Rockets have the perfect pieces to be Wembanyama's kryptonite

The Rockets excelled against Victor Wembanyama in their first matchup of the season, and it might not have been a fluke. Houston has the right attributes to match up well against Wemby, including a center who will attack him relentlessly and general size to wear him down. The Rockets could wind up as a bad matchup that the Spurs don't want to face in a playoff series, even if the Spurs are generally considered superior now.

Wemby could have a Rockets problem

It's not just Sengun who's a potential counter to Wembanyama, but the entire Rockets roster that is poised to give him trouble in a long playoff series. We've already seen what Amen Thompson can do to counter Wemby's strengths with his own elite athleticism and skills. Both of the Rockets' young stars are strong and fearless enough to finish through Wembanyama's contests, and also able to contain him on defense.

On top of those pieces, the Rockets also have the ultimate shotmaker in Kevin Durant. Durant has made a career out of hitting contested shots over outstretched defenders without being fazed. Of course, none of them have been as long as Wemby, but KD should be prepared to rise up over him if he wants to make a championship run with the Rockets.

Further down the depth chart, Steven Adams and Clint Capela can also be valuable bodies to throw at Wemby. Both have the size and experience to wear him down over a series, even if they only get on the court for a few minutes at a time. And they can use their positioning to punish Wemby on the boards as well.

The Rockets need to be prepared for any playoff matchup

This season should be a transformative year for the Rockets. They are no longer a plucky up-and-coming team playing with house money just by qualifying for the playoffs. No, it's high time for the Rockets to win a series and make some noise before Durant's time as a star finishes.

Thompson and Sengun seem prepared to take another step and push the Rockets into a higher tier of contention. The front office has also done a good job of adding solid veteran pieces over the offseason, which should help the Rockets have counters for potential playoff opponents.

The Spurs are considered one of the consensus top two teams in the West, along with the Thunder. If the Rockets have title hopes, they need to be prepared to beat either or both of those teams in the playoffs. Fortunately, the roster is set up very well to counter Wembanyama and potentially get an upset victory over the Spurs. The Knicks proved it could be done with the right skills; the Rockets can follow suit in their own way.

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