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It’s good to be back after a week away, but it’s not good to come back to a Houston Rockets injury. It felt like only a matter of time, with head coach Mike D’Antoni playing his main pieces a little too much for my liking after the team had clinched everything. But we should be crossing our fingers it’s not more serious.
Mbah a Moute is out at least for the first round, but should be back at some point should the Rockets win in round one. My hope is that he returns for any potential series against the Golden State Warriors.
It could have been worse. Mbah a Moute could be done for the year or it could be a one of the Houston starters.
In that vain, D’Antoni seems to have learned his lesson, and the Rockets will sit practically everyone in tonight’s season finale against the Sacramento Kings.
Anderson, Ariza, Paul, Harden, Gordon, Capela,Nene are out for the Rockets tonight.
— Jonathan Feigen (@Jonathan_Feigen) April 12, 2018
In fact, the starting lineup looks more like a preseason contest for the Rockets, and the bench looks more like the G-League.
Rockets starters tonight in Sacramento: Hunter, Green, Brown, Johnson and Tucker.
— Jonathan Feigen (@Jonathan_Feigen) April 12, 2018
Off the bench: Zhou, Jackson and Onuaku. And that's it. Tonight it's true. "Can't tell the players without a program."
That’s a-okay by me, and though that makes tonight’s game coverage duties hardly the most exciting job in the world, I am looking forward to seeing some of the younger names play and thankful the Rockets shouldn’t (fingers crossed) have any other major injuries to deal with.
Get well soon, Luc, and go, Rockets!