5 Houston Rockets Who Must Step Up to Recapture Series Against L.A. Clippers
Let's face it: The Houston Rockets are in serious jeopardy. After a 124-99 blowout loss in Game 3 to the Los Angeles Clippers, the Rockets are facing a 2-1 deficit in the midst of a bad streak of basketball.
Chris Paul is back from injury, and the Rockets are really regretting letting a home game slip away with him on the bench, especially after getting beat down badly in his return.
Except for one quarter in Game 2, Houston has not looked very good since the opening games against the Dallas Mavericks. Now that the competition has increased, the Rockets' substandard level of play is coming back to haunt them.
The role players are struggling, and we have yet to see James Harden go off. We've seen the defense play much tighter throughout the regular season, and the execution on offense is still a bit off.
It's desperation time. Several guys on the Rockets need to step it up if they're going to get back on track and overcome a very talented Clippers team.
Jason Terry
1 of 5
With Patrick Beverley still sidelined with an injury, the Rockets are relying on Jason Terry in the starting lineup. "The Jet" did a nice job pitching in against Dallas in Round 1, but the second round hasn't been so kind.
In the first three games, Terry is averaging 11 points and 1.7 assists. He's actually shooting pretty well from the floor, over 50 percent, but overall he is leaving plenty to be desired.
As a three-point specialist, Terry is shooting just 35.7 percent from beyond the arc. His range is crucial for the spacing in this series, as the Clippers like to crowd the paint to limit Dwight Howard and keep Harden out. Terry has been missing his fair share of open looks from outside, which the Rockets cannot afford.
He finally hit a few in Game 3, but his hot streak came to an abrupt end upon getting ejected in the fourth quarter. There was plenty to be frustrated about, but as the veteran of this team, The Jet has to keep his cool in these situations. I don't think Blake Griffin could actually get hurt by Terry even if he was blindfolded with both hands tied behind his back, but that's not the point.
Terry has got to do a better job in Game 4, assuming he's not suspended. If he's not hitting his threes, there's no point in him being out there, because we know he's not there for his defense.
With Paul's return, the Rockets have used Trevor Ariza on him with full-court pressure to bother him with his length. That leaves 37-year-old Terry chasing around J.J. Redick, to the tune of 31 points on 11-of-14 shooting. That's right, Redick, if you're reading this, you may not have known that Terry was trying to guard you, but he was.
Redick was lights-out in Game 3, hitting five of his six attempts from deep. If Terry cannot hold his own defensively, he becomes a liability Houston must overcome, especially if his shots aren't falling. He was a team-worst minus-22 in plus/minus in Game 3. The Rockets need him to turn things around...and fast.
Josh Smith
2 of 5
After coming up big against Dallas, Josh Smith is M.I.A. in Round 2.
"Smoove" has yet to score in double digits and has been unable to slow down Blake Griffin. He's a bit undersized for this matchup against the likes of Griffin and DeAndre Jordan, and it's noticeable.
Going into the playoffs, we knew Smith was inconsistent. Unfortunately, he has been playing poorly so far in this series, and it's costing the Rockets big time. Houston's bench was supposed to be the distinguishing factor in this series against L.A.'s lack of depth, but the Clips bench outscored the Rockets 46-25 in a decisive Game 3 win. Austin Rivers scored the same amount as Houston's second stringers by himself.
The entire bench unit will need to pick it up, but that starts with Smith. He's shooting an abysmal 29 percent from the floor and has made just one of his nine three-point attempts. After 29 mediocre minutes in Game 1, Rockets head coach Kevin McHale limited him to just 13 minutes in Game 3.
It seems Smith just isn't a good fit in this series, but if Houston wants a chance to win, they'll need him to contribute to the cause. Griffin is a lot different than Dirk Nowitzki. Smith was able to take advantage of Nowitzki's defensive incapabilities and key the Rockets to victory last round, but it's not as easy this time.
In Game 3, Smith had a bad sequence consisting of a turnover, a missed layup and a missed assignment on defense. The sequence triggered a 23-0 Clippers run, turning a five-point game into a laugher.
The Rockets need the dynamic, multifaceted Smith from Round 1 to show up if they want to return to Houston tied 2-2 and have a chance to advance.
Terrence Jones
3 of 5
Terrence Jones has had his moments this postseason, but he also has vanished at times.
After a tough season dealing with unlucky injuries, T-Jones got into a groove by the end of the season. He re-entered the starting lineup alongside Howard stronger than ever, cleaning the glass and finishing in traffic. In the playoffs, however, Jones has taken a step back, similar to last year when the Rockets faced LaMarcus Aldridge and the Portland Trail Blazers.
