Eric Gordon Injury Puts More Pressure on Russell Westbrook to Emerge as Secondary Scorer for Rockets
By Scott