5 Questions Ahead :of Rockets vs. Blazers from……
The Portland Trail Blazers host the Houston Rockets tomorrow night at the Moda Center.
To learn more about the Rockets’ current state of affairs, we spoke with The Dream Shake managing editor Darren Yuvan.
The Rockets are 3-5 since the break, which means the’ve been on basically the same pace as they have all season, which is a little under .500. The defense has slipped somewhat and some of the same issues on offense remain, which is a lack of shooting, but if the defense comes to play, this team can beat anyone, as evidenced by two wins over the 36-26 Phoenix Suns since the break.
If the Rockets win on Friday, one of two things is likely happening. Either Houston’s defense reverts to its early season form, or Alperen Sengun goes bananas like he did on Tuesday night vs. San Antonio, when he dropped 45 points. That’s not to say Houston’s defense has been bad, but it’s not the suffocating group it was to start the year. The Blazers are one of the lowest-scoring teams in the league, however, so if Houston’s D is going to lead the charge, this would be a good night to do it.
This team is fast and athletic. Houston is roughly middle of the pack in fast break points, so they wouldn’t appear to be world beaters in this regard, but when they get out and run, they tend to do well. The Rockets are also well-coached under Ime Udoka, and though he’s not without his flaws, particularly on offense, the Rockets rarely show up unprepared or unmotivated. Houston almost always plays hard.
For me, it’s center. Can the Blazers slow down Sengun? Duop Reath has been playing extremely well of late for Portland, averaging 18 points per game in his last four contests, but Sengun followed up his 45-point night with a triple dip in Wednesday’s loss to the Clippers. Can Reath counter Houston’s budding star or will he rampage again?
