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Houston Rockets to adjust to no Chris Paul against hot Spurs

By Michael Knight

SAN ANTONIO, TX - NOVEMBER 30: Chris Paul #3 of the Houston Rockets looks for around Bryn Forbes #11 of the San Antonio Spurs during an NBA game held November 30, 2018 at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Edward A. Ornelas/Getty Images)
SAN ANTONIO, TX - NOVEMBER 30: Chris Paul #3 of the Houston Rockets looks for around Bryn Forbes #11 of the San Antonio Spurs during an NBA game held November 30, 2018 at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Edward A. Ornelas/Getty Images) /
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The Houston Rockets will play their first game without Chris Paul since he injured his hamstring against the Heat a couple of nights ago. Will they be able to adjust to his absence and win against a hot Spurs team?

The Houston Rockets are heading into one of the toughest stretches of the season. They are playing nine games in a row against capable teams, with the easiest one being on the road against the Pelicans. They will be doing so without mostly without future Hall of Famer Chris Paul who will miss the next 2-4 weeks with a hamstring injury.

Tonight is the first game without CP3 post-injury. The Rockets will be facing off against the red-hot Spurs, winners of 7 of their last 8 games. They aren’t winning them by just a few points, either. During the stretch, 5 of those wins have been by 25 points (!!!) or more, including a 39-point win against the Orlando Magic this week.

The Rockets will need to be focused and ready to play if they want any chance of escaping tonight with a victory. They are 1-1 against the Spurs this year and it would be nice to take the advantage in the season series. They are going to have to adjust to no CP3 and the role players will have to step up and be tough.

Start?

It’s still unclear who will start in the absence of Chris Paul. Gerald Green started the second half of the game that he got hurt in, so maybe expect him to get the call tonight. As far as options for the future, I discussed a couple of options yesterday in an article that I will link down below at the end.

Overall, the role players will need to be ready to step up and play heavy minutes. The Rockets might look to sign a free agent to help them out during the tough games. There are two days of breaks and practices before the Christmas Day matchup against the Thunder. Will the team have a new addition by then?

Rotation options with Chris Paul out. Next

James Harden is going to take on a much heavier burden than he has even already on this stretch of wins for the Rockets. He might have to average 40 points a game for the team to stay afloat in the even tougher Western Conference. If they can go even during CP3’s absence, that might be considered a big win. Let’s make it happen!

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