On Thursday, the Houston Rockets ushered in life without James Harden and the team didn’t skip a beat after posting a 109-105 victory over the San Antonio Spurs.
With the rotation getting reshuffled following the departure of Harden, that meant rookie Jae’Sean Tate was elevated into the starting lineup for the first time this season and the 25-year-old made the most of his newfound opportunity.
Tate produced 13 points, a career-high 10 assists, five rebounds and two blocked shots in 33 minutes of work. He became the first Rockets rookie since Steve Francis during the 1999-00 season to dish out at least 10 assists in a game, according to Stathead.
He was also the first rookie since Francis to reach 10 points and 10 assists in a game.
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The undrafted product from Ohio State provided strong defense versus the Spurs, and dazzled fans with his playmaking ability. He is known to be resilient on the defensive end but his performance making plays figures to be something the team hopes to build off of moving forward.
While the Rockets traded away a future Hall of Famer in Harden, the move will likely create an opportunity for others, such as Tate. He proved he can make plays for himself and others, and that very well may give him the chance to log heavy minutes this season.
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