The most interesting piece to me is that the Rockets, who are probably the most data analytics driven club in the NBA, appear to have decided that centers are unnecessary.
So it looks like they'll largely go forward with a Westbrook, Harden, House, Covington, Tucker build, and with no traditional post players on the offensive or defensive side being a meaningful part of their equation.
The Rockets did not play a traditional center in their victories over the Dallas Mavericks and New Orleans Pelicans over the weekend despite having 7-foot reserves Tyson Chandler and Isaiah Hartenstein available. Houston became the first team to go an entire game without using a player taller than 6-foot-6 since the New York Knicks in a Jan. 31, 1963, win over the Chicago Zephyrs, according to research by the Elias Sports Bureau.
Using such small lineups creates defensive and rebounding challenges, but D'Antoni says he believes those are outweighed by the offensive opportunities for Harden and Westbrook with a wide-open floor.
"When we're getting to the rim, it's pretty devastating, so they better beat us up inside pretty well before we have to change," D'Antoni said after the win over the Mavericks. "We won't blink too quick."
Using such small lineups creates defensive and rebounding challenges, but D'Antoni says he believes those are outweighed by the offensive opportunities for Harden and Westbrook with a wide-open floor.
"When we're getting to the rim, it's pretty devastating, so they better beat us up inside pretty well before we have to change," D'Antoni said after the win over the Mavericks. "We won't blink too quick."
So it looks like they'll largely go forward with a Westbrook, Harden, House, Covington, Tucker build, and with no traditional post players on the offensive or defensive side being a meaningful part of their equation.
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