USA Today via Reuters
Sep 12, 2020; Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA; NBA referee Eric Lewis (42) restrains Houston Rockets guard Russell Westbrook (0) after a verbal altercation with a fan courtside in the second half of game five of the second round against the Los Angeles Lakers of the 2020 NBA Playoffs at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
USA Today via Reuters
Sep 12, 2020; Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA; NBA referee Eric Lewis (42) restrains Houston Rockets guard Russell Westbrook (0) after a verbal altercation with a fan courtside in the second half of game five of the second round against the Los Angeles Lakers of the 2020 NBA Playoffs at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
The COVID-19 pandemic had a catastrophic effect on the league as a whole. While it just seemed like the games had been postponed, the league as a whole suffered a lot of losses in terms of revenue, as did the teams. The Houston Rockets are one of the teams that faced a lot of damage, according to a report from The Athletic.
“Quite a few. A lot of owners made their money in other businesses. I think there’s potentially real issues in Houston. Robert Sarver already folded his G League team, which I didn’t know was possible.
“Herb Simon owns a commercial mall company. I would guess his mall development (is struggling)… I don’t know how highly levered those companies and his properties are,” revealed an anonymous NBA agent.
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An anonymous NBA agent told The Athletic about this. If this indeed becomes true, it could mean the Rockets might change ownership. But as of now, there has been no official word about the same.
In a way, the Houston Rockets had a pretty rough 2019-20 season both on and off the court. While off-court ownership is facing financial problems, on the court, the Rockets suffered yet another disappointing season.
They barely made it out of the first round of the postseason and collapsed against the Lakers in the second round.
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What’s next for the Houston Rockets?
USA Today via Reuters
Houston Rockets guard James Harden (13) reacts during the second half of game three in the second round of the 2020 NBA Playoffs against the Los Angeles Lakers at AdventHealth Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
When the franchise partnered James Harden and Russell Westbrook, Houston fans expected big things from the duo. However, they received quite the opposite. In the playoffs, the Rockets had a fairly elementary gameplan, giving the ball to Harden, and hoping for the best.
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However, the teams figured out that strategy and countered it pretty well. For example, the Lakers pushed Russell Westbrook, a known playoff choker, to get more touches. Which, in fact, turned out to be the case as he was a shell of himself in the Playoffs.
Moreover, the playoff meltdown forced the Rockets to part ways with Head Coach Mike D’Antoni and GM Daryl Morey. What do you think? Is rebuilding the next step for the Rockets or not?
