Ice-cold Blazers offer chance to get hot
The Rockets move from games against championship or playoff contenders to the other end of the standings, finishing their homestand against the Portland Trail Blazers. The Blazers, however, can pose much more of a challenge than a 12-20 record going into Tuesday’s game in Oklahoma City might indicate.
They have been held back by injuries that have often left them shorthanded and might have stalled the development of chemistry for a largely retooled roster. They had used 22 starting lineups in their first 32 games. The Rockets have used five, with only one starter, Dillon Brooks, missing more than two games.
The Rockets, however, have also been up and down lately. Even the Rockets’ play at home has been uneven. After winning 11 consecutive home games, they have gone 5-6 at Toyota Center. They split the first two games of the homestand after a 1-5 road trip, dropping two games under .500. That makes it even more important to take care of business at home before heading out on a road back-toback.
The Blazers will be playing their second game in as many nights, but they are 4-3 when playing the second half of a backto-back.
Not-shots
The Trail Blazers have been the league’s worst shooting team through much of the season, but the Rockets have not been much better, especially lately.
Portland’s 43.4% shooting is the worst in the league, their 35.3% 3-point shooting ranking fifthworst. But the Rockets have made just 45.9% of their shots, better than just three teams. They have been only slightly better than the Trail Blazers from the 3-point line, making 35.4%.
The more immediate concern is that the Rockets have trended the wrong way, making just 33.1% of their 3s in January’s 12 games so far.
Soaring Şengün
Rockets center Alperen Şengün had a career-high 37 points in the first game of the homestand and his first triple-double of the season (third of his career) in the next game. It is telling about his season that neither performance came as a surprise.
In the past 17 games, Şengün is averaging 25 points on 55% shooting, becoming the first Rockets player to average 25 points and make at least 55% of his shots in a stretch that long since Yao Ming in the 2005-06 season.
Şengün is averaging 22 points, 9.2 rebounds and five assists while making 53.8% of his shots. Going into the season, only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Wilt Chamberlain and Nikola Jokic had averaged at least 21 points, nine rebounds, four assists while making 53% or more of their shots.
The Trail Blazers’ Deandre Ayton, the first pick of the 2018 draft, was expected to put up those sorts of numbers but though he has been as efficient, he has never been that prolific of a scorer. In his first season with Portland, Ayton is averaging a career-low 12.8 points on a career-worst 53.7% shooting, though he is averaging 10.4 rebounds, his career average.
In two meetings last season when Ayton was with the Suns, Şengün averaged 11.5 points and 10 rebounds on 9 of 17 shooting. Ayton made 6 of 17 shots, averaging 6.5 points and 4.5 rebounds.
3vs.4
Rockets guard Amen Thompson in the next two games will get his first looks at the players taken before him in the 2023 draft, starting with Wednesday’s meeting with Portland’s Scoot Henderson. The fourth pick of the draft, Thompson will go against the third pick Wednesday and second selection, Charlotte’s Brandon Miller, on Friday.
Thompson and Henderson both come off the bench, which was expected of Thompson when the Rockets signed Fred VanVleet a few weeks after the draft, but it is a surprise for Henderson.
Not surprising for his rookie season, Henderson has struggled with his shot, making 36.4% of his attempts, and 29.2% of his 3s. His numbers are roughly the same when starting or coming off the bench, but he averaged just 10.5 points in the 11 wins he started.
Thompson has not shot much better (45.5% but just 13.3% on 3s) but has played well, especially lately. While excelling defensively, he has scored in double figures in three of his past five games, including Sunday’s game when he had career highs of 15 points and 14 rebounds.
The J back in Jalen
Coaches have long suggested that shooters can find their shooting touch by focusing on other ways to contribute. Rockets guard Jalen Green has been solid in those other ways, more effectively playmaking and rebounding and even defending well against the Celtics. He has gotten to the rim effectively. But the shot has continued to betray him.
In his past nine games, Green has averaged 1.2 3s per game on 18.6% shooting, a sudden turnaround after averaging 2.8 3pointers on 41% shooting in his previous 12 games.
Green missed Tuesday’s practice and is questionable to play Wednesday.
Help is on the way
The Rockets were more shorthanded they have been in any previous game this season in Sunday’s loss to the Celtics. Having players taking that night off along with two off days since (including Tuesday’s practice day) seems to have helped.
VanVleet (sore lower back,) Jeff Green (strained left calf ) and Jabari Smith Jr. (sprained left ankle) all practiced Tuesday and are expected to play Wednesday against the Trail Blazers. None were included on the injury report. Reggie Bullock Jr., who has missed the previous three games with a strained lower back, was elevated to questionable.
The Trail Blazers have dealt with injuries and other absences through the season but will play the second half of a backto-back in relatively good shape. The absence of guard Shaedon Sharpe, the Blazers’ third leading scorer, has been difficult with Sharpe missing the past six games with a lower abdominal strain.