Houston Rockets vs. Brooklyn Nets game preview

SB Nation

The Houston Rockets are 0-2.

That’s not what most fans expected, but it’s not cause for concern yet. The Rocekts hung tough in Oklahoma City against the champs and then (everyone but Kevin Durant) had a poor

offensive night against the Pistons.

Things are looking up, though, because the Brooklyn Nets are coming to town on the second night of a back-to-back. The Nets are 0-3, but they’ve made big comebacks against the Cavs (cut a 25-point deficit to 1 with four minutes left) and Spurs (cut a 26-point deficit to 1 with under three minutes left). Neither ended in a win, but they speak to Jordi Fernandez’s coaching tactics and the ability of Cam Thomas and others on the roster to get buckets. Obviously, Rockets fans remember that the Nets swept Houston last year.

This was always going to be a difficult early stretch for Houston once the Fred VanVleet injury happened. Houston has to figure out how to run their offense differently on the fly, and the early returns haven’t been great. Still, the Rockets have to keep working on it because realistic options are few and far between. The easiest and most convenient solution are the same: the Rockets figure it out and Reed Sheppard makes enough of a jump to remain on the court. And the best way to make that a reality is to give the team reps until success or failure is obvious.

So tonight is another test against an inferior opponent. Houston doesn’t own Brooklyn pick this year so there’s no added incentive to win. But sometimes winning is enough.