The Houston Rockets suffered their third straight loss on Sunday at the hands of the Dallas Mavericks, but Rockets point guard Russell Westbrook remains confident that his team will get back on track.
After the game, Westbrook told reporters that he is “not worried” about Houston’s recent losing streak. In fact, he contradicted the notion and emphasized that he is encouraged knowing that the team has to respond to adversity.
Russell Westbrook (@russwest44) says it’s too early to be concerned about the #Rockets losing three straight: “Definitely, I’m not worried one bit. I’ll tell you right now, honestly I’m encouraged.” pic.twitter.com/rRWZrNT8fn
— Mark Berman (@MarkBermanFox26) November 24, 2019
Westbrook scored 27 points on 8-of-20 shooting from the field while adding six assists and five rebounds against the Mavs. However, he also posted a plus-minus value of -23, the worst of any player on either team.
The former MVP has struggled amid Houston’s three-game skid. He shot just 8-of-22 against the Denver Nuggets and turned the ball over six times against the Los Angeles Clippers.
Westbrook has been incredibly inefficient on the whole over the last couple weeks, and he is shooting under 40 percent from the field in November while posting a -12 net rating, according to Basketball-Reference.
Despite his offensive woes, however, Westbrook is probably the best perimeter defender for a Rockets team that has had its issues on that end of the floor. Houston ranks in the middle of the league in terms of defensive rating, but they are 20th in opponents scoring average.
The Rockets have the personnel and the talent to compete with the best of the best in the NBA. But it has become abundantly clear that they can no longer rely on the continued heroics of James Harden to bail them out of closer games. This is especially true given the number of double-teams Harden will face in the future.
More efficient play from Westbrook would be part of the solution.
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