Do rebounds matter? The small-ball Houston Rockets are going to find out

Can it work when it matters?

In a make-or-miss league, nothing matters in the NBA unless it works. The modern era of pace and space would have meant nothing if teams like the Golden State Warriors didn’t adopt and dominate with it.

Similarly, this extreme small-ball style needs to run a gauntlet in order to be seen as anything more than a clever gimmick. LeBron James and the hulking Los Angeles Lakers lie in wait. Kawhi Leonard and the LA Clippers lurk beside them.

After so many near misses for James Harden, Mike D’Antoni and Darryl Morey, this season may end up being the defining moment for them and they reinvented the wheel in order to take advantage of the moment.

Unlike some teams who can make schematic changes and modify the way they deploy their personnel based on matchups (like the Milwaukee Bucks altering their strategy from drop coverage to a switching scheme), the Rockets have no plan B. If they’re getting outrebounded by a 2-1 factor (like they almost were by the New York Knicks earlier this week by a 65-34 margin) in the playoffs, there’s no “break glass in case of emergency” option.

However, they defend tenaciously. Their length makes up for size and they are so efficient on offense that the actual value of rebounding in general can be called into question. After all, if you defend like madmen and you are one of the best shooting teams in the NBA, how much does it matter if you grab the few rebounds that present themselves?

Luckily for us, the wildly inventive Houston Rockets are going to find out just that this spring.