‘Others’ have been difference in playoffs
Rockets center Jeff Green had heard the term. So after hearing more complimentary euphemisms, he put up his quote fingers and said, “Are you talking about ‘the others?’ ”
He had been in that group before, having played on teams defined by Kevin Durant, Chris Paul and LeBron James before he signed on to rejoin his former Thunder teammates James Harden and Russell Westbrook with the Rockets.
Excluding the usually cheesy nicknames some groups of bench players give themselves, the terms used for those that usually exclude the headliners are often at best dismissive.
“Bench” and “reserves” might not be insulting. But when Michael Jordan referred to his “supporting cast,” it did not take a 10-part documentary to read between the lines. Shaquille O’Neal has taken to removing all pretense, labeling players as “others.”
For the Rockets in the first two games of the series, they have been “The difference.”
The Rockets’ starters have outscored Oklahoma City’s by 11 points in the first two games. The players off the bench have outscored the Thunder reserves by 27 in taking a 2-0 series lead.
“The main guys deserve the attention they get,” Green said of the superstars he has called teammates. “‘The others,’ we do our part to make sure the pub that they get is positive because they’re going to take the heat, they’re going to take the blame, they’re going to take everything from media, whoever chooses to talk about the game if we lose.
“We need to continue to do our part because if we’re doing
well and they’re doing well, we put ourselves in a good position to win.”
It is understandable that the Rockets’ starting five would be diminished without Russell Westbrook’s 27.2 points per game. But with Westbrook out with a quad injury, the bench is missing one of its key players with someone — most likely Danuel House Jr., who had a career playoff high 19 points on Thursday — having to step into the starting lineup.
The Rockets were ranked 28th in bench scoring during the regular season. Through two playoff games, they were third, one point per game behind the Bucks and 2.5 behind the Raptors, with Milwaukee and Toronto having longer stretches with the benches cleared in blowouts against shorthanded opponents.
“It starts on the defensive end, but you know, we got some really good offensive players out there without James,” Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni said. “For anybody to stay in front of Austin Rivers or Eric Gordon or Jeff Green at the five or Danuel House, it’s tough.”
That can be overlooked if only because the Rockets’ second unit is almost entirely made up of players in a larger role than in their previous stop.
Rivers was bought out after he was traded by the Wizards to the Suns last season. Ben McLemore was a free agent that had to compete for a roster spot. House was waived by the Wizards, Suns and Warriors. Even Green, who was in the rotation for a Cavaliers team that made the NBA Finals just two seasons ago, was bought out by the Jazz this season and signed nearly two months later as a free agent.
“We got a lot of good basketball players on this team,” Rivers said. “Obviously, we have two superstars, but we got a lot of guys that if they were on any other team or most teams they’d probably be starting. That’s just how we feel. We’re a confident group of guys.
“Everybody has to buy in and sacrifice. What we’re doing right now, the only goal in mind is winning. We have a really good bench. The chemistry with Jeff Green and the way we shoot the ball, we have a really solid group.”
The retooled Thunder was thought to be deeper and more balanced with Sixth Man of the Year finalist Dennis Schroder among four players averaging more than 18 points per game. That could still prove true, but signs of a turnaround did not start in the bubble.
The Rockets’ reserves outscored the opponents’ bench in 14 of the final 33 games. They had previously outscored opposing benches just three times in the first 39 games.
That improvement was especially obvious on Thursday. In the Rockets’ 17-0 run to start the fourth quarter and blow the game open, 14 of those points came with Harden out and Westbrook cheering.
“Confidence is a big factor in this league,” Rockets general manager Daryl Morey said. “Mike does a great job of giving players confidence. There is also freedom on offense. He’ll yell at guys to shoot, not shoot shots which a lot of coaches do.”
D’Antoni has long had a reputation for helping role players to career years, and often to greater subsequent contracts. For every Jeremy Lin, Boris Diaw or Chris Duhon there are players that did not pan out. But those that fit, tend to take off.
“It doesn’t work all the time,” D’Antoni said. “Don’t think I got the answer or anything. Just the NBA, usually (if ) you get here, there is something you can do that you have been extremely, extremely successful. We try to put you in that environment. We try to put you in that spot on the floor. This year especially, we have three or four guys playing really well.
“Everybody that gets to the NBA, at some point they kicked some tail somewhere. They’re good. Right now, these guys are clicking. Great spirit. They’re doing a heck of a job.”