All NBA fans fear the dreaded back-to-back. We've seen the Houston Rockets struggle in the second game of a series before.
It can be frustrating. You're playing a lottery team. You expect to win. If it's the second night of a back-to-back, there's no guarantee of success. It doesn't matter if you're playing the G-League Ignite if you're exhausted from a contest with the Celtics from the night before.
That's unfortunate for the Rockets. Sure, every team in the league will deal with back-to-backs in 2024-25. The Rockets will have the most of those contests in the NBA this year.
Rockets Suffer Scheduling Slight
Jokes aside, this isn't a big deal.
The Rockets have 16 back-to-backs this year. That's tied for the most with 5 other teams. If you expand to include teams with 15 back-to-backs, we're looking at 18 teams - over half the league.
Will that extra game - if you pardon the pun - break the Rockets' back? If it does, this team wasn't built to compete anyway.
Every team has to play the schedule they're given. Discrepancies in those schedules can be overstated. Every team is going to play every team. When this season is over, and we're looking at where teams finished relative to their expectations, we won't be talking about their strength of schedule.
This is a significant season for the Rockets. This team has a clear objective to make a postseason appearance.
Luckily, they'll get a solid test early in the season.
Rockets fans can't miss this early season contest
According to CBS Sports, one of the most important Rockets games to catch this year comes early. On October 25th, they'll spar with the Memphis Grizzlies.
It's easy to follow their logic. These teams occupy similar tiers. The Grizzlies struggled mightily in 2023-24, but they spent most of their season without their north star in Ja Morant.
On paper, many will argue that Memphis should have the advantage in this matchup. Few would dispute that a healthy Morant is the best player between these teams, and folks will debate between Alperen Sengun and Jaren Jackson Jr. If Memphis has the best and arguably second-best player, how can the Rockets beat them?
Well, Memphis has needed more continuity over the years. Injuries and suspensions have kept their core apart. It'll also be worth keeping an eye on Zach Edey. Will the rookie be ready to replace a veteran like Steven Adams?
That's the subplot here. It'll be Adams' first matchup with his former squad. There's no shortage of drama in this contest.
Perhaps Rockets fans are lucky that it's scheduled so early in the year.