So far this series, Jones is averaging 8.6 points and 4.3 boards per game. He'll have an active quarter where he attacks the basket and grabs several rebounds, but then he will disappear for the rest of the game.
Like Smith, Jones is undersized in this matchup against the Clippers, and it affects his production in the paint. With DeAndre Jordan looming at the rim, it makes every shot just a bit tougher and every rebound more difficult to come by, and it's hurting Jones' stat line.
The Rockets need Jones to be as active as possible. He cannot continue to disappear, quietly going through the motions and not adding any value on the floor. His athleticism and instincts can be huge assets, but it's only when he is in attack mode. It'll take more than Howard and Harden to match the firepower of L.A.'s starting five, and that's why T-Jones is so important.
Corey Brewer
4 of 5
Similar to Smith, Corey Brewer was dynamite in the first series against the Dallas Mavericks but has not been the same player versus the Clippers.
Through three games, he's putting up 9.3 points and 2.3 assists, and he hasn't been very efficient. He's shooting just 37.5 percent and only 1-of-10 from three. Brew has never been a particularly great shooter, but he's got to do a better job than this.
Although his effort and assertiveness are always appreciated, the Clippers have done a nice job of not letting him make his mark on the series like he did to Dallas. His most notable contribution may be a $5,000 fine on an egregious flop.
Brewer is at his best in transition, wreaking havoc in the passing lanes and always ready to leak out for the outlet pass. He's even made some nice plays on the break defensively. The "Greyhound" must continue to get out in transition as often as possible, but without risking breaking down on defense.
Unfortunately, the Clips have done a good job of countering the Rockets' aggressive defense. When Houston has applied the pressure on the ball-handlers near half court, guys such as Austin Rivers and Jamal Crawford have been able to escape and create problems. Brewer may need to dial it down just a tad in that regard, making sure he doesn't get beat for an easy path to the basket.
Brew has the potential to be that spark plug guy off the bench. He did it against Dallas, but if he's going to have any impact in this series, he has to be able to shoot with more efficiency and defend more soundly, even if it means fewer transition opportunities.
James Harden
5 of 5
People have been critical of Harden this postseason, including NFL.com's Lance Zierlein. It's hard to replicate the bearded magic he created during the regular season, but the truth is, Harden is playing well in the playoffs.
He's averaging 27.4 points (exact same as the regular season) and 8.6 assists, shooting 46.2 percent from the floor and 40.7 percent from deep. His numbers are better than they were throughout the year! The issue here is the clutch factor.
It wasn't a big problem in the Dallas series. In fact, Harden even erupted for a playoff career-high 42 points to essentially seal the series in Game 3. However, this series, it has not been there for the Beard.
The Clippers did a great job of containing Harden in the regular season, and the playoffs have been no different. They put Redick or Matt Barnes on him at the perimeter and leave Jordan not far behind just waiting for Harden to try to attack. They crowd him and make him uncomfortable, not allowing him to get into a rhythm, especially during all the hacking.
It gets worse. First, Barnes trash-talked Harden's mom in Game 2. Then Austin Rivers stole his signature stir-the-pot move in Game 3. If you're like me, you probably thought Harden was going to go off after the NBA announced Steph Curry walked away quite easily with the MVP trophy. He didn't.
But now it's personal, and we're due for a Beard outburst one of these days.
So far this series, Harden has been complacent. He has patiently tried to get his teammates involved, evidently to no avail. He's picked up a ton of assists and had some success with his jumpers, but he needs to do what he does best and attack the basket.
The only stretch this series when the Rockets have looked themselves was late in Game 2. Harden led the way to a much-needed victory, and he did it by going to the free-throw line. Unfortunately, after the 64-free-throw parade, the Clips' whining took its toll, and the refs swallowed the whistles for Game 3 (except somehow for this ring-around-the-rosie).
Harden can't be entirely to blame. The aforementioned players in this article are all struggling, as are some others. Ariza's defense has been solid, but he couldn't hit water from a boat right now with his shot. Even as dominant as Howard has been this postseason, he needs to pick it up from the free-throw line.
Harden struggled to get to the stripe in Game 3, and ultimately Houston fell apart in a brutal loss. But like I said, we're due for some bearded greatness.
The Rockets are not in terrific shape down 2-1 and coming off an embarrassment, but the good news is that they are one Harden explosion away from stealing Game 4 and re-capturing this second-round series before heading back home.
.jpg?w=600 "Colts Release Kenny Moore")
