HIGH ALERT!
Something is happening within the Houston Rockets that should worry everyone
Jan 17, 2023, 1:27 pm
These numbers are sobering to say the least. Composite image by Brandon Strange.
Thankfully, Houston Rockets not headed the Portland route
A few years ago, a group of basketball writers took a dark turn and ranked the “50 Worst Coaches in NBA History.”
Topping the list was Sidney Lowe, who compiled a 79-228 record for a .257 winning percentage (more appropriately a .743 losing percentage) while coaching the Timberwolves and Grizzlies during 2000-03.
That made Lowe the worst of the worst.
Well, Rockets’ current coach Stephen Silas is worse.
Silas’ first year at the Rockets’ helm was 2020-21. The team went 17-55 and finished with the worst record in the NBA.
In 2021-22, the Rockets went 20-62 and finished with the worst record in the NBA.
So far in 2022-23, the Rockets stand at 10-34, the worst record in the NBA. Let’s play a drinking game, you have to take a shot each time I write the word “worst.”
Silas’ career record as an NBA coach is 47-151 for a winning percentage of .237. Take that, Sidney Lowe.
Put it this way, if Silas somehow keeps his job as Rockets coach, hard to believe, the Rockets would need to compile six consecutive seasons of 50 wins to get Silas’ career mark to .500. That scenario is unlikely on so many fronts, especially with the sword of Damocles hanging over Silas’ job security these days. As in any day now.
The Rockets are mired in an 11-game losing streak, and have dropped 16 of their last 17 games. Monday night, they followed three consecutive 20 point-plus blowouts by giving up 140 points, their worst defensive effort of the year, to the struggling Lakers.
How much more of these nightly drubbings can Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta take? Fertitta isn’t exactly a guy who takes losing easily. He is a firebrand with a ferocious personality. I remember sitting and talking with Fertitta in Hilton Garden Inn lobbies during Little League tournaments. He knew all the players and their batting averages. He’s intense.
Fertitta and Silas are a match made in personality hell. Silas is a laid-back, soft-spoken dude who doesn’t lose his cool on the bench as the Rockets go into hibernation during the third quarter (not that they’re so great during the first, second and fourth quarters, either).
The Rockets are a young team, which could use a raving maniac on the bench who’s kicking their asses to start winning games. In fact, the Rockets are a last-place team and trending downward.
Earlier this month, 15-year veteran guard Eric Gordon was asked if the team at least has been playing better since the start of the season.
His disgusted answer: “There’s no improvement. Same old thing all year.”
That’s an honest answer, and 100-percent accurate, but not what you want to hear from your team leader.
Meanwhile Toyota Center, where the Rockets have a 6-14 home record, has become a hospital quiet zone. The ticket office is getting by on smoke, mirrors, bobbleheads and cheap seats that include beer and hot dogs. The biggest crowd roar goes up when Boban Marjanovic takes the floor in garbage time.
If the worst team in the NBA isn’t getting better, what hope is there for the future under current management? Things can’t go on like this.
Takeaways from the Tigers sweep of the Astros
Total butt kicking. The offense was dreadful, scoring just two runs over three games. However, what’s killing the offense the most is the outfield. Outside of when Altuve plays left field, Houston doesn’t have another major league-quality outfielder right now. Jesus Sanchez not only swung at a Charlie Morton curveball that hit him in the knee, he’s also ice-cold, going 0-for-28 at the plate. At least he’s someone you expect to turn things around, but he’s in a huge slump currently. Beyond him, Jacob Melton, Taylor Trammell, and Chas McCormick have all been dragging down the offense. Cam Smith is struggling too, with just one hit in his last seven games.
Is Framber Valdez going to be okay?
Starting pitching was another big issue against the Tigers, and Valdez was a key part of the problem, basically losing the finale in the first inning after allowing six runs. This isn’t an outlier—he’s got a 7+ ERA through four starts in August. Spencer Arrighetti isn’t faring much better, posting a 7+ ERA through three starts. One silver lining with Valdez: the Tigers know him well. They had success against him in the playoffs last season, and it looks like they’re continuing that formula—force him to throw strikes, hit the other way on the sinker, and if the curveball isn’t up, let it go. AJ Hinch knows the deal.
Is the return of Yordan Alvarez enough to boost the offense?
It has to be. The only real way to give this lineup a spark is getting Yordan and Jake Meyers back. Yordan had a successful first rehab outing, collecting a couple of hits, a walk, and even a stolen base. Adding him back to the top of the lineup gives the Astros a formidable top four: Peña, Altuve, Yordan, and Correa. As for Meyers, the outfield has been the biggest drag on the offense. The key is whether he can continue to hit near .300 when he returns from injury. If he does, Altuve and Meyers in the outfield makes a huge difference, and Joe Espada can figure out right field with Sanchez and Smith.
Is the schedule not as soft as anticipated?
We’ve seen some strange results across the league this week, and some of that has to be chalked up to the Dog Days of Summer. Players are tired, and results have been wild. Thankfully, the Mariners are struggling too, giving the Astros some breathing room. Player adjustments after the trade deadline could also be a factor—Sanchez, anyone? Many big free agents have struggled immediately after changing teams, Walker and Juan Soto included.
Can they recover and take advantage of bad teams?
One thing we know about this year’s Astros: they can flip the switch and win multiple series on a moment’s notice. They’re just as capable of sweeping a series as they are of getting swept. Let’s hope that starts with four wins in Baltimore.
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