Led by a pair of former NBA MVPs in James Harden and Russell Westbrook, the 2019-20 Houston Rockets clearly have elite talent. But their consistency has left something to be desired.
When Harden was in peak form until January, Westbrook was adjusting to a new team for the first time in his career and working his way back into shape after offseason knee surgery. And as Westbrook had some of his best months ever from January onward, Harden’s efficiency slipped.
With the All-Stars not always in peak form at the same time, that’s helped lead to extended hot and cold stretches. For example, Houston followed up a season-long winning streak of eight games in November with a three-game skid. And after going 10-2 in the first dozen games after a permanent switch to a smaller lineup, they lost four straight in March.
Though the Rockets (40-24) are tied for the No. 5 spot in the Western Conference standings, they actually have a winning record (7-6) versus the top four teams (Lakers, Clippers, Nuggets, Jazz). To a large degree, that reflects their issues with maintaining focus against lesser teams.
Rockets guard Eric Gordon, now a 12-year NBA veteran, is in his fourth season with the team — and he says the volatility is unusual.
“I’ve got to be honest,” Gordon told courtside reporter Cayleigh Griffin on AT&T SportsNet Southwest’s Instagram. “We’ve had a lot of highs and lows this year. This being my fourth year with this team, we’ve had more highs and low moments more than any year that I’ve been here.”
Gordon had been asked by Griffin about the team’s season to date and the switch to a smaller lineup. The 31-year-old elaborated:
The toughest thing, for as talented as our team is, we’ve really never reached our peak. We might have reached our peak for a game or two. When teams win the championship, those teams are always consistent, and they’re always dominant. We’ve shown that we can be dominant for games, but we haven’t been that consistent all year.
It’s like, ‘When are we going to flip the switch and really get it together, to where we’re doing all the little things to help us win?’ The change to play really, really small… that always takes an adjustment as well. We’re a good enough team to overcome a lot, and now we’ve got to do all the little things.
Should the 2019-20 season resume from its current COVID-19 hiatus, Gordon’s return to health could help the Rockets do that.
Gordon has missed 30 of Houston’s 64 games this season due to injury, with most traced to a surgical procedure on his right knee in November. When he plays, Gordon is the third-leading scorer on the Rockets (40-24), averaging 14.5 points in 28.6 minutes per game.
In tonight’s #RocketsClassic re-air, @TheofficialEG10 returns to the floor in just his second game since knee surgery.
Earlier tonight, Eric told me what it’s like to have surgery and return in the season & how he’s doing now – CG pic.twitter.com/8X206DquPf
— AT&T SportsNet SW (@ATTSportsNetSW) April 27, 2020
While limited by ongoing knee problems, Gordon’s shooting percentages have dipped from 40.9% overall and 36.0% on 3-pointers in the 2018-19 campaign to 37.0% and 31.9%, respectively, this season.
But Gordon says the time off has helped his knee heal. If that’s the case, his reliable perimeter shooting and veteran savvy could prove critical as the 2019-20 Rockets work to recapture and maintain their peak form.
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