Houston Rockets Injury News: Patrick Beverley Out for Season:
It was confirmed by the Houston Chronicle on Tuesday that Rocket’s point guard Patrick Beverley will miss the remainder of the season due to a wrist injury.
Apr 17, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Steve Blake (5) is defended by Houston Rockets guard Patrick Beverly (12) at the Staples Center. The Lakers defeated the Rockets 99-95 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
With the Rockets “cooking” and attempting to snag the 2nd-seed from Memphis, Beverley could be a key ingredient missing.
The Injury:
Rockets guard Pat Beverley has opted for surgery to repair ligaments in left wrist, source said. Will miss the remaining of season, playoffs
— Jonathan Feigen (@Jonathan_Feigen) March 30, 2015
A torn ligament in his left wrist is what will keep Beverley out for the rest of the season including the playoffs. Surgery is slated for tomorrow according to the Rockets press release on Beverly. The wrist was injured on March 23 in Indianapolis when the Rockets beat the Pacers, 110-100.
Beverley’s injury was shadowed by James Harden’s 44-point outing that night, but the injury will obviously matter more in the long run. Although injuries have kept Beverley out towards the end of his first couple seasons, the Rockets seem invested in his defense and team play.
Replacing “Mr. 94 Feet”:
The 3rd-year pro from Arkansas University was averaging 10 points, 3 assists and 4 rebounds per game before the decision to shut him down. Trying to replace the reigning 2015 Taco Bell Skills Champ and a premiere lock down defender won’t happen, so what positions and players will be immediately affected?
Someone will definitely need to step into the starting role for Pat Beverley and that player will more than likely be Jason Terry for the rest of the season. Other guards such as Pablo Prigioni and Nick Johnson have recently seen more time and will need to prove their worth this post-season.
Harden will need to continue doing MVP-like things and that will include playing top-notch defense on guards now. With Beverley out of the lineup, Corey Brewer and Nick Johnson seem to be the best on-ball defenders for the upcoming Western Conference Playoffs.
Possible Playoff Match-ups:
As of Tuesday afternoon, the Rockets are a half a game up on the Memphis Grizzlies for the 2nd playoff seed in the West behind Golden State. This would put the Rockets in a match-up with Mark Cuban and his Dallas Mavericks.
This could suit the Rockets well as they could start Terry on Rajon Rondo due to the pace of play.
Mar 27, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Rockets guard James Harden (13) celebrates his three point shot with forward Trevor Ariza (1) and guard Corey Brewer (33) and guard Jason Terry (31) against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second half at Toyota Center. Rockets won 120 to 110 .Mandatory Credit: Thomas B. Shea-USA TODAY Sports
If the Rockets were to fall to 3rd and get the San Antonio Spurs then it would be a little more difficult but I would expect to see the same approach with Terry on Tony Parker, Harden on Manu Ginobili and so on.
The Rockets shouldn’t look to switch anything up until they see Portland, Golden State, OKC or the Clippers in the Conference playoffs. These 4 teams have point guards that Jason Terry cannot start and match-up on well enough.
In these situations, a starting lineup of James Harden, Corey Brewer, Trevor Ariza, Donatas Motiejunas and Dwight Howard would more than likely be necessary.
Catch the Houston Rockets tonight as they take on the Toronto Raptors at the Air Canada Centre at 6:30pm/CT.
Rockets need to win to maintain their second-seed and the fourth place Raptors who’ve clinched their second consecutive Atlantic Division title and post season berth are looking to secure home court.
Next: Harden Embracing Leadership
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