BOUNCE-BACK YEAR
The Rockets have 99 problems but a Splash ain't one
Feb 10, 2021, 6:52 pm
Gordon is one of the bright spots this year.Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images
Eric Gordon is having a tremendous season so a far for the Houston Rockets despite their record. Last season with the Rockets, Gordon dealt with countless lower body injuries and poor shooting. Gordon took it upon himself to have a better season, change his perception, and silence trade speculations. It almost seemed that Gordon lost his style of play.
Gordon only played 36 games in the 2019-2020 season. In that season, Gordon shot 31.7% from three, including having the worst true shooting percentage of his career, which was 51%. He even scored 14 points per game, which is the lowest he scored in his Rockets tenure. Gordon's injuries impacted his performance throughout the season, which hurt his shooting during the playoffs. Although Gordon came back for the 2019-2020 playoffs, he still shot 32 percent from three. Gordon shot 40% in the 2018-2019 playoffs with the Rockets, so it was a down year for him.
Trading the 32-year-old Gordon seemed unlikely throughout the offseason. Packaging Gordon with Russell Westbrook and James Harden became interesting though. Gordon's injuries were questionable because of the season he had. Even though trade scenarios circled Harden and Westbrook, none of the rumors directly involved Gordon. The Rockets seemed content that Gordon could have a comeback year. And he was confident that his knee surgery could help his performance this season.
"I needed knee surgery," Gordon said. "It's tough any time you have surgery during the year. It's just tough because I'm trying to get my balance, and everything takes time, and I'm trying to rush back, so we can see … how good we can be and how … good we can be ... down the stretch. Last year was just a tough year for me. I can definitely expect better for sure."
Gordon's usage rating has surpassed his 2017-2018 performance from 23.8%-24.9% this year.
"I've had the ball in my hand more since I [have] been here, period," Gordon said. "I'm able to play make more, come off screens, and get the ball in various ways. And that has allowed me to have a lot more opportunities."
Off those opportunities, Gordon has averaged 18.6 points per game and shooting 36% from three, while his true shooting percentage is at 61%, which is a career high. Gordon is shooting 46 percent from the field this season, which is another career high. Coach Silas has allowed Gordon to take a much more aggressive role for the Rockets this year. Gordon is 4th on the team in field goal attempts and points per game. He is thriving off consistent ball movement and screen rotation for the Rockets. If Gordon is not scoring off catch-and-shoot, he is driving toward the basket. Ever since Gordon's knee surgery, he's become a bouncer again. That has allowed Gordon to attack the rim more for the Rockets. Gordon is 46% from the field when inside the restricted area of the court.
"To have a player like Eric Gordon coming off the bench is… most teams would love that and that is a luxury for us," Coach Silas said. "He can start and come off your bench."
Hopefully, Eric's play continues to blossom for the Rockets, so they can get back on track. The Rockets have lost their last four out of five games recently.
Up next: The Rockets play the Heat on Thursday night.
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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!
The MLB season is finally upon us! Join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday!
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