Why the Rockets will be okay without Eric Gordon

With the Houston Rockets’ latest injury to sharpshooter Eric Gordon, the Rockets will be relying on multiple players to step up in his absence.

In the third and final scrimmage game against the Boston Celtics, Houston Rockets guard Eric Gordon suffered an ankle injury that is expected to sideline him for up to two weeks.

With the loss of Eric Gordon in the starting lineup, the Rockets will likely look to Danuel House Jr. to take on that role. This shift in starting small forward will not hold to much pressure on House since he logged more minutes off the bench than Gordon did in the starting position.

The switch to House gives the Rockets a better chance at the three-point line, with House going 7-for-22, over Gordon’s 3-for-20 during the three scrimmage games. House also gave the team a rebounding advantage over Gordon by eleven boards in the scrimmages. The increase in rebounds could prove to be pivotal to the Rockets starting rotation due to the small ball lineup.

Why the Rockets will be okay without Eric Gordon

Since House gets the bump in minutes, Houston will need another player to come off the bench and grab some quality playing time. Fellow Rockets forward Jeff Green should receive more significant minutes with his combination of defense and scoring ability.

The Gordon injury also highlights the importance of the Luc Mbah a Moute signing right before the team traveled to Orlando. The forward has key playoff experience from the team’s 2017-18 campaign and can fill the void of the veteran presence that Gordon brought to the team.

Mike D’Antoni should look to DeMarre Carroll as well to pick up available minutes, as Carroll can provide the same experience as Mbah a Moute and rebounded the ball well in the preseason.

Overall, the loss of starter Eric Gordon is a blow, but not a team-altering injury. The opportunity for players such as House, Green, Carroll and potentially Mbah a Moute will be the team’s biggest test without Gordon and a chance for a Houston Rockets championship.