POINT BLANK
Joel Blank: As the stakes go up, the numbers will go down in Mike D'Antoni's rotation
Apr 30, 2018, 8:14 am
Mike D'Antoni will shorten his bench as the stakes get higher. Rockets.com
We all know by now that the Rockets took a little while to get it together and get going in this season's playoffs. In the opening round against Minnesota, they almost blew the first game at home and alternated games in which Chris Paul and James Harden were major contributors. But in the end, they did what they were supposed to do and took care of business as they eliminated Minnesota in five games. Because of the team's lack of consistency, coach Mike D'Antoni used the majority of his playoff roster throughout the series.
As Eric Gordon struggled and Luc Mbah a Moute was out with a shoulder injury, they needed to go deeper in the rotation to assure a series victory. Houston was not the well oiled machine that coasted to the best record in the NBA and No. 1 seed in the West, yet they still got the job done and advanced to the next round. Next up, the Utah Jazz in the West Semifinals.
Utah is a young, athletic, defensive minded team and Houston is going to have to keep turnovers down, limit mistakes to the bare minimum and find more consistent play on offense. With James Harden and Chris Paul finding their rhythm both individually and as a back court duo, that's a good start and a recipe for success. The return of Mbah a Moute should improve their team defense, but also take more minutes away from the Rockets reserves. D'Antoni is a veteran coach and he only plays guys he trusts. Look no further than Montrezl Harrell in last years playoffs to understand that point and how true it is. Harrell was a rotational player in the regular season, but come playoffs he couldn't sniff the floor, even after Nene was lost with a season ending injury. So I say all that, to warn all of Red Nation that a few of your favorite reserves may be relegated to waving pom poms and towels instead of knocking down jumpers and running the hardwood. That's how it played out in the Rockets 110-96 win in Game 1 over the Jazz, when the Rockets used just four players off the bench until the last minute.
With Ryan Anderson finally healthy and returning to the active roster, Gerald Green fans should prepare for your favorite reserve to get less and less playing time. For as good as Green was during the regular season, it appears that Anderson is the guy that will get the call as a wing scorer off the bench going forward. Anderson started for most of the season and even though he doesn't bring much else to the table other than his shooting touch, he is a solid veteran that won't hurt you with bad decisions or forced shots. D'Antoni wants and needs players that are predictable and reliable and Ryno fits that bill. Green has been known as a gunner throughout his career with no conscience. It has long been in his scouting report that Gerald can shoot you into a game and he can also shoot you out of one. D'Antoni knows that for all Green can bring to the table when he's hot, it's the potentially irreversable damage that could preset itself when he's not that has him leaning towards Anderson.
With Eric Gordon coming on late in the Minnesota series, he’s regained his standing as the 6th man in the rotation. That means that the Joe Johnson experiment is probably over. Johnson has had an amazing career and has always put up solid numbers, but it has been apparent since he joined the Rockets, that he has finally started to decline and doesn't have the 1st step or the quick release that he has had in the past. Johnson and Green are still good insurance policies to have in case of injury or inconsistency with Anderson and Gordon, but it looks like they are the odd men out.
Similarly, Nene looks to be an afterthought as a backup big man this year. With PJ Tucker playing more and more minutes alongside Clint Capella in the starting lineup and with Mbah a Moute also back and expecting major time in the front court, the game plan seems to be smaller is better and that does not bode well for Nene. For the 2nd year in a row the Rockets nursed Nene through the regular season to keep him healthy and fresh for the playoffs. However, last year all that rest got Houston was a premature, season ending injury to the veteran big man and that put the Rockets at a disadvantage when they faced the Spurs and their big front line. This year it looks like it will be the versatility of Tucker and Mbah a Moute that sits Nene and not an injury.
Unless there is a blowout either way, the Rockets rotation will only include 8 to 9 players. After the starting 5 of Ariza, Tucker, Capela, Paul and Harden, only Anderson, Gordon and Mbah a Moute will make the grade for significant minutes. The others will be relegated to being cheerleaders with an occasional number called to fill a certain situational need or play call. The good news is even though these guys won't be seeing significant minutes, they are great insurance policies in case someone gets hurt or slips up as Houston continues its quest for another NBA title. In my opinion, this team has the deepest bench in the NBA and it's a good problem to have if your the coach trying to find the appropriate players and minutes for your playoff rotation.
It’s May 1, and the Astros are turning heads—but not for the reasons anyone expected. Their resurgence, driven not by stars like Yordan Alvarez or Christian Walker, but by a cast of less-heralded names, is writing a strange and telling early-season story.
Christian Walker, brought in to add middle-of-the-order thump, has yet to resemble the feared hitter he was in Arizona. Forget the narrative of a slow starter—he’s never looked like this in April. Through March and April of 2025, he’s slashing a worrying .196/.277/.355 with a .632 OPS. Compare that to the same stretch in 2024, when he posted a .283 average, .496 slug, and a robust .890 OPS, and it becomes clear: this is something more than rust. Even in 2023, his April numbers (.248/.714 OPS) looked steadier.
What’s more troubling than the overall dip is when it’s happening. Walker is faltering in the biggest moments. With runners in scoring position, he’s hitting just .143 over 33 plate appearances, including 15 strikeouts. The struggles get even more glaring with two outs—.125 average, .188 slugging, and a .451 OPS in 19 such plate appearances. In “late and close” situations, when the pressure’s highest, he’s practically disappeared: 1-for-18 with a .056 average and a .167 OPS.
His patience has waned (only 9 walks so far, compared to 20 by this time last year), and for now, his presence in the lineup feels more like a placeholder than a pillar.
The contrast couldn’t be clearer when you look at José Altuve—long the engine of this franchise—who, in 2024, delivered in the moments Walker is now missing. With two outs and runners in scoring position, Altuve hit .275 with an .888 OPS. In late and close situations, he thrived with a .314 average and .854 OPS. That kind of situational excellence is missing from this 2025 squad—but someone else may yet step into that role.
And yet—the Astros are winning. Not because of Walker, but in spite of him.
Houston’s offense, in general, hasn’t lit up the leaderboard. Their team OPS ranks 23rd (.667), their slugging 25th (.357), and they sit just 22nd in runs scored (117). They’re 26th in doubles, a rare place for a team built on gap-to-gap damage.
But where there’s been light, it hasn’t come from the usual spots. Jeremy Peña, often overshadowed in a lineup full of stars, now boasts the team’s highest OPS at .791 (Isaac Paredes is second in OPS) and is flourishing in his new role as the leadoff hitter. Peña’s balance of speed, contact, aggression, and timely power has given Houston a surprising tone-setter at the top.
Even more surprising: four Astros currently have more home runs than Yordan Alvarez.
And then there’s the pitching—Houston’s anchor. The rotation and bullpen have been elite, ranking 5th in ERA (3.23), 1st in WHIP (1.08), and 4th in batting average against (.212). In a season where offense is lagging and clutch hits are rare, the arms have made all the difference.
For now, it’s the unexpected contributors keeping Houston afloat. Peña’s emergence. A rock-solid pitching staff. Role players stepping up in quiet but crucial ways. They’re not dominating, but they’re grinding—and in a sluggish AL West, that may be enough.
Walker still has time to find his swing. He showed some signs of life against Toronto and Detroit. If he does, the Astros could become dangerous. If he doesn’t, the turnaround we’re witnessing will be credited to a new cast of unlikely faces. And maybe, that’s the story that needed to be written.
We have so much more to discuss. Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!
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