The Houston Rockets have suffered a severe dropoff from their Western Conference supremacy just one season prior. Owners of the best NBA record last year, the Rockets now sit below .500 with a mark of 11-13 through 24 games.
Though a lot of their struggles were pinned on the awkward fit of Carmelo Anthony, an overall lack of an identity has plagued Houston early this season. Former Sixth Man of the Year Eric Gordon has struggled individually as well thus far and expressed his frustration with the team’s situation following their recent dismantling against the Utah Jazz. Gordon told The Athletic’s Kelly Iko that he isn’t enjoying himself anymore and made it clear just how dire their situation is.
“I’m just not having fun man. “I’m just not. This sucks. Even the times where I have good games. We’re just not using some guys the right way. Are we gonna make the right sacrifices? Do we have the right attitude?”
Though Gordon’s questions are all legitimate, it was hard to envision Houston being as strong this season as they were last year. They lost multiple key defensive cogs and have no real presence on the wing.
Gordon went on to compare this season to last year’s record-breaking team, noting the night-and-day difference between the two clubs.
“Last year was the best year I’ve ever had being a part of a team… We just never had a bad moment. If we ever had a bad game as a team, you knew the next game we would blow somebody out. It didn’t matter who it was.”
This type of mentality hasn’t held true this season and it’s shown in their on-court performances. Until Houston re-commits to the less glamorous end and irons out their shortcomings on offense, they will continue stumbling through a loaded Western Conference.
Though Gordon remains a premier threat off the bench, his numbers have dipped slightly across the board. The crafty scorer is averaging 15.9 points per game but on a paltry 36.5 percent shooting from the field and only 31 percent from three-point range.
