NBA Playoffs: Must-read storylines between the Rockets vs Lakers

Key Question No 3: Which team’s role players will make a bigger difference?

There is no doubt that the focus of this series will be on the superstars but both the Rockets and Lakers role players should not be overlooked because they will play a major factor in how this series turns out.

For Houston, Robert Covington and Eric Gordon are key. Covington’s hot shooting from beyond the arc is one of the reasons the Rockets are here in the first place. Covington is shooting 50.0 percent from deep in the playoffs and has hit 16 3-pointers in the last three games. Not only do the Rockets rely on Covington to knock down shots from deep, but they also rely on him heavily on the defensive end, especially to create turnovers.

Gordon, who has been one of the league’s best sharpshooters in recent years, has struggled from deep, shooting 25 percent from 3-point range in the playoffs. But Gordon, who is generally the team’s third scoring option behind Harden and Westbrook, has been able to get his fair share points throughout the playoffs because of his ability to get to the rim and his excellent finishing skills. If Gordon’s 3-point shot is not falling against the Lakers then the Rockets need him to go into attack mode because they heavily rely on Gordon’s scoring.

On the flip side, the Lakers need role players like Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Dwight Howard, and Alex Caruso to continue to produce. Caldwell-Pope was solid offensively against the Blazers, averaging 11.2 points and shooting 40.6 percent from deep.

Howard also was stellar in the Lakers’ first-round series, averaging 8.4 points and 6.8 rebounds off the bench. Los Angeles needs Howard to use Houston’s lack of size to his advantage on both sides of the ball in order to get easy points in the paint, create second-chance opportunities on the boards, and protect the rim defensively.

Caruso will be key for the Lakers to defend the Rockets’ small-ball offense. While Caruso does not appear to be an athletic specimen, he brings energy and effort whenever he is on the court. As a result, he has posted an extremely impressive 90.9 defensive rating in the playoffs. The Lakers will need Caruso’s effort to help defend against a Rockets offense that uses every inch of the court.

While Harden, Westbrook, James, and Davis will get all the headlines, the team who gets more from their role players will ultimately come out on top.