Will Rockets Continue Small-Ball Trend as Trade Deadline Approaches?

The Rockets eschewed a center in Monday's upset win vs. Utah, starting 6'5" P.J. Tucker at the five.

Mike D'Antoni has been a bit of a radical in his 16 seasons as an NBA head coach. The third-winningest coach in Rockets' history pioneered the Suns' dynamic seven-seconds-or-less attack in the 2000s, and he's currently overseeing the most prolific three-point offense in NBA history. D'Antoni made another radical move on Monday.

The Rockets were without starting center Clint Capela in Utah on Monday evening, seemingly at a disadvantage against Jazz behemoth Rudy Gobert. The 7'1" Frechman isn't just a large body in the paint; he's perhaps the league's most impactful center. Gobert leads the league in block percentage (min. 500 minutes). He's No. 2 in rebounds and No. 1 in screen assists. Backup centers Isaiah Hartenstein and Tyson Chandler were likely to have their hands full in the matchup, but D'Antoni had other ideas.

Danuel House was the Rockets' tallest player in their starting lineup against the Jazz, and the 6'6" forward didn't even attempt to win the opening tip. House was joined by P.J. Tucker on the front line, and D'Antoni paired the forwards with guards Eric Gordon, Austin Rivers and Ben McLemore. The lineup card originally appeared to be a misprint. How could Houston's contain perhaps the West's best center with such a small starting five? D'Antoni's decision to downsize was perhaps his best maneuver of the season. 

The rag-tag Rockets didn't just hold their own against Gobert and the Jazz on Monday. They ran circles around the mammoth center in a 126-117 victory. Hartenstein logged just six minutes, and Chandler didn't get off the bench in Houston's win, with D'Antoni sticking to small-ball throughout the contest. The strategy was peculiar, but it isn't totally new in Houston. 

The "Tuckwagon" lineup–with Tucker at center–has been a familiar sight for the Rockets in the D'Antoni era, especially in their matchups against Draymond Green and the Warriors. It's also been deployed effectively against Utah in recent seasons. Houston's guards torched Rudy Gobert in the 2018 and 2019 playoffs, repeatedly pulling him onto the perimeter before blowing by him to the tin. James Harden feasted against Gobert in previous postseasons. Eric Gordon took his turn racing at the two-time Defensive Player of the Year on Monday. 

D'Antoni certainly isn't afraid to trot out a small-ball crew against the right opponent, but how likely is he to lean on Tucker at center throughout the rest of the regular season? The trend could increase in the coming months, largely due to the construction of Houston's rotation

Tucker's share of minutes doesn't appear to be declining anytime soon. The 34-year-old is averaging a career high 35 minutes per game this season, and he's played 38-plus minutes 14 times. Tucker is one of Houston's many wings, including the recently resurgent Thabo Sefolosha and potentially-playable rookie Michael Frazier. The Rockets may also be hunting for a wing on the trade market, a reported priority over additional center help, per The Athletic's Shams Charania. Another wing would lighten Tucker's load on the perimeter. He could then provide a boost to the Rockets' ailing bigs rotation.

Houston runs effectively one deep at center at the moment. Hartenstein's minutes have been slashed of late after a promising early January, and Chandler no longer looks like a rotation player at 37-years-old. Capela remains an effective big, though his right heel contusion continues to be a concern. The 25-year-old is unlikely to miss extended time at any stretch this season, but the heel injury could require the occasional night off. If Capela sits, Tucker could quickly move to center in the starting lineup. 

It remains a question just how sustainable the Rockets' small-ball approach is, especially against certain Western Conference contenders. Going small is viable against the Clippers, and it's been a reliable weapon against the Jazz. But the Lakers will punish the Rockets inside, and downsizing against Nikola Jokic is a troubling proposition. 

Perhaps Houston's current roster isn't in its final form. The trade deadline is a week away, and centers could emerge on the buyout market. But barring an acquisition, the Rockets' front line appears thin as we race toward the postseason. D'Antoni has been a radical before. Don't dismiss Monday's strange lineup as a one-time occurence. It could become a staple in the coming weeks.