The Houston Rockets aren’t represented on this vaunted US Olympics squad. But there is one Rocket playing a starring role for his country. That player went through periods of last season riding the pine, only emerging as a regular rotational feature after the team had suffered significant injuries. Then the team traded for another player at the same position. Will Houston’s best basketball Olympian crack the rotation next year?
Will Rockets’ Best Olympics Player Get Minutes Next Year?
The Best Rockets Player At The Olympics Is…
Counter-intuitively, Canada’s Dillon Brooks is still locked in as Houston’s starting small forward next season, at least to begin with. He’s playing well for a potent squad led by the guard play of MVP runner-up Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and NBA champion Jamal Murray. But there’s another Houston Rocket at the Olympics who’s playing even better.
Jock Landale has established himself as a key part of the Australian national team’s starting five. In their opening win against Spain, he scored 20 points on a team-leading 14 shots. He also led the team in rebounds (nine) and, perhaps most impressively, was second on the team in assists with five. He’s doing it all for Australia, a squad affectionately known as the Boomers.
Actually, he was doing it all for Houston late last season as well. After near-all-star Alperen Sengun went down with a season-ending injury, Landale’s spot in the rotation became more secure. He still didn’t start. The tip-off spot went to Jabari Smith Jr. But Landale emerged as a sort of pseudo-Sengun off the bench. He was obviously missing the same scoring punch, but similar passing, screening, and intelligent decision-making abilities were all on full display.
The Great Australia-New Zealand Rivalry
But even before this development, the Houston front office had begun putting plans into motion regarding next season’s center rotation. They traded for the Big Kiwi, Steven Adams, at the deadline. Adams was still rehabbing his own season-long injury. But the expectation was that he would be Sengun’s more defensively inclined backup going forward. The calculus of how those expectations will pan out contains a few different variables.
One is the completeness of Adams’ own recovery. Adams just turned 31, and he suffered an injury that had to be treated with surgery in his knee. That sounds like nasty stuff for a big man to come back from. Of course, with the constantly improving art of sports medicine, players are coming back from previously career-ending injuries better than ever. While Adams has always been known for his resilience, agility has never been his standout feature. He’s made a career off of being a bruising screen setter and rebounder. Even a diminished version of Adams could likely still carve out a role. A more important variable may be whether Houston simply needs Landale’s skill set more.
The Rockets’ best player at the Olympics isn’t a stretch big by any means. However, he is a relatively willing midrange shooter when left wide open. That’s more than you can say for Adams. Additionally, while Adams is an excellent outlet passer, Landale is a more confident decision-maker in the half-court. In essence, Landale plays more like Sengun, just without the relentless backdowns and deft, contested finishes around the basket. That kind of continuity has value.
Who Needs Big Men?
It’s also possible that minutes will simply be too tight for either of these players. Neither Adams nor Landale will get anything more than gimmick minutes alongside Houston’s most important player. Sengun played 32 minutes a game last season. That might not significantly increase, but it still only leaves 16 minutes for a reserve. Meanwhile, Jabari Smith Jr excelled late last season in a role as a small-ball five. The roster also still features NBA champion backup five Jeff Green. With the Rockets’ abundance of large wings and limited shooting, prioritizing a stretch five makes a lot of sense. Amen Thompson, especially, would benefit from the extra space, given the substantial limitations of his own outside game.
Some matchups will require a physical interior presence to avoid getting overwhelmed on the glass. Outside of the Olympics and back with the Rockets, it’s possible that Landale will find himself being the jack of all trades, master of none, whose main trade winds up being the bench. Adams could be the match-up choice against the teams with their own monster fives. Furthermore, the Rockets might benefit from faster small-ball looks against sleeker opponents.
The Last Word
One thing that’s for sure is that head coach Ime Udoka will test out all of his options. If Landale can demonstrate the value of the continuity he brings by mimicking the play of Sengun as a passing and screening hub with some midrange capabilities, then he may find a role for himself after all. In the meantime, Houston fans can keep tabs on themselves. The Boomers are one of the more imposing teams at the Paris Olympics, and the Houston Rockets’ play is a vital part of why.
