Following an exhilarating first round series win against the Thunder, the Houston Rockets are prepared to take on the powerhouse Los Angeles Lakers in the second round. This playoff matchup has been highly anticipated by both teams, and should provide some extremely entertaining basketball.
Lakers 🆚 Rockets in the second round 🍿 pic.twitter.com/uOSgjfHA1D
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) September 3, 2020
Past Meetings
During the 2019-2020 regular season, the Rockets and Lakers faced off three total times. In these three games the Rockets went 2-1, with their only loss coming before the switch to small-ball. Fortunately for Houston, their two wins were hopefully a preview of what’s to come, as the Lakers just couldn’t keep up with the Rockets’ offense. Granted, the second of these wins came with both LeBron James and Russell Westbrook out due to injury, but there is still past evidence which shows small-ball can work against a huge team like LA.
A lot has changed since this trio last faced off 😯 Rockets-Lakers: 9 PM ET on ESPN. pic.twitter.com/gBkuHbXgQI
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) September 4, 2020
Small Ball Reigns Supreme?
To be entirely honest, the Rockets’ entire roster was built to beat the Lakers. Running their smaller lineup means that Houston can prioritize speed over size, which is critical when playing against the tallest team in the NBA. The Rockets run a roster of guards and wings who are significantly faster and more agile than the Lakers’ big men.
Because of this speed advantage, Houston can play at a pace that LA just can’t keep up with and create mismatches around the perimeter as well. The seven-footers on LA’s roster may provide great rim protection but just can’t guard well outside, which is definitely a problem with Houston running a five-out offense that shoots a high volume of three pointers. Add in the spacing that five-out creates to allow Russ to drive to the hoop, and Houston should be using LA’s own size again them in no time.
Keys to the Series
While Houston did go seven games against the Thunder last round, keep in mind that this doesn’t correlate against Los Angeles. After all, small-ball works best against big teams, so this next series should prove to be a better matchup for Houston. Here are some key things to watch during this next round:
- James Harden struggled last round, but he was also being guarded by a player who is statistically the best in the league at defending him. The Lakers’ guards are far from lockdown defenders, so The Beard should be back to putting on an absolute show on offense. With players like Danny Green, Alex Caruso and KCP as his potential matchups, Harden is primed for an offensive explosion in the next several games.
- Russell Westbrook returned from injury last round and looked rusty for the first two games he played, but Game 7 should have been an encouraging sight for the Rockets. He finished with a 20-9-2 statline and only two turnovers, but more importantly he put the team on his back and kept them afloat during a cold shooting stretch. Against the Lakers this year, Russ has averaged 38 points on over 60% shooting from the field. If he can perform anywhere near this level, Russ might be the best player in this series.
- Eric Gordon’s jump shot FINALLY came back to him last game and he went 5-9 beyond the arc. This is what Rockets fans had been waiting for all season, and it couldn’t have happened at a better time too. His defense has been phenomenal so if his jumper can stick around this time, expect him to get some major run against LA.
Defending the Duo
There’s no denying that LeBron James and Anthony Davis have been one of the best duos in the NBA this year. NBA Twitter seems to be convinced that nobody on the Rockets can stop the AD/LeBron pairing, but the good news is that this isn’t true at all. Although it is a small sample size, in the 10 minutes PJ was guarding him this year, Davis went 2-5 shooting and logged four turnovers. Additionally, LeBron only posted 18 points in his one game against the small ball Rockets. Houston doesn’t have to shut AD and Bron down completely– just limit their impact. If they achieve this, it’ll force LA’s role players to beat them instead of the stars, which is something Houston will definitely be able to live with.
Lakers in 4 lmao. Rockets can’t stop Dort how they gonna stop Bron and AD
— brandon (@b_koh24) September 3, 2020
All things considered, this meeting between two Western Conference titans could go either way. The Lakers are still the heavy favorites by most accounts, but small ball is unpredictable and creates huge potential for an upset. Unless LA can find a way to counter it, we might be looking at a genuine opportunity for the Rockets to dethrone the King and move on to the conference finals.
Follow us on Twitter @RocketsLead for the latest Rockets news and insight.
Leave a comment