[The Athletic] Wood’s return, Wall-Oladipo dynamic headline Rockets second-half storylines to watch:

The rest of the NBA may be using the All-Star break to rest and unwind, but Rockets head coach Stephen Silas won’t have that. He’s on a mission to stop Houston’s bleeding. His team is in the midst of a slide of epic proportions, tumbling down the standings following the injury to center Christian Wood. The Rockets have looked lacking on both ends of the floor for about a month now.

“It will be very much in the front of my mind,” Silas said. “I don’t stop trying to figure it out, don’t stop thinking of ways I can be better and help, different coverages, offensive sets that we can run. This All-Star break, I’m not putting this losing streak at the back — it’s in the front. That’s just me and who I am. I’m a problem solver at heart, and we got a problem. We got some days to figure it out. I’m gonna spend some time and really dive into a bunch of film and study.”

Still, there are reasons for optimism. Wood is returning along with second-year player Kevin Porter Jr., who was recalled from the G League. Eric Gordon and Danuel House will have more time to recover from their own injuries.

“The way we been losing, we do need a break,” Wall said. “To clear our minds, find ourselves and get guys healthy. Try to get a full team.”

This team can go in a few different directions once the season resumes, but here are four important storylines to follow.

How will Christian Wood — and the Rockets — look with him back in the starting lineup?
On All-Star Sunday, Wood posted a video on his Instagram of what appeared to be him working out in a high school gym. Wood only showed 15 seconds worth of catch-and-shoot drills; his shoe choice, high-top Kobe IXs, stood out more to me than the work itself.

But after missing Houston’s last 13 games — all losses with a right ankle injury — even those 15 seconds are enough to generate some kind of intrigue. The entire league knows just how far this team has plummeted in his absence. The Rockets has gone from hovering around the playoff spots to a woeful 11-23 record, a full six games out of the 10th seed. Their depth has been exposed, a lack of rim protection has forced them to play small, the defense has had one lapse too many and their offense has completely fallen off a cliff.

Even still, as discussed in last week’s mailbag, the Rockets are taking extra precaution with last offseason’s major free-agent acquisition. When Wood spoke prior to the break, he wanted to play and felt he could help his team during their skid. But head coach Stephen Silas knew better than to rush him back to the floor. He had been around Stephen Curry earlier in his careers and was all too familiar with the former MVP’s ankle problems, constantly re-injuring the same foot to the point where he needed surgery. The Rockets don’t want to repeat that process. Wood potentially switching to high tops makes it clear that he’s trying to protect the right ankle as much as possible.

When Wood was healthy playing at a near-All-Star level (22.0 points, 10.2 rebounds, 1.5 blocks per game), the Rockets were a diverse, competent offense. Although he hasn’t enjoyed the same level of chemistry with John Wall as he did with James Harden, the two were able to work off each other to keep defenses honest. Houston had veered a tad too far into isolation basketball during their losing streak, ranking fourth in shot volume but only in the 41st percentile (.90 points per possession) in scoring:



Wood’s ability to force a stop on one end and drive the length of the floor and create offense on the other is an underrated skill that exemplifies the sort of randomness that Silas looks for on a nightly basis. Aside from that, Wood just made halfcourt possessions easier. Having a player that can do so many different things offensively lessens the burden for others around him and raises the collective ceiling of a unit. During the past two weeks, teams were able to throw zones and traps at Houston, knowing full well their outside attack wasn’t prolific enough to punish gambles and their offense would essentially come to a standstill.

But for those thinking Wood can instantly right the ship, pump the brakes a bit. Houston won’t just throw him in the deep end. Only Wood knows how his body feels and will feel once he gets back to regular action. Will he go right back to the uber-aggressive threat he was prior to the injury? Or will he try to ease his way back into playing shape and efficiency? Whatever his method is, the Rockets coaching staff will be watching their center closely.

Wood is returning. But how will he look once he does?

The Kevin Porter Jr. factor
I’d imagine some Tankathon devotees will disagree, but you could argue Rocket fans have been more excited about the prospect of Porter Jr. joining with the team than anything else this season.

There’s no mistake that the USC product’s debut has been highly anticipated — even more so after an impressive showing with the Vipers in the G-League bubble, after Porter Jr. averaged 24.1 points, 7.2 assists, 6.5 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks in 15 games with Houston’s affiliate. Silas envisions Porter playing as a point guard soaking up minutes behind Wall and handling the bulk of playmaking responsibilities with the second unit. With the Vipers, Porter enjoyed the lion’s share of the ball but needed to show an ability to create for himself and others on a routine basis. He did.

