Welcome to Layup Lines, our basketball newsletter where we’ll prep you for the tip-off of tonight’s action, from what to watch to bets to make. Subscribe here to get it delivered to your inbox.
Rockets guard Kevin Porter Jr. ended Houston’s loss against the Minnesota Timberwolves by violating one of the NBA’s unwritten rules.
The Rockets were down by ten points as the clock was set to expire when Porter curiously decided to streak down the floor and throw down a flashy, totally meaningless dunk. Even the announcers were confused about what that was all about.
Earlier in the game, Porter scored on Minnesota’s Austin Rivers — who played for the Rockets from 2018 until 2020. After the basket, Porter made the bold and ill-advised decision to point directly at Rivers. It was also not the first time Porter made a disrespectful decision during a game recently.
During a post-game interview, Rivers spoke about what he saw from Porter and his teammate Jalen Green (via Chron.com)
“Someone needs to teach KPJ and Jalen how to play the right way, you know what I mean? They need those vets … I like those guys, they’re super talented, they can really score. … They need someone to help them take that next step.”
Aside from Eric Gordon, the Rockets have an extremely young roster.
Gordon could provide some of that veteran leadership Rivers is referencing, but he clearly seems frustrated with the ongoing situation in Houston as well.
According to Rivers, Houston’s offensive identity needs to revolve less around isolation and one-on-one attacks and more of a team-friendly game.
“Those veterans mean everything when you’re young … They teach you how to run the game, how to control things as guards. Not everything has to be [isolation]. It’s sometimes about making that quick read, making the quick decision, keeping things moving.”
When including passes, per Synergy, Green and Porter both rank among the top 25 in total offensive possessions finished in isolation.
As a team, however, the Rockets actually only rank No. 13 in the NBA for isolation frequency. Still, however, Rivers does have a point. Houston has the fewest assists per game in the NBA.
Rivers added that he does not blame Porter and Green or Houston head coach Stephen Silas for this lack of discipline. He said it must come directly from teammates:
“The talent is there. They can really score. It’s just a matter of them doing what they need to do … I know if I was here I’d be in their ear, I’d be bugging them. They may hate it, I may get in their nerves, but it’ll be for their own good … It’s not on them, it’s not on Kevin to get on Kevin … And you can’t look at a coach, either. You need your peers. It needs to be someone on the team guiding them through this, and hopefully, they’ll be better for it.”
While it is unclear if he will actually leave the Philadelphia 76ers this offseason, there are rumblings that former Houston star James Harden would welcome a return to the Rockets.
Could it be Harden who eventually provides Houston’s young roster with that veteran leadership voice?
The Tip-Off
NBA content from around the USA TODAY Sports network.
My colleague Cole Huff organized a roundtable for who would be the league’s award winners if the season ended today, and I really liked what my colleague Mike Sykes said about the NBA’s Coach of the Year:
“If you’d told me the Pelicans would be a playoff team coming into the season, I would’ve believed you. They’ve got a solid roster with a good core of young players led by two All-Star caliber forwards in Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson. They should be good. But vying for the number one spot in the West? The same West with the Nuggets, Grizzlies, Clippers, Warriors and all of the other teams we were picking to go to the Finals? Nah, that’s some magic right there. Not to mention that they’ve done it while only getting 10 games played together from Williamson, Ingram and CJ McCollum. Willie Green has those dudes playing some fantastic basketball.”
Click here to read the full list of predictions.
One To Watch
(All odds via Tipico.)
Knicks (-110, -1.5) vs. Bucks (-110), O/U 221.5, 7:30 PM ET
Let’s be honest. You’re probably going to watch the College Football Playoff National Championship game tonight. But if you’re looking for some hoops, too, the Knicks have now won games four in a row and are hosting Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks at Madison Square Garden.
Shootaround
— Kevin Durant, Nets received the best possible news about his injury prognosis following a scary collision
— LeBron James showed love to Shannon Sharpe after the Lakers game and everyone had jokes about Skip Bayless
— Andre Drummond felt blindsided by the trade, and misses playing for Sixers
— HoopsHype’s trade rumor rankings: Bradley Beal, Christian Wood, and more
