Houston at San Antonio
Time: 7 PM CT, ESPN
Spread: EVEN
Total: 217
Odds c/o 5dimes
The Houston Rockets have dropped four-straight games heading into a road game Friday night at San Antonio. NBA oddsmakers at 5dimes set the line even between the Rockets and Spurs, with an over/under of 217 points. The game will air at 7 PM CT on ESPN.
HOU
Many in Houston, brass included, felt Carmelo Anthony was to blame for the Rockets’ sluggish start to the 2018-19 season. Fast forward a week, and no one is quite so sure what or who is to blame. The Rockets have dropped four straight, including losses to the lowly Cleveland Cavaliers, Dallas Mavericks, and Washington Wizards (with the Detroit Pistons also in the mix). Houston is just 9-11 and careening down the Western Conference standings as the season hits its quarter-point.
Most recently, the Rockets fell by 20 to the Dallas Mavericks, who are a surprising 10-9 to start the season. James Harden had a triple-double in the loss, finishing with 25 points, 17 assists, and 11 rebounds, but the Rockets were without Chris Paul which meant Eric Gordon drew the start. While Gordon is a fine talent, the Rockets need his production off the bench. The Rockets reserves combined for just 25 points in the loss, and Gordon added 17 to the starting unit’s total. The Mavs got another big game from rookie Luka Doncic, who led Dallas with 20 points, six rebounds, and two assists. Houston fell to 4-5 at home this season with the ‘L.’
Harden has been having a typical monstrous season, but the Rockets are giving up 110.3 points per game this year while managing to score just 108.2. Houston is a poor rebounding team, ranking third-to-last in rebounds per game, and the ball movement has not been so great either, with Houston ranking No. 27 in the Association in assists per game (20.8). The Big Three of Melo, Chris Paul, and Harden never really worked out, so now the Rockets are hoping for bigger seasons from center Clint Capela and Sixth Man Eric Gordon.
Capela is averaging 17.4 points, 11.8 rebounds and 2.55 blocks/steals per game and Gordon adds 16 points a night while shooting just 35.6 percent from the field and 28.9 percent from three. Harden leads the way with 31.1 points and 8.7 assists per game, while shooting 43 percent from the floor and 36 percent from three. Really, the Rockets need to fine-tune its defensive efforts while continuing to push the pace on offense. Depth, too, may be an issue as the season wears on with the Rockets bench not producing a lot outside of what Gordon does.
SAS
The San Antonio Spurs are 10-11 and have lost three of its past five games. Pau Gasol is out indefinitely with a stress fracture, but that is no major loss as the veteran’s minutes have vastly decreased and he is scarcely a picture of the core unit, anymore. Gasol was averaging just 17 minutes a game prior to sustaining the injury, and in his stead expect Davis Betans and Jakob Poeltl to absorb the extra minutes.
The Spurs clearly are not the same vaunted team without its core players of seasons past: Gone are Manu Ginobili and Tim Duncan, while Tony Parker is lacing it up for the Charlotte Hornets this season. DeMar DeRozan is the new face of the franchise, and he has played well. DeRozan is averaging 24 points, six rebounds and six assists per game while leading the team in PER (excluding Gasol’s limited play) at 21.1.
LaMarcus Aldridge is a shadow of the player he was in Portland, but he still is playing reasonably well in averaging 17 points and 10 rebounds per game. Gregg Popovich can always seemingly get blood from oranges, but this Spurs team really might be maxing out at its near-.500 record. After DeRozan, Aldridge and veteran Rudy Gay, the Spurs have a ragtag cast of sidekicks that have scarcely made huge impacts in their pro careers.
Short of Derrick White becoming some sort of season savior, it is tough to envision much changing for the Spurs. White began the season injured but has now started in six games, and he is averaging five points and two assists in his 12 appearances total this season. It is not exactly the kind of start from the youngster that spells “season savior.” This may be the Spurs worst season ever under Gregg Popovich, but the management in San Antonio will relish the chance to draft high in 2019, given its acumen for pulling the top players with far worse picks.
