Houston Rockets vs. Los Angeles Lakers: Postgame Grades and Analysis
The Houston Rockets opened their season on the road and dominated the Los Angeles Lakers, winning 108-90 Tuesday in the Staples Center.
Unfortunately, the game ended on a somber note, with rookie Julius Randle suffering a broken leg during fourth-quarter garbage time, the team confirmed.
It seems like another hit in a long line of setbacks for the Lakers, who could be in for another difficult season. The difference in the level of talent between these two teams was blatant.
| Kobe Bryant | C- |
| Jeremy Lin | D- |
| Carlos Boozer | B+ |
| Julius Randle | Incomplete |
| Rest of Team | F |
| James Harden | A |
| Dwight Howard | C |
| Terrence Jones | A |
| Trevor Ariza | B+ |
| Patrick Beverley | C+ |
| Rest of Team | D+ |
Los Angeles Lakers
Kobe Bryant: C-
Kobe's 19 points on 6-of-17 shooting could be the perfect preview of what's to come this season. He'll take plenty of shots and generally miss plenty.
He just doesn't appear to have the same kind of athleticism or elusiveness that made his drives so tough to stop in the past. At 36, and coming off significant injuries, it's understandable.
Jeremy Lin: D-
In order for the Lakers to have any shot at improving their record over last season's, Jeremy Lin will have to play much better.
He's made a career out of getting to the bucket, but he simply couldn't do it against the defense of Patrick Beverley, finishing with seven points on 1-of-5 shooting.
Most point guards don't defend like Beverley, but this was still anything but encouraging.
Carlos Boozer: B+
The front office has taken plenty of flak for picking Carlos Boozer up. Byron Scott has heard his share of criticism for playing him over Ed Davis and Julius Randle. But Boozer was arguably the best Laker.
He scored 17 points on 7-of-13 shooting, grabbed seven boards and even had a few of his trademark fist pumps and "And-one!" calls with his team down big.
Julius Randle: Incomplete
Sadly, one of the biggest stories of this game will be the broken leg of Randle. He was really the only bright spot on this roster in terms of future potential.
The silver lining is that Randle is young, and broken bones generally heal cleaner than ligament issues. If he attacks the rehab the way he does the boards, he should bounce back just fine.
Rest of Team: F
The Lakers' supporting cast is just dreadful. And the loss of Randle will make it even worse. The rest of the roster combined to shoot 13-of-41 from the field and played about as much defense as the celebrity fans in the stands.
Nick Young coming back from injury will help a little bit, but it's tough to see much light at the end of this tunnel, even if you squint really hard.
Houston Rockets
James Harden: A
There couldn't have been a better contrast to Bryant's line than the one James Harden registered. Thanks to his ability to get to the free-throw line, Harden scored 32 points on 17 shot attempts. He was 15-of-16 from the stripe.
Even more important for the Rockets was Harden's defense. It's been famously horrendous for years, but he was clearly more engaged on that end of the floor. Even if he grades out as an average defender this season, he's one of the most valuable players on the team.
Despite a double-double of 13 points and 11 rebounds, Dwight Howard had a rough game in a lot of ways. He was in foul trouble for much of the game and went 7-of-16 from the line.
The lowlight came in the second half when he elbowed Bryant in the face and got called for a flagrant foul. He drew the ire of the Twitterverse, which instantly questioned Howard's toughness.
He'll never be able to win everyone over but a little stronger mentality will help. If he can cut out silly fouls, manage his frustration and keep guards from punking him, Houston will be in good shape.
Terrence Jones: A
If Terrence Jones can play like this for the rest of the season, fans in Houston will forget about Chandler Parsons real quick.
In his first game in the third-wheel role, Jones went for 16 points and 13 rebounds. Six of his boards came on the offensive end, where he was ferocious.
He doesn't really need a ton of touches in the flow of the offense because he generates his own offense on the boards.
Trevor Ariza: B+
Speaking of players who'll fill in just fine for Parsons, Trevor Ariza is one of the guys who's taking over that position. He did exactly what Houston needed, knocking down threes and defending the perimeter.
He scored 16 points, hit 5-of-8 three-point attempts and had a hand in Bryant's rough shooting night.
Patrick Beverley: C+
Patrick Beverley doesn't do much offensively, but he's still a very valuable player for the Rockets. The league is loaded at the point right now and Beverley is up for any assignment.
Sure, he only scored nine points on 2-of-6 shooting, but he completely neutralized Lin. He may not have quite the same impact on guys like Russell Westbrook or Stephen Curry, but he'll at least slow them down.
Rest of Team: D+
This is where the Rockets could find themselves in a lot of trouble. Everyone talks about the loss of Parsons, but not having Lin and Omer Asik might be just as bad. There's just no depth.
The players with the most minutes off the bench were undrafted rookie free agent Tarik Black and 37-year-old Jason Terry.
It's hard to imagine real contending from this team without a move to bolster the bench. It might be even harder to find any assets to get a deal done.
Coming Up Next
The Rockets continue their road trip against the Utah Jazz, Wednesday at 9 p.m. ET. The Lakers will also be on the road Wednesday, taking on the Phoenix Suns at 10 p.m. ET.
Andy Bailey covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him @AndrewDBailey.
