With All-Star guard Russell Westbrook finally back from a multi-week injury absence, the Houston Rockets are bumping Danuel House Jr. to the bench to make room for Westbrook’s spot in the starting lineup.
The Rockets are starting a three-guard lineup for Saturday’s Game 5 with Eric Gordon next to Westbrook and James Harden, along with the usual starting frontcourt of P.J. Tucker and Robert Covington. D’Antoni said he would try to limit Westbrook to “25 to 28 minutes” in his return.
Prior to Houston’s first scrimmage at the NBA bubble in late July, D’Antoni explained why he preferred starting Gordon over House — saying it is “just better for him, physically.” Now 31 years old and in his 12th season, Gordon missed half of Houston’s regular-season games this year due to various leg injuries. Relative to House, who is 27 years old, the 6-foot-3 guard is more proven as a ball-handler and with his on-ball defense.
D'Antoni on the problem of bringing Eric Gordon off the bench:
"He would only have 4 minutes of rest of those other 32 minutes [in the game]. It's just better for him physically." #Rockets
— Ben DuBose (@BenDuBose) July 24, 2020
Meanwhile, the 6-foot-6 House offers more length, athleticism, and defensive versatility. He’s also been a better shooter thus far in Florida.
Through four playoff games, Gordon is the No. 2 scorer on the Rockets (with Westbrook sidelined) at 19.3 points and 3.3 assists per game on 38.2% shooting. House has been more efficient, though, at 16.0 points on 50.0% shooting, including 39.3% on 3-pointers. House is also among Houston’s top rebounders at 6.5 per game.
D’Antoni indicated Saturday that House “said he’s fine” with coming off the bench, and would play about the same overall minutes, anyway.
#Rockets coach Mike D'Antoni on Danuel House Jr. coming off the bench today: "He said he's fine with it, so we're good." Mentions that House will play about the same minutes, anyway. #OneMission
— Ben DuBose (@BenDuBose) August 29, 2020
The hope is that having House available to the second unit could snap them out of a recent slump. During Houston’s Game 1 and Game 2 victories against Oklahoma City, their bench was a +13.5 in rating relative to the Thunder bench. In the two losses, the bench was a -6.1.
Game 5 between the Rockets and Thunder tips off at 5:30 p.m. Central, with a national broadcast shown on TNT and a regional version (with Houston announcers) on AT&T SportsNet Southwest. Historically, in best-of-seven NBA playoff series that are tied at two games apiece — as this one is — the Game 5 winner takes the series more than 80% of the time.
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In the Rockets two wins vs OKC their bench was a net +13.5 compared to the Thunder bench. In the Rockets' two losses, their bench was a net -6.1.
Adding Westbrook will reinforce the bench by moving Gordon or House there, but all the substitutes need to play better.
— Andrew Soukup (@asoukuptx) August 28, 2020