The Rockets will soon clash with the Spurs again for the third time this season. Which Rockets players will need to step up? A spot in the play-in tournament may be up for grabs between these teams. The two games played so far have resulted in a one–all split. The third game will take place on November 6th. The fourth won’t take place until February next year. By then, the standings could already look very different.
Who Needs To Step Up for Rockets in Spurs Rivalry
The density of early clashes between the two teams has been a much-remarked-upon scheduling anomaly. Spurs starter Jeremy Sochan was even asked about it. His F-bomb answer was tongue-in-cheek, but he didn’t play like it was in the subsequent game.
While the schedule was probably a coincidence, a budding rivalry between these two teams is good for business as far as the NBA is concerned. And there’s plenty of potential for it. These early clashes will probably have significant play-in race implications down the stretch. Not only that, but both teams feature young cores likely to compete with one another for years to come. Two Texas franchises with plenty of prior history is a nice wrinkle, too.
The Rockets-Spurs Rivalry in the Middle
One discouraging early sign for Rockets fans has been the matchup at center. The Rockets’ 185-million-dollar big man, Alperen Sengun, did not start the season well. He says he’s healthy and may already be turning things around with a good game against the New York Knicks. Slow starts do happen, and Sengun will continue to improve as the season goes along. On the other hand, if head coach Ime Udoka got his way, the team might move on to a different kind of archetype at the center position.
The Spurs have a center who is creating his own archetype. Victor Wembanyama is something along the lines of a 7-foot-4 small forward, something along the lines of the bad guy from Alien. One of the most exciting prospects of these early Texas clashes was the international clash of the Turk and the Frenchman. But so far, Houston fans haven’t had much to get excited about in that department.
Imagining a Sengun-Wembanyama rivalry may always have been wishful thinking for Houston fans to some extent. But Sengun did score a career-high 45 points against the Spurs in March. The Spurs’ single coverage scheme might have been an ego-check devised by long-time Spurs mastermind Gregg Popovich on his latest superstar big man. Wembanyama may have been a year-one DPOY candidate, but it takes a team to play defense. Incidentally, the entire NBA community is united in wishing Pop a speedy return from his current absence.
Sengun’s Struggles and the Rockets’ Solutions
This season, the Spurs have collapsed more on Sengun. It’s still Wembanyama pinning the shots to the glass, but there’s been less time for Sengun to muscle the lither player around under the basket for fear of the inevitable doubles. But even accounting for that, Sengun just didn’t play well. Udoka’s initial response to Sengun’s struggles was to bench him late in games and question his fitness in press conferences.
Ime Udoka on Alperen Sengun's struggles:
"Gotta find a rhythm for sure. Whether it's getting himself into shape to play early season that might be part of it." pic.twitter.com/w010KyT9gv
— Jackson Gatlin (@JTGatlin) November 3, 2024
Presumably, it was a personality management technique, betting that Sengun would be motivated by it. Of course, it’s hard to imagine veteran leader Fred VanVleet throwing a sulk if his own poor start received the same treatment. But VanVleet once again leads the team in minutes. It may be less about accountability and simply that Udoka is more comfortable incorporating the point guard into his preferred offensive and defensive schemes.
But Sengun and VanVleet both played well in the Rockets’ win over the New York Knicks. Sengun had an efficient 25 points and 14 rebounds. VanVleet didn’t exactly rediscover his three-ball but had a tidy 19 points and five assists. If they can carry the momentum over to their matchup with the Spurs, then the Rockets should have the advantage. Other Rockets players have already played well in the two previous games, especially the Rockets’ other fourth-year star, Jalen Green. Their star big man and veteran point guard need to play their roles to their capabilities, particularly since the Spurs’ versions have been doing so nicely.
I See Your Veteran Leader, and I Raise You…
Playing the veteran leader and point guard role for the Spurs this season is former MVP-contending superstar Chris Paul. Paul’s started off the season playing the role a little more effectively. It’s not really a fair comparison to VanVleet. Paul may be nine years older, but he’s also an all-time great. His playstyle has always been more suited to elevating others, too.
Also, that age difference could even help Paul in a smaller on-court role. VanVleet is still in his prime. Paul knows he’s coming to the end of his NBA career and has already tried ring-hunting with a veteran team in his last stop with the Golden State Warriors. This season, just like the Rockets, Paul will have his sights set firmly on the play-in.
Through their first seven games, the Rockets have a 4-3 record. The Spurs have a 3-4 record. At the time of writing, the Rockets would actually skip the play-in entirely with the fourth seed in the West. Of course, the 2023 champion Denver Nuggets, with the reigning MVP are sitting at the same record, and they’re in the play-in. That showcases quite nicely the obvious reality that it’s too early to read into standings.
The Last Word
Still, the race between the Rockets and the Spurs could easily remain tight all season long. Whoever wins Wednesday night will have bragging rights until February. The play-in is the prize this year. But fans can expect these two young cores to go on clashing for many years to come. One day, maybe for something a little bigger.
