What to watch for from every NBA team in the second half

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JANUARY 23: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers in action against Kyrie Irving #11 during the game against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center on January 23, 2020 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Matteo Marchi/Getty Images) /

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Houston Rockets: The small-ball experiment continued

The Houston Rockets might be all-in on small-ball, but the early returns on this unique experiment haven’t been incredibly encouraging.

Since swapping out Clint Capela for Robert Covington at the deadline, Houston has wins over the Lakers and Celtics but also a blowout loss to Phoenix and a buzzer-beating defeat at the hands of the Jazz.

Across those four games, the Rockets rank just 20th in offensive efficiency and 18th at the defensive end, both down from placements of fourth and 15th on the year, respectively.

Even with the 6’5” P.J. Tucker controlling the middle, they’re holding their own on the glass with the 10th-fewest offensive rebounds per game allowed. Already on an incredible surge since the new year, Russell Westbrook averaged 38.7 points on 57.1 percent shooting with the court space like never before — he did miss the blowout loss to Phoenix.

A trial like this one is not something that can be ironed out overnight. Houston would probably be better off finding a center to provide 15-20 minutes of traditional paint bruising in matchup-specific games.

It was another in a long list of calculated risks pulled off by Daryl Morey to swing for the championship fences. Where it lands on the spectrum of success will be a must-watch to end the season and into the playoffs.