HOUSTON — Becoming a consistent player in an NBA rotation is very difficult to do. You must earn the trust of your coaches and the players you battle with on a nightly basis.
For Houston Rockets reserve shooting guard Josh Christopher, it has been a constant struggle to display his entire skills while limited to under 12 minutes per game this season.
Yet, if there is one thing you can say about Christopher, who was selected in the first round of the 2021 NBA draft, it’s that he is always ready when his name is called. Christopher’s hustle in his 18 minutes played helped the Rockets defeat Denver, 124-103, on Tuesday.
“I love Josh, and he knows how I feel about him,” said Rockets head coach Stephen Silas. “We have had a lot of talks about his playing time and what can get him on the court and how he can stay on the court longer. There was a time when he wasn’t in the rotation. We sent him to the G League. He came back and got into the rotation, and his minutes have been kind of up and down.”
Christopher made the best of nearly nine on-court minutes in the fourth quarter. He came up with three big steals to go along with seven points as Houston won its final home game of the season.
Christopher played extended minutes because of the grit he displayed throughout the quarter. He also received an assist from the sidelines by Kevin Porter Jr., a teammate and good friend.
“Josh was playing well, and he had been in for eight or nine straight minutes, and I was going to take him out,” Silas said postgame. “Scoot (Kevin Porter Jr.) was like, ‘You want to let him ride?’ I was like, ‘Yeah if you’re good, I’m good.’ He was like, ‘Let him ride.’ I was going to take him out again, and Scoot was like, ‘Nah, leave him in.’”
For those who have watched the Rockets play this season, they know it is not unusual for Porter to advocate for Christopher to get more playing time. Porter has raved about Christopher after he helped the Rockets defeat the Los Angeles Lakers last month.
“Throughout this whole season, KPJ has had my back,” said Josh Christopher after the Rockets defeated the Nuggets on Tuesday.
Porter advocated to HC Stephen Silas to let Christopher stay in the game in the fourth quarter. #Rockets #Sarge @TheRocketsWire @Jaygup23 @Kevinporterjr pic.twitter.com/L6uicdQ6eA— #SARGE (@BigSargeSportz) April 6, 2023
“I have always harped on Josh being ready at all times,” Porter told RocketsWire after the game. “He was making plays, and the lead kept growing. In high school, the rule is to feed the hot hand, and he was rolling, so it was only right for him to continue to play.”
Christopher reiterated the support he had received from Porter after Tuesday night’s game at Toyota Center.
“Throughout this whole season, KPJ has had my back,” Christopher said with an appreciative tone. “He has been talking to me because we have been in the same position, as far as not knowing what is going on in the league or what is next for us.”
“He has had my back this year, so I wasn’t surprised. But I was definitely honored by it (the extended playing time) and really appreciative that he would let me rock like that. That was love.”
Christopher’s mentality of dealing with difficulties in life was instilled and taught to him by his father, Laron, at a very young age.
“One thing you know about Josh is that he is always going to be ready for the opportunity,” the elder Christopher said postgame as he waited on his son to finish talking to family and friends.
He elaborated on a phrase he uses with his son when he is going through rough times, not only on the basketball court but in life.
“Adversity visits the strong and stays with the weak,” he said. “So, he is always going to be ready, always have a strong mind.”
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