Houston Rockets: Danuel House Jr. thriving after D’Antoni’s comments

After Houston Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni made some upfront comments about Danuel House Jr., the forward has stepped up significantly.

For most of the season, Danuel House Jr., the fourth-year player out of Texas A&M, served as the Houston Rockets’ starting small forward. In his second season with Houston, House averaged career-highs across the board with 10.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.1 steals, and 0.5 blocks per game, serving as a perfect fit in their small-ball transition.

As good of a season as House was having, head coach Mike D’Antoni elected to swap he and Eric Gordon in the starting lineup ahead of the NBA’s restart. House came off the bench in all three Houston scrimmages, and when asked why he made the decision, D’Antoni was not shy about his answer, saying, “He’s not as good as the other 5 guys.”

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It was undoubtedly a blunt statement given House’s stellar play this season, but regardless, he and Eric Gordon swapped roles. However, the change did not last long as Gordon suffered a sprained ankle in the team’s final scrimmage against the Boston Celtics, and will remain sidelined for the next few weeks.

In House’s first game back in the starting lineup, the forward looked fantastic, totaling 20 points on 7-for-13 field goal shooting. House did most of him damage from behind the arc, going 6-for-12 from distance in 43 minutes as his play helped Houston propel past the Dallas Mavericks in their 153-149 overtime win.

House followed up that performance with another stellar outing against the league-best Milwaukee Bucks. In 31 minutes, he finished with 16 points, shooting 5-for-10 from the field, once again shooting excellent from behind the arc, going 4-for-8 on the night as the Rockets earned the 120-116 victory.

In his third and most recent outing, House struggled more shooting the ball, but still finished with 17 points on 6-of-14 field goal shooting and 4-of-10 shooting from deep. Regardless, House and the Rockets lost their first game of the restart in a 110-102 thriller against the Portland Trail Blazers.

House’s fantastic offense takes most of the praise in his game, but his defensive presence has also served as a significant plus for Houston in this run. Listed at 6’6″, the forward is one of the Rockets’ taller rotational players and can guard multiple positions, something he has done well consistently. While the Eric Gordon injury is a devastating blow, seeing Danuel House step up after reclaiming his spot is precisely what this team needed as they fight for playoff position.

Overall, House has put together three fantastic showings in the restart, averaging 17.7 points per game on 48.9 percent shooting from the field and 46.7 percent 3-point shooting. Perhaps Mike D’Antoni’s words were just what the forward needed, as he has seemingly played with a chip on his shoulder these past few games, playing with a renowned sense of confidence on both ends.

The Houston Rockets appeared to be the biggest mystery heading into the NBA’s restart, but with two wins and a close loss against fantastic teams, they appear to be finding an identity fairly quickly. James Harden and Russell Westbrook are the unquestioned leaders of this team, and if their role players such as Danuel House can continue to keep pace, they could surprise some people as the playoffs approach.