To say that championship windows in the NBA are brief would be a dramatic understatement. Just take the Houston Rockets, for instance. They went from having a commanding 3-2 series lead on the defending champion Warriors in the Western Conference Finals last spring to nearing the brink of collapse just six months later.
In fairness, it’s been a rocky start to the season on multiple fronts. First, there was the dust-up with the Lakers that resulted in costly suspensions, followed by the Carmelo Anthony debacle that resulted in his swift departure from the organization and his arguably undeserved designation as the fall guy for everything that’s been ailing them.
Yet it’s been very little addition by subtraction as the Rockets’ struggles persist despite his absence. The reason is ultimately two-fold: a glaring lack of depth and Chris Paul suddenly looking like he’s on the downside of his career. The result has been an 11-13 start through the quarter mark of the season and a dim, almost imperceptible light at the end of a very long tunnel.
Things are no longer fun in Houston, a point Eric Gordon made crystal clear in his recent comments regarding his team’s various issues. Via Kelly Iko of The Athletic:
“I’m just not having fun man,” Gordon said. “I’m just not. This sucks. Even the times where I have good games. We’re just not using some guys the right way. Are we gonna make the right sacrifices? Do we have the right attitude?
“Last year was the best year I’ve ever had being a part of a team,” he added. “We just never had a bad moment. If we ever had a bad game as a team, you knew the next game we would blow somebody out. It didn’t matter who it was.”
Gordon’s comments definitely seem critical of the Rockets’ coaching staff, which will only serve to further sour the dynamic in Houston. It’s unclear whether Gordon is referring to himself, but his numbers and efficiency have certainly declined this season as he’s shooting just 36 percent from the field overall, including 31.1 percent from three, where he has been historically hot.
He scored just eight points and was 1-of-4 from downtown in their latest loss to Utah on Thursday night. Now, it appears the Rockets can add “disgruntled players” to their ever-growing list of issues that are threatening to torpedo what was supposed to be a continuation of last season’s success.
