Rockets could get their perfect piece back in time for colossal matchup vs. Nuggets

As the Houston Rockets have soared to a 16-6 record and the third seed in the Western Conference, they have yet to truly prove themselves against the other teams that have risen to the upper echelon of the league, with losses coming against the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Denver Nuggets and the San Antonio Spurs.

This week, however, they will get their chance, with two matchups slated against the Nikola Jokic-led Nuggets, and, thankfully, it looks like they are also slated to get one of their most impactful pieces, Tari Eason, back just in time for these defining contests.

Eason has been out since November 14th when he suffered an oblique strain against the Portland Trail Blazers, and, now, the Rockets will finally get the jolt of energy off the bench that they have truly needed from him.

Tari Eason could make all the difference in a brutal week for the Rockets

The Rockets have done everything they're supposed to do so far to prove themselves as contenders. Over a quarter of the way into the season, they are fourth in the NBA in offensive rating, second in defensive rating and fifth in points per game.

Apart from certain aberrations, they have beaten virtually every team they are supposed to, both dominating matchups and eeking out nail-biting wins when it's been necessary.

Yet, in the absence of Eason, they have sorely missed the energy, and the perimeter shooting, that he provides off the bench. In the 11 games he played prior to his injury, Eason was averaging 11.5 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.6 assists while shooting a remarkable 50.9% from beyond the arc.

While players such as Reed Sheppard and Aaron Holiday have stepped up in his absence, neither possess the versatile skill-set that Eason does, allowing Houston to maintain their staunch defensive front during their bench minutes.

In their last matchup against Denver, which they lost 109-112, this showed. In spite of a 27-point performance from Sheppard, the Rockets ceded 33 points to the Nuggets' bench, a fact that made all the difference in a game in which they were able to limit two of their opponents' starters to single-digit scoring numbers.

For all intents and purposes, the two teams that Houston must prove themselves against during the regular season are the Thunder and the Nuggets. They are the two most dominant teams in the NBA, and the Rockets' championship hopes depend on their ability to defeat those teams in a seven-game series.

While the matchups this week obviously won't determine the outcomes of the playoffs, they represent a chance for Houston to truly flash their own dominance, and Eason's return will be absolutely vital toward that cause.