In the 2018-19 NBA season, Rockets forward Danuel House Jr. went from the average of more than 25 minutes per game in the regular season to not playing at all in the last four playoff games of the unsuccessful Houston second round series against the Golden State Warriors.
While a foot injury was partially responsible for the House’s fall from rotation, the end result was that his playoff performance was below expectations for coach Mike D’Antoni and the Rockets.
Now 27 years old and in his second season with the Rockets, the 6-foot-6 striker seems determined to never do it again in the NBA 2020 playoffs. Prior to Friday’s practice, GM Daryl Morey was questioned about individual hints during the first week of Houston evidence at the NBA bubble complex in Florida. He answered:
I thought Danuel House Jr. had a good day yesterday. He played with super high energy and clearly worked a lot during the break to get ready for this moment.
I think he realizes that this is one of the key moments in his career. Last year, he didn’t have the minutes in the playoffs that he thought he was going to do, and I think he’s trying to earn those minutes this year.
Earlier this week, reserving striker DeMarre Carroll – who could compete with House for minutes – identified House and initiated advanced Robert Covington as key factors in praising the length, athleticism and level of defense activity. of Houston on the training ground.
The Rockets are ranked 2nd in the NBA this attacking season but only 16th in defense, making it a clear source of potential improvement as they prepare for a reboot of the NBA later this month.
If defense is the priority, more minutes for House could be a solution. At 6 feet-6, House is among the tallest and most athletic players on the undersized Rockets, and has demonstrated versatility this season to cover both the little ones and the power forwards in the heavy defensive pattern.
With Covington, PJ Tucker, Russell Westbrook and James Harden, we talk about four of Houston’s five training spots, taking on health.
For fifth place, D’Antoni bounced back and forth between House and 6-foot-3 guard Eric Gordon. While Gordon offers a lot more experience and shooting, House has its advantages in terms of length and defensive versatility. Consequently, once the Rockets (40-24) resume their regular season on July 31st, it would not be a surprise to see D’Antoni continue to experiment to find the optimal role for each player.
In all, House averaged 10.2 points (36.3% on 3 pointers) and 4.2 rebounds in 30.0 minutes per game this season – up from 25.1 minutes a year ago. He played in 58 games, of which 47 starts.
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