Kevin McHale Needs To Re-Shuffle Houston Rockets Lineup
After notching key road wins over Denver and Portland, the Houston Rockets (16-13) appeared to have found a semblance of identity. The bench looked phenomenal, the defense was stingy, Coach Kevin McHale’s rotations were savvy, and All-Star snub Kyle Lowry provided a spark on both ends of the floor in closing situations. The team was 3-1 amid a six-game road trip, surpassing even the most optimistic pundit’s expectations, and occupied the fourth seed in the Western Conference. But a lot can change in half-a-week, and it’s time for McHale to send a message to the Rockets’ lagging starters.
Since last Thursday, Houston has lost two straight to non-playoff teams — Golden State and Memphis — and appear rudderless. Although neither road loss was catastrophic, each was a game the Rockets should win if they intend to threaten the elite denizens of the NBA. The most disturbing trend has been the play of the starters, specifically shooting guard Kevin Martin.
Martin’s 2012 season is a strange one, indeed. He has shown fans occasional glimpses of his signature hyper-efficient scoring outbursts, but the performances are mostly forgettable. Martin, Houston’s leading scorer, is averaging only 17 points per game, his lowest total since the 2005-06 season. He shoots only 34 percent from behind the three-point arc. And, perhaps worst of all, he disappears from games at a shockingly regular rate. Too often, Martin is nowhere to be found in clutch, end-of-game scenarious, and when he doesn’t have the ball in his hands, he cannot contribute to the game. Scoring is his lone skill — Martin is a notoriously soft defender — and when the shots aren’t falling, his impact is minimal.
For example, Martin averaged only seven points per game on a paltry 26.7% shooting during the Rockets’ recent road stretch. He scored a total of 44 points, 28 of which came in a single game. And he capped it all off with a royal goose egg — the first time in his career as a starter that he failed to score — versus Memphis Tuesday night.
Therefore, it is time for McHale to start reserve guard Courtney Lee. The Western Kentucky alum is more than capable of manning a spot among the team’s top five; he started for the Orlando Magic as a rookie when they reached the 2009 NBA Finals, and he started at two-guard when Martin suffered a foot injury this season. Lee, who averages 10 points at just over 25 minutes per game, is a better athlete than Martin and, in turn, a more active defender. He shoots a higher percentage from three, and instead of holding the ball in the corner for multiple seconds like Martin, stalling the team’s offensive movement, Lee is a constant blur of motion.
If McHale chose to start Lee, he wouldn’t sacrifice production or skill attributes. In fact, the team would improve defensively and from a rebounding standpoint with Lee. Martin may receive a boost of motivation from the slight, and work harder at the areas of his game besides scoring to move out of his 201-12 slump. It’s a win-win move. McHale already appears to favor more bench time for Martin, who only played seven minutes in the second half of Houston’s defeat last night.
Also, Lowry was the lone starter to score in double-figures versus Memphis, so if McHale wants more offensive production he should also consider handing Chase Budinger his starting role back over rookie Chandler Parsons. Parsons improves the team drastically on the defensive end, but his shaky jumper pales in comparison to Budinger’s recently scalding shooting. Bud shot 50 percent from downtown over the six-game trip, and on a team without many perimeter shooting threats that number is too valuable to stifle.
Although Houston returns to the Toyota Center tonight, the journey does not get any easier. The Oklahoma City Thunder are on the docket, and the number one team in the Western Conference already defeated the Rockets twice earlier this season. Houston will need better efforts from the starters if they hope to compete. And, if not, the bench needs to carry the team yet again.
At least fans can console themselves with the fact that former Rocket Jeremy Lin has taken the league by storm in New York. Or maybe not, considering Houston has New York’s draft pick if the Knicks fall to the lottery dregs. Maybe it just isn’t a great week in Houston.
