As so often happens, even in very long seasons, the final playoff seeding for many teams came down to the last night of the year. The Rockets were already locked into the fifth seed, so they rested most of their starters (and still whipped the pitiful Grizzlies) and waited.
With the Nuggets beating the Spurs, Denver gets the three seed and the Lakers wind up fourth, set to host the Rockets in the first round.
It was a nearly ideal outcome for the Rockets who would prefer to avoid the Nuggets until later, and take on an injury depleted Laker team, regardless of the home court advantage. Here are thoughts.
52 Wins Again
Despite all the ups and downs, injuries to key players, and a general lack of cohesion for a significant stretch in the middle of the year, the Rockets won 52 games for the second straight season. It’s a very solid accomplishment considering their overall struggles and injuries, but below fan expectations. Coach Ime Udoka did everything in his power to manage a rather awkwardly-constructed lineup minus two of his glue guys, Fred VanVleet and Steven Adams, to guide a team to yet another winning season. Now, the fun begins.
Ideal Matchup in Round One
If you were going to pick a good matchup for the Rockets, it’s definitely the Lakers. Austin Reaves is likely to miss the entire first round with an ankle injury and Luka Doncic recently went to Spain for an experimental treatment for his injured hamstring. Even if he plays (and it’s a big IF), he will not be 100 percent. LeBron James is an ageless wonder, but he won’t have a ton around him for help. Even on the road, the Rockets should be favored in the series.
Rockets in the Postseason a Mystery
The big question is which Rockets will show up? Outside of KD, they have very little postseason experience amongst their primary rotation players. Some guys got a taste of it last year, but they are still novices when it comes to playoff basketball. This is a team that turns the ball over a TON and can go through some serious lulls offensively, particularly in the clutch. Durant will have to be dominant and lead the team if they are going to get past the Lakers. And that needs to be the goal to show at least some progress over last year’s first-round exit.
Home Court Won’t Matter
Increasingly, outside of game sevens, where you play doesn’t make a ton of difference. This should be the case here as well. The Rockets should be able to hold their own with LA given the injury struggles for the Lakers, regardless of the venue. But, if Doncic is out early in this series, they will need to jump at the opportunity to get a lead on the road. If we were betting, we would put our money on the Rockets in six.
