Rockets vs. Wizards game preview: homecoming pt. 2

The Houston Rockets are having a no-good, not fun, very bad stretch.

Losers of five straight since Christian Wood’s injury, the Rockets are trudging through yet another road trip. This one got off to a poor start against the New York Knicks. Tonight, they take on a Washington Wizards team that just demolished the Boston Celtics yesterday afternoon.

The Wizards are 7-17. They’ve dealt with COVID more than any other team, lost Thomas Bryant for the year, and have generally been dealt a bad hand this year. Bradley Beal will always have rumors swirling around him until he’s either traded or the Wizards take the next step into the playoffs.

Oh, and did you know that the Rockets and Wizards made a trade in the offseason? Yeah, that might get mentioned once or twice.

As the season goes on, it gets more and more amazing that the Rockets were the team to get a first round pick in the deal. Russell Westbrook is fun and exciting, but if you want to win, you can’t do it with him. Wall is still not back to 100%, but he’s been a stabilizing presence for the Rockets when he’s been able to play.

Things can change so quickly in the NBA. Two weeks ago, the Rockets were on a 6-game winning streak and thinking about the playoffs. Now, they’re 11-15 and talk of a tank has resurfaced. The team is still too good when healthy to be a bottom 3 team, though, which limits the feasibility there.

Tip-off is at 6pm CT on NBA TV and AT&T SportsNet Southwest