Dan Patrick: “Can the Rockets’ 'small ball' win a title?”
Reggie Miller: “Title? No. A series or two? Yes, depending on the matchups.” (Full Video Above)
Listen to TNT Sports commentator Reggie Miller discuss the Houston Rockets’ unprecedented new small ball approach that has the team refusing to play a legitimate power forward or center.
We’ve seen teams in the past like Golden State Warrior employ lineups that had players like Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala temporarily occupy the big men positions during certain spurts in the game, but NBA teams literally clearing their lane of all interior players for the entire 48 minutes is uncharted territory in the pros.
The Rockets are 1-1 since they traded elite rebounder Clint Capela, who was one of the better defenders in the league till the Rockets sent him to the Atlanta Hawks in attempt to better clear the lane out for their MVP guards James Harden and Russell Westbrook.
Miller doesn’t see the strategy working long-term, especially in the postseason, and doesn’t see the Rockets being able to reach the NBA Finals in a Western Conference that has All-Star big men the likes of Anthony Davis, Rudy Gobert, and Nikola Jokic.
Check out the video above as Miller explains why the Rockets, a team who hasn’t won the Western Conference since 1995, will ultimately come up the smallest on the biggest stage once again.