Among the countless factors that contributed to Houston Rocket’s decline this month has been the absence of veteran pointskeeper Fred Vanvleet, who missed his ninth game in a row on Saturday when Rockets fell to Utah Jazz in the second game in a back-to-back.
Including a home loss to Brooklyn Nets on February 1 – during which Vanvleet logged just 16 minutes before leaving with a right ankle injury – the rockets have lost seven out of 10 matches.
On Tuesday, they will try the ship when they host Milwaukee Bucks to open a three-game home tooth.
Vanvleet practiced Monday and remains a decision on the game against Milwaukee.
Rockets has distributed the crime orchestration tasks among several candidates for mixed results, with Jalen Green, Amen Thompson and the Alperen Sengun responsible for getting the rockets in their sets or ensuring that optimal shooting attempts are created in Halfcourt.
Green and Thompson have worked with ball safety with Vanvleet on the side. And in their 121-115 home victory over Minnesota Timberwolves last Friday, Sengun committed a career high eight sales that tried to score or pass when he meets a second defender.
Sengun and Vanvleet have created a strong working relationship over the past two seasons. If any player misses Vanvleet most, it’s Sengun.
“I think that when other guys have grown into that role, they have to find out what games we like to get the Alperen in (and) what shots we want to get him,” Rocket coach Ime Udoka said. “But peace makes it quite natural.
“They have a good thing in their two -man game or in general, peace gets us to sets that benefit Alpi. I would say that peace is crucial for our entire ecosystem of what we do because of his IQ and head he plays with.
Bucks renewed his rotation at the trade deadline and the results have so far been very positive. Milwaukee noted her fourth victory in a row on Monday with a decision of 120-113 over Miami Heat-that gathered from a two-digit deficit in the first quarter during the process.
The addition of Kyle Kuzma, Kevin Porter Jr. And Jericho Sims has provided Bucks with the necessary depth and versatility, especially considering the 25-game absence of suspended forward Bobby Portis Jr. Damian Lillard, the new additions offers plenty of cover when their stars sit.
The Porter-Kuzma tandem is one to watch as Milwaukee strives for a favorable playoffs in the eastern conference.
“That’s where scoot (porter) comes in,” said Bucks Coach Doc Rivers. “That’s why we do it. We believe Scoot and Kuz, only their athletics, their length (is advantageous). It just gives us a lot of speed and we try to make sure we have a roll – and it’s Jericho – and two Shooters around these guys, and I think it fits well. ”
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