12.5 assists per game, and in rebounds by Clint Capela, who is at 8.6 a game. Going into Friday’s game, the Rockets rank 6th in offensive rating, 24th in defensive rating, and 11th in net rating.

The Kings have struggled out of the gate, as many assumed they would, starting the season with a 6-9 record. The Kings are led in scoring and rebounding by DeMarcus Cousins, who is averaging 27.5 points and 9.9 rebounds per game, and assists by Darren Collison (5.7 assists per game). The Kings rank 15th in offensive rating, 28th in defensive rating, and 25th in net rating.

Starting Lineups

The Rockets are likely to continue to start with James Harden at point guard, Patrick Beverley at shooting guard, Trevor Ariza at small forward, Ryan Anderson at power forward, and Clint Capela at center, with Eric Gordon getting starter’s minutes.

After missing the first eight games of the season due to a suspension, guard Darren Collison is back and competing with Ty Lawson for the starting point guard role. The Kings are likely to start Darren Collison at point guard, Aaron Afflalo at shooting guard, Rudy Gay at small forward, Matt Barnes, who was recently moved into the starting lineup over Kosta Koufos, at power forward, and DeMarcus Cousins at center.

Three Things to Watch

• Minutes for Montrezl-  After playing five minutes in the first half, Nene was a healthy scratch for the rest of the game, in favor of Montrezl Harrell. Montrezl has looked at least as good as Nene to start the season, but given Nene's veteran presence and the below-market deal he signed for, I have a hard time seeing Harrell continue to steal his minutes. Watch to see if D'Antoni really is starting to lose confidence in Nene, and continues to give Harrell playing time.


• Another test for Clint- After playing well against a series of top centers, from Andre Drummond to Jonas Valanciunas, Clint Capela once again faces a top flight center in DeMarcus Cousins. Watch to see if Capela can keep up his level of defense and rebounding we've seen over the last stretch of games against someone who many see as the best center in the NBA.


• Turnovers- The Rockets are 28th in turnover rate, and it's easy to see as they turned the ball over 26 times (12 from Harden) against the Toronto Raptors. Watch to see if the Rockets can work on their biggest offensive flaw and take care of the ball.
  

Prediction and Tip-Off

It's the Kings.

The Rockets should beat teams like the Kings. I'm going to predict a Rockets win, and it would be rather disappointing if they lose this one. I also expect a bit of a bounce back game from Harden after struggling over the past five or six games.

Tip-off will be at 9:30 P.M. Central Time at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Friday, November 25th. The game will be televised on ROOT Sports with the radio broadcast on Sports Talk 790-AM.

Should the Warriors trade Klay Thompson?

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It's no secret that there were questions coming into the 2016-17 season which of the Golden State Warrior players would have the hardest time adjusting. On the one hand, Kevin Durant was joining a new system after being the focal point of an offense in Oklahoma City. Then you have Steph, who was used to being the magician in Oakland, throwing crossovers, 35-foot three point shots, and acrobatic finishes at the rim that left you in awe. Of little question was Draymond Green, often noted as a system player and though he's far from that, his game is very adaptable.

But what about Klay Thompson, who took the second-most shots on the team in 2015-16? An obvious 3-point threat, Klay was often the recipient of the ball in Golden State's pass-friendly offense. He lit the bottom of the net on fire on a nightly basis, shooting 42% from three, and 51% inside the arc. He played solid defense. He was a key contributor to that team's success, and yet, he has struggled the most to adjust to the addition of Kevin Durant.

Shooting an abysmal 19% on three point shots on the second-most attempts per game of his career, Thompson has found no success in the early going. Beyond that, he has looked out of sync with the offense. In this clip here, Klay is denied twice and looks completely dejected.

 

Klay Thompson had three shot attempts blocked in a five second span earlier in the first half #GSWatPOR https://t.co/M8kE45kVaM

— SLAM Magazine (@SLAMonline) November 2, 2016

In that game, Thompson shot 6-of-17 overall, and 0-of-7 from beyond the arc, yet the Warriors won by 23 points. Beyond that game, Klay has looked uncomfortable and is sticking out like a sore thumb in an offense that normally flows like the Grand Rapids. In last night's game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Klay had one of his better games on the season, but what the box score doesn't tell you is that he was playing in garbage time against the end of OKC's bench. When Klay was in the game with the starters, he had several plays where it was evident he was not on the same page with his teammates. A lot of his production came when the Warriors were already up by 20 points. Ian Clark has also become a staple for the team, and he plays a hybrid role between point and shooting guard. Clark is currently shooting 41% from three and his per-36 scoring is equivalent to Thompson's thus far.

It sounds ludicrous, but think about it; the Warriors have enough offensive power to go around on the perimeter, but lack a presence inside. Could they send Klay Thompson to the Sacramento Kings for DeMarcus Cousins? More importantly, should they?

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The contracts certainly line up enough to do so, and Sacramento is unlikely to retain Cousins when he becomes a free agent after next year. Klay Thompson is still an elite shooter, a good defender, and a team-first player. Sacramento could start building around Thompson, Golden State could get the interior help they currently lack.

The Warriors lost a significant rim protector in Andrew Bogut, and Zaza Pachulia is currently averaging 0.6 blocks per game. While Cousins isn't an elite rim protector, he does have seasons of 1.7 and 1.4 blocks per game. The real benefit, though, would be the massive upgrade on offense. Pachulia is currently averaging 6 points and 8 rebounds per game, where Cousins is averaging 27.8 and 9.2. Pachulia hasn't attempted a 3-point shot this season, and Cousins is a career 29% 3-point shooter.

It certainly seems as though the Warriors would be hard-pressed not to complete that sort of trade...

EXCEEEEPT, there's actually a lot of reason to be optimistic about Klay turning things around. He's currently shooting a career high 60% on 2-point field goals, 91% on free throw attempts, and the defense is still there. Klay is a few hot streaks away from joining the coveted 50/40/90 club. Only 7 players in NBA history have been part of that club while averaging 15 or more points per game.

The Warriors would also be giving up some of their offensive versatility if they brought a score-first center like Cousins in. Right now, they have wings that are capable of playing the 2, 3, and occasionally 4, along with Draymond Green being the perfect "stretch-5" for Golden State. Losing Klay would mean more minutes being allocated to Clark, Livingston, Iguodala, and though those players are perfectly capable, they don't bring the two-way versatility that Thompson does.

The right approach for the Warriors, and the one they will likely take, is to wait and see. If Klay is still struggling near the trade deadline, it's possible that he gets moved. But given his track record as a steady character, it seems certain that his performance will be a distant memory come playoff time. The Warriors are a team built on chemistry, shooting, and camaraderie. Klay is an important part of that organization and brings all three of those elements along with him.