Wall to be out until next week
As John Wall missed a fourth consecutive game with a sore knee Wednesday, the Rockets had greater clarity when they would have their starting point guard back after an examination on Tuesday.
Wall will not go on the Rockets’ road trip to play their first back-to-back of the season Friday and Saturday in Detroit and Dallas, with the hope that he and starting small forward Danuel House Jr. will be cleared to play next Tuesday’s home game against Washington. House has been out while in self-isolation but will need time to prepare to play after previously missing time with back spasms.
“John went to the doctor (Tuesday) and it’s not too bad at all, but it is something we have to manage and be super cautious about because of the position he is in, not playing in two years,” Rockets coach Stephen Silas said. “We’re going to be doing our treatment and ramping him up as we get closer to next week.
“House, same thing. It wasn’t just the self-isolation. He also had the back issue prior to that. He’s been out for quite a while.”
Tate steps into revolving lineup
The Rockets on Wednesday changed their starting lineup for a fifth consecutive game and have had nine starting lineups in 13 games. Jae’Sean Tate made his third start at small forward, replacing David Nwaba.
Tate had started when Eric Gordon was out and with Victor Oladipo not yet available to add an extra playmaker to the starting lineup. With Sterling Brown back on Wednesday, the Rockets had a ballhandler to come off the bench, allowing coach Stephen Silas the flexibility to make a change.
“More spacing, just a little bit more offensive punch,” Silas said of his thinking behind starting Tate. “And Tate’s earned it. I feel like he needs to get a few more minutes. Nwaba’s done a very good job and he’s a very big part of what we’re doing. But I just feel offensively especially it gives us a little bit more flexibility to have Tate on the floor.”
Tate has made 48.8 percent of his shots and after making 3 of 5 3-pointers in Chicago on Monday, is making 33.3 percent of his 3s. Nwaba, who has excelled defensively, is 7 of 29 (24.1 percent) on 3s.
Silas said he still hopes to return Gordon to the sixth man role they had planned before the season.
“That’s the goal,” Silas said. “I want him to be that scoring punch off the bench. Due to injuries, it’s been hard to keep him in a role. It’s been hard for everybody to be in a role because of injuries and COVID and other things going on, trades. We’re trying to do it on the fly. We want EG off the bench.”
Brief chance for continuity
The Rockets have gotten rotation players back from injuries in each of the past two games, with Sterling Brown returning on Wednesday after missing two games with a sore right lower leg since he was pressed into starting. On Monday, Eric Gordon and DeMarcus Cousins returned after sitting out as Victor Oladipo made his Rockets debut. On Wednesday, the Rockets had a rotation they hope to keep for the next three games, which would be a longer stretch with the same starting lineup than they have had this season.
“It is a chance to possibly have three games where we’ll have the same starting lineup or the same rotation, so it is something to build off of but not having your starting point guard is an issue,” coach Stephen Silas said. “And guys playing not out of position but having more responsibility than they would have normally is something that we’re going to have to deal with. It’s something we’re going to have to deal with all season.
“The three games will be good to build some continuity and hopefully throw the same lineup out there three times in a row.”
As much as the Rockets primarily need the skills returning to the floor, there was a sense that they needed time together that has been in short supply, especially with almost no practice time.
“That type of stuff takes time,” guard/forward David Nwaba said. “It takes time to build chemistry. Every game it seems to be getting a little bit easier, knowing each other’s tendencies. We’ll be able to get it together soon.
“Once the wins start adding up, it seems like we must be doing something right. Until then, we have stuff to work on. It takes time to build chemistry with new guys and new pieces. We got a lot of good pieces over here, a lot of great players, a lot of winners. Once we pick it up defensively, play together, make the right reads, extra passes, I feel we can be a really good team. It’s only a matter of time.”