History: This is the second part of Luc Mbah in Moute with the team. He originally signed with the Houston Rockets in the summer of 2017 and was a major contributor to the 65-17 team. He averaged only 7.5 points, 3 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game, but he shot from 36% in depth, and his length and talent on the defensive side made him part of the rotating attackers cache of Houston put together to stop the Golden State Warriors juggernaut.
There were many reasons given for Houston’s inability to overcome the Dubs in a series where they had a 3-2 lead but ended in seven: Chris Paul, the bad, arbitrary, 27, three failed. But something often overlooked was Mbah’s inability to Moute to stay on the floor. He was recovering from a shoulder injury, and although the Rockets really hoped they could contribute, the shoulder was not holding up and Mbah a Moute was a shell of his previous self, playing only 54 minutes total in the West Conference finals, with an average of 1.3 points and 1.8 rebounds. A healthy MBA in Moute could have made a difference in a razor-proof series.
Mbah a Moute then signed up with the Los Angeles Clippers in the summer of 2018, playing in just four games, and has since been a free agent before the Rockets officially signed him as part of their Orlando bubble list a few days ago. .
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Perspective: Mbah aa Moute is taking over from Thabo Sefolosha on Houston’s 17-man roster. Sefolosha chose to stay out for the rest of the season because of COVID’s concerns, so Mbah a Moute will fill his place as a veteran defensive presence. For its part, MBAH in Moute is excited to return to H-town. In fact, he had this to say to Marc Berman:
“I feel great. I think it has been in preparation for a while, also going back to last summer. I always thought this was a good place for me. It was a great mutual interest and when the opportunity came I was excited to be back here.
The beauty of the situation here, there are still many people I know and have played with. Although the team from when I was here is not the same, there are a lot of guys that have changed, but a lot of guys on the team I’ve played with for a while since I played against. I almost feel like I know all these guys or have played with them at different stages of my career. I really can’t wait to reunite with them. You look top down, I think it’s just one or two guys I haven’t played with. So it’s very exciting. “
Mbah’s minutes on Moute are probably limited, as Houston currently has around 10 players in depth and the bench is practically all the way forward with the new Pocket Rockets approach. But Mbah a Moute is a veteran who knows the players and knows the system. It will be ready if necessary.
