Can Rockets Survive Western Conference Playoffs Without an Elite Point Guard?

DALLAS — Houston Rockets guard Jason Terry nailed his corner three-pointer and for just a moment seemed ready to perform his “taking off” jet pantomime on Thursday night. He paused in front of the Dallas Mavericks’ bench, glanced back at the former teammates and coaches still around and chose to simply run back toward the other end of the floor.

There was more work to be done—and not just for that night. An understanding of all that is at stake might have grounded him. There will be other times to spread his wings.

“We all know what time of year it is,” Terry said. “When you’ve been in the league this long, you can feel the playoffs coming.”

Greater victories and a larger role are in sight for Terry. Earlier this week, the Rockets announced Patrick Beverley will miss the remainder of the season to repair a torn ligament in his wrist. As long as the Rockets' stay in the playoffs lasts, Terry will be their starting point guard, splitting most of the minutes at the position with trade-deadline acquisition Pablo Prigioni.

The Rockets have gone 11-1 in games Terry has started this season, but they have faced few tests equal to what's on the horizon. Sunday’s game against Russell Westbrook and the Oklahoma City Thunder and next week’s home-and-home games against Tony Parker and the San Antonio Spurs loom large.

The Rockets left Dallas lined up to face the Mavericks in the playoffs' first round. On Thursday, they went under screens or switched defensively, taking their chances that Rajon Rondo and Monta Ellis would not burn them with jump shots.

The Western Conference, however, is crowded with star point guards, as the Rockets will be reminded as soon as Westbrook comes at them like a shot from a cannon.

They likely will rarely ask one of their 37-year-old point guards to try to stay in front of him.

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The Rockets were built to have a point guard well-suited to such matchups.

While other Western Conference playoff teams have stars at the position—Stephen Curry, Mike Conley, Damian Lillard, Chris Paul, Parker, Rondo and Westbrook—the Rockets had someone who could at least slow them. James Harden is basically the Rockets’ offensive point guard, anyway. They needed someone next to him who could knock down shots and defend.

“We’ll miss Pat in a lot of different ways,” McHale said. “He brings a lot of toughness. He’s been able to get on point guards. He’s been really good for us slowing down guys the last couple years. But we’ll use all of our resources we have and figure out what we need to do that night. It might be Trevor [Ariza]. It might be Brew [Corey Brewer]. It might be Pablo, Jet, I don’t know. We’ll figure it out.”

McHale will not, however, go into the playoffs or even the final weeks of the regular season guessing. He will likely shift Trevor Ariza to a defensive matchup on point guards, allowing Terry or Prigioni to chase catch-and-shoot wings around screens.

It is not a coincidence that teams with star point guards who so often have the ball in their hands play next to perimeter shooters who rarely work off the dribble. If Terry or Prigioni no longer can be asked to stay in front of Westbrook or Paul, their experience can help when trying to disrupt offenses working to get open shots for Dion Waiters or Danny Green.

Even with Beverley healthy, the Rockets switched Ariza on to Chris Paul in a pair of wins against the Clippers.

When Beverley first went out March 23 in Indianapolis, McHale did not have the options he will have in the playoffs. Terrence Jones and Dwight Howard were out at the time with Donatas Motiejunas soon to follow. McHale had to use Ariza with the second unit as a power forward with Brewer the backup at both wing positions.

With Jones back and Howard to move up to 24 minutes on Sunday, Ariza and Brewer can match up with Westbrook on Sunday, Parker next week and whatever point guards will be waiting in the playoffs. McHale has even experimented with rookie Nick Johnson as he seeks options other than Terry and Prigioni in Beverley’s spot.

“It’s not about replacing anybody,” Terry said. “It’s about just doing what we have been doing.”

They will just do it more often. Prigioni will move the ball and send pick-and-roll passes to the Rockets big men. Terry will push pace, launch jumpers and serve as an unofficial assistant coach. They will split most of Beverley’s vacated minutes and try to do what they do well, rather than be asked to do what he did when they likely would do it poorly.

“They’re going to play a lot of minutes,” McHale said. “They’re going to have to play and play well. Nick is going to have to come out some nights and play against some of the bigger, athletic guys those guys may struggle with, but they’re just going to have to play.

“We’ve never had the big ‘next man up' [motto]. They’re just going to have to play. With every injury comes an opportunity. Their teammates expect them to play well. I expect them to play well. They expect to play well.”

If they are right, there will be plenty of time to pretend to be a jet taking off.

Jonathan Feigen covers the Houston Rockets for Bleacher Report and the Houston Chronicle.