The 2023–2024 Houston Rockets season has gone about as well as could have been expected. Following three seasons of averaging almost 20 wins per season, the Rockets are currently 15-14 and occupy the eighth spot in the Western Conference playoff picture. They boast one of the top defenses in the league and have the seventh-easiest remaining schedule when schedule strength is taken into account. It is anticipated that Houston would finish the season with 41 wins, up roughly 20 wins from the previous campaign. Everything has gone well thus far.
However, the team’s first significant roadblock will come on Friday when they play the Philadelphia 76ers, since both of its starting forwards, Dillon Brooks and Jabari Smith Jr., are sidelined with injuries. Jabari Smith Jr. sprained his left ankle against the Phoenix Suns, while Brooks left the game against the Indiana Pacers earlier this week due to a strained oblique. Due to a left leg ailment, Tari Eason has been limited in playing time for the whole season and is considered questionable. The Rockets under head coach Ime Udoka have benefited thus far from excellent health. Alperen Sengun, the starting center, and Jalen Green, the starting shooting guard, have dressed for each of the team’s 29 games. Fred VanVleet, the starting point guard, and Brooks, the starter at
In fact, with 446 minutes spent on the court together, the starting five of VanVleet, Brooks, Green, Sengun, and Smith tops all five man teams in basketball minutes played together. With 366 shared minutes, the Toronto fivesome of Dennis Schroder, Scottie Barnes, Pascal Siakam, Jakob Poeltl, and OG Anunoby ranks second in the league in terms of minutes played. With 16.5, the Rockets’ starting lineup is sixth in the NBA for the most minutes spent together per game. With 20.7 shared minutes per game, Denver’s starters lead the league.
There’s no schedule for Brooks and Smith’s comeback as of yet. Brooks was replaced in the starting lineup on Wednesday by Jae’Sean Tate. If Eason is able to replace Smith in the starting lineup, it will probably be in place of veteran forward Jeff Green. Although Jock Landale, the backup center who was signed this summer as a free agent, has had a difficult season, Udoka may need to play a larger role.
Additionally, the playing time for rookies Cam Whitmore and Amen Thompson will rise. On Wednesday, Whitmore was added to the starting lineup in place of Brooks. Long-term ramifications might result from this cascade of events since Udoka might not have been prepared to provide Whitmore consistent playing time in any other scenario. With Green having difficulty and the team in need of perimeter scoring off the bench, the gifted rookie will finally have the opportunity to win a position on the roster.
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