Is this math problem solved?
A good addition: Robert Covington fits well in Rockets small ball equation
Feb 12, 2020, 5:50 am
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For the second straight night in the row, Robert Covington got the start. It has helped the Rockets spread the offense out. The only thing the Rockets must do is be consistent with their shooting.
Since the Rockets traded Clint Capela, they have been able to spread the floor and take more 3-point shots. Adding Covington gives them another shooter on the floor. Covington has made big shots against Utah and LA.
"You knew he can hit threes; it did surprise me a little bit that he's hit two game winners already," Coach D'Antoni told the press. "He had two in LA; so, I didn't know he hit big shots all the time."
In the last three games, Covington is shooting 41.9% from the field, 37.5% at the three-point line, and averaging five rebounds a game. He has also been a good rebounder for the Rockets too. Covington has been a nice addition to the Rockets so far despite losing two games in a row. He did have an off night from the field in the win against Boston but still scored 12 points, seven rebounds, three steals, and four blocks. Covington was disruptive on the defensive side of the ball as well.
Another good thing about the small ball equation is the Rockets are much better in transition. They can get up the floor much quicker now because the size difference. The Rockets main strategy is to outrun bigger opponents with this small lineup. Covington adds to the Rockets athletic frame because of his quickness and length.
Harden believes in the small ball because it allows them to spread the floor and get back quicker on defense.
"We're able to get better quality shots; which allows us to set up our defense on transition," Harden told the press. "Our half court defense is pretty tough to score consistently. So that's where we want to get; we want to take quality shots and get back on transition to make teams play us half court."
Can the Rockets keep solving this problem to the equation?
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It should come as no surprise that after a slow start to the season, fans and media are starting to voice concerns about the organization's leadership and direction. The latest evidence of this involved Astros adviser Reggie Jackson and the comments he made on Jon Heyman's podcast, The Show.
Jackson discussed the Astros reported interest in starting pitcher Blake Snell. He said that ultimately, Snell was looking for a deal the Astros weren't comfortable with in terms of money and structure of the contract.
Which is interesting considering the Astros were okay with paying 5-years, $95 million for closer Josh Hader, but not willing to pay Snell 2-years, $62 million. We believe the opt-outs in Snell's contract were a dealbreaker for Houston. And of course the money played a role.
However, the Astros passing on Snell is not the intriguing part of the story. It was Jackson talking about the club's power structure in the front office and how they go about making decisions.
“Being fiscally responsible is what kicked us out of the Snell deal… That's too much for him… Between the 4 or 5 people who make decisions with the Astros, we don't play that game,” said Jackson.
Based on Jackson's comments in the interview, the decision makers are Jim Crane, Dana Brown, Jeff Bagwell, Craig Biggio, and Reggie. But not necessarily in that order. He also mentioned that they had conversations with manager Joe Espada and his staff, plus some input from the analytics department.
These comments add to the concerns we've had about the front office since Crane moved on from GM James Click and operated without a general manager for several months. Which led to the disastrous signing of Jose Abreu and to a lesser extent Rafael Montero.
Which begs the question, are the Astros in a better spot now with their front office? Many blame Dana Brown for the state of the starting rotation. While there were some red flags this spring, anticipating injuries to Jose Urquidy, Justin Verlander, and Framber Valdez is asking a lot.
But only bringing in Hader to replace all the innings left behind by Hector Neris, Phil Maton, Kendall Graveman, and Ryne Stanek always felt risky.
Finally, what can the Astros due in the short-term to weather the storm while Framber and JV rehab from injury?
And is Hunter Brown the biggest liability in the rotation?
Be sure to watch the video above for the full in-depth discussion.