Stronger finish needed
What did we learn from the Rockets loss opening night?
Oct 26, 2019, 10:41 am
There were some good things but bad things as well. What can the Rockets lock on so they can finish games stronger? Here are some things that need to be re-insured so they can be more equipped against stronger teams this season.
Things that stuck out:
The most impressive thing Thursday night was Mr. Westbrook by far. He shot for 42% from three and had 24 points. Westbrook gives the Rockets more athleticism on the court in all phases. His court vision was unmatched by seeing Eric Gordon or PJ Tucker in the corner for threes. He was also exceptionally well in the pick and roll with Clint Capela or Tyson Chandler. Westbrook continuously set his centers up for perfectly thrown lobs throughout the game. As we could see, Westbrook is an upgrade at point guard for the Rockets this season. He helped carry the load Thursday because of James Harden's bad shooting night. This trade could actually plan out to something great despite Westbrook and Harden arguing.
What hurt the Rockets last night?
Even though Harden had 19 points last night, he shot 2/13 from the field last night. Not your typical night when you see Harden shoot poorly from the field. Harden had a tough Thursday night finding the basket. Did that discourage him from taking more shots? Harden told reporters after the game that he was not aggressive enough offensively. He went to the free throw line 14 times and was perfect. Harden going to free throw line that much is typical "Harden Play." Hopefully the outside chatter is not getting in his head. One thing that stood out from him Thursday night was that he had 14 assists. It looks like Harden can trust his teammates more by keeping them engaged. Harden looked exceptionally well by running the offense, keeping the crowd engaged, and not worrying about his poor offensive play.
Eric Gordon struggled from the field as well by only having 11 points to show Thursday night. He shot 25% from three but luckily it is the first game of the season. Gordon will eventually overcome this slump. He is a great shooter but it needs to show it in games like this. Most of his shots were great looks but Gordon could not get them to fall.
Mike D'Antoni has to make better defensive rotations in the fourth quarter. There is no reason at all for Tucker to be guarding Brooke Lopez in the post. The Rockets were not playing the San Francisco Warriors where they can play small the whole entire game. Tucker is a great defender but tall enough to guard a Lopez. D'Antoni has to adjust his defensive game plan so the Rockets can maintain the lead.
Will Harden or Gordon always shoot poorly from the field this season? NO! It is only the first game so please relax. Things will get better for the Houston Rockets.
What looked like a minor blip after an emotional series win in Los Angeles has turned into something more concerning for the Houston Astros.
Swept at home by a Guardians team that came in riding a 10-game losing streak, the Astros were left looking exposed. Not exhausted, as injuries, underperformance, and questionable decision-making converged to hand Houston one of its most frustrating series losses of the year.
Depth finally runs dry
It would be easy to point to a “Dodger hangover” as the culprit, the emotional peak of an 18-1 win at Chavez Ravine followed by a mental lull. But that’s not the story here.
Houston’s energy was still evident, especially in the first two games of the series, where the offense scored five or more runs each time. Including those, the Astros had reached that mark in eight of their last 10 games heading into Wednesday’s finale.
But scoring isn’t everything, not when a lineup held together by duct tape and desperation is missing Christian Walker and Jake Meyers and getting critical at-bats from Cooper Hummel, Zack Short, and other journeymen.
The lack of depth finally showed. The Astros, for three days, looked more like a Triple-A squad with Jose Altuve and a couple big-league regulars sprinkled in.
Cracks in the pitching core
And the thing that had been keeping this team afloat, elite pitching, finally buckled.
Hunter Brown and Josh Hader, both dominant all season, finally cracked. Brown gave up six runs in six innings, raising his pristine 1.82 ERA to 2.21. Hader wasn’t spared either, coughing up a game-losing grand slam in extra innings that inflated his ERA from 1.80 to 2.38 in one night.
But the struggles weren’t isolated. Bennett Sousa, Kaleb Ort, and Steven Okert each gave up runs at critical moments. The bullpen’s collective fade could not have come at a worse time for a team already walking a tightrope.
Injury handling under fire
Houston’s injury management is also drawing heat, and rightfully so. Jake Meyers, who had been nursing a calf strain, started Wednesday’s finale. He didn’t even make it through one pitch before aggravating the injury and needing to be helped off the field.
No imaging before playing him. No cautionary rest despite the All-Star break looming. Just a rushed return in a banged-up lineup, and it backfired immediately.
Second-guessing has turned to outright criticism of the Astros’ medical staff, as fans and analysts alike wonder whether these mounting injuries are being made worse by how the club is handling them.
Pressure mounts on Dana Brown
All eyes now turn to Astros GM Dana Brown. The Astros are limping into the break with no clear reinforcements on the immediate horizon. Only Chas McCormick is currently rehabbing in Sugar Land. Everyone else? Still sidelined.
Brown will need to act — and soon.
At a minimum, calling up top prospect Brice Matthews makes sense. He’s been mashing in Triple-A (.283/.400/.476, 10 HR, .876 OPS) and could play second base while Jose Altuve shifts to left field more regularly. With Mauricio Dubón stretched thin between shortstop and center, injecting Matthews’ upside into the infield is a logical step.
*Editor's note: The Astros must be listening, Matthews was called up Thursday afternoon!
The Astros are calling up Brice Matthews, their top prospect on @MLBPipeline
via @brianmctaggart pic.twitter.com/K91cGKkcx6
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) July 10, 2025
There’s also trade chatter, most notably about Orioles outfielder Cedric Mullins, but excitement has been tepid. His numbers don’t jump off the page, but compared to who the Astros are fielding now, Mullins would be a clear upgrade and a much-needed big-league presence.
A final test before the break
Before the All-Star reset, Houston gets one last chance to stabilize the ship, and it comes in the form of a rivalry series against the Texas Rangers. The Astros will send their top trio — Lance McCullers Jr., Framber Valdez, and Hunter Brown — to the mound for a three-game set that will test their resolve, their health, and perhaps their postseason aspirations.
The Silver Boot is up for grabs. So is momentum. And maybe, clarity on just how far this version of the Astros can go.
There's 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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