Porter’s 4.7 turnovers are high and should be one of the first parts of his game that Silas and the staff work to rectify. As the lead guard, he demonstrated impressive vision and a willingness to push the pace in transition and attack early in halfcourt situations — exactly what Silas wants. At times, however, he was loose with his handle and tried to do too much. With more talented players around him (especially Eric Gordon), Porter won’t have to force the issue and should be able to express himself without being a detriment to the team’s efficiency. He’s a talented, exciting young player who needs nurturing, support and freedom. He’ll be able to watch and learn from Wall, soaking up all the veteran knowledge while having someone to bounce ideas off in film sessions and practice.

As a team, the Rockets will benefit from having someone like Porter handle the ball when Wall is on the bench. There’s been almost a playmaking-by-committee approach in non-Wall minutes, and that has been less than ideal. There’s a ton of hype around his return, but Porter should be able to incorporate himself in the rotation and give Houston an additional creator. Who’s saying no to that?

 

More time for John Wall and Victor Oladipo to mesh
As impressive as their last game before the break was — a combined 69 points from Wall and Oladipo — there’s still work to be done for Houston’s backcourt in terms of time and reps together. Still, it was great to see those performances against a contender.

“Both guys got to the free-throw line which is great,” Silas said following Houston’s 132-114 loss to Brooklyn last week. “Both guys were very much on the attack, which is needed. It’s encouraging and lets us know that when we get back and healthy and whole; we are in a position where we have enough guys to compete. We’re gonna be just fine. It gives me some satisfaction to know they’re rounding into shape and getting their rhythm. We’re gonna be good, I believe that.”

Silas believes in this pairing. He had a huge hand in bringing Oladipo in for his two-way ability and absolutely loves Wall’s understanding of offense and game control. Defensively, it’s a no-brainer what that combo can be once they get rolling. Their advanced skill sets were on display at times against the Nets, with Wall’s relentlessness and Oladipo’s wingspan able to cause some problems.

Offensively, it’s still a work in progress — at least together. Wall and Oladipo have shared the floor for 247 minutes, with an offensive rating of just 100.2 per NBA.com tracking data. That’s hardly enough to get by most teams, but they’re still jelling. Much like the rest of this team, this is a backcourt that has been put together on the fly.

With players coming back after the break, Wall and Oladipo will benefit from regular rotations and more time on the court together. In the past, Mike D’Antoni staggered his backcourts primarily because of their playmaking abilities. Oladipo and Wall are on different tiers in this aspect, meaning Silas shouldn’t be afraid to play them for longer stretches together, especially if Porter Jr. can handle backup point guard duties effectively.

“I think just playing together more often and more minutes,” Wall said. “Rightfully so; we don’t want to play 40 minutes, but the last couple of games we’ve played almost 38 to 40 minutes together. That’s more repetition and time together. When one of us gets a break, we get an opportunity to be more aggressive for ourselves. I think that’s helping us feed off each other and help each other be better.”

On paper, it’s simple. Oladipo has been a good catch-and-shoot option over his career, and Wall is an excellent driver. Assuming Oladipo reduces his midrange pull-ups and trades them in for standstill jumpers or even drives himself, Houston’s offensive efficiency should escape the dregs of the league.

A play-in push?
Yes, I know what you’re thinking.

Why should the Rockets, a team that has a realistic chance at a top-four pick next year, try to make the postseason? The incoming draft class is extremely talented at the top, and Tankathon is so fun!

Houston is the current owner of the league’s longest losing streak — four games longer than the NBA’s worst team, the Minnesota Timberwolves. The 10th-place Memphis Grizzlies are 16-16. Between them and the Rockets are the Pelicans, the Thunder and the Kings. Can Houston make up a six-game gap over the second half of the season? It would be premature to say no. This season has already been crazy enough as is, why don’t we add a little more chaos?

Internally, the Rockets believe in their ability to compete league once everyone is healthy. Health is a tricky crutch to lean on, of course, especially considering teams are never truly injury-free, and the coronavirus pandemic has disrupted a good amount of day-to-day flow. Still, the Rockets have a pretty nice crop if the injury reports are clean.

Because of the sheer possibility of “if”, it would be wise to give this group more games before you cast them into the lottery abyss. Wall, Wood and Oladipo have played just three games together, a total of 53 minutes. That’s way too small of a sample size to make definitive judgments.

Now, if I were a betting man, would I stake money on that? No, probably not. But you have to at least consider the possibility. What if the Rockets come out of the break recharged, refreshed and reel off five wins out of their next seven games? Things could get interesting.