Rockets' McHale hints at lineup change after 4th straight loss
The Houston Rockets are mired in some kind of early-season mess.
The Rockets, a Western Conference finalist and Southwest Division champion a year ago, dropped to 4-7 with a fourth straight loss Monday - a 111-95 defeat to the Celtics that included a 32-13 third quarter for Boston.
On one hand, there's something to be said for a team that hadn't previously lost four straight in nearly three years (January 2013). On the other hand, one of those four losses was a home defeat to the lowly Brooklyn Nets, the four losses have been by an average of 11-plus points, and Houston is now 2-5 at home after going 30-11 at the Toyota Center last season.
When a team boasting championship aspirations is struggling to get themselves going, changes are almost certainly in order. To that end, Rockets head coach Kevin McHale hinted at a potential change to the starting lineup after the team's latest dispiriting performance.
McHale asked if he may change the starting backcourt: "There are a lot of things we got to do right now. Yeah, that could be one of them."
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With former starting point guard Patrick Beverley currently sidelined, and All-NBA talent James Harden locked in at the two-spot - his struggles aside - McHale's options are seemingly limited to replacing Ty Lawson with one of Marcus Thornton or Jason Terry, and having Harden operate as the de facto lead guard.
Lawson has averaged a disappointing 8.9 points and 5.6 assists on 33 percent shooting since being acquired by the Rockets in the offseason, with Houston performing more than seven points per 100 possessions better when he sits versus when he's in the game.
Thornton has impressed off the bench, averaging 13 points in just under 29 minutes per game, while the 38-year-old Terry has logged just 13 minutes per game thus far.
The Rockets are back in action Wednesday when they host the Portland Trail Blazers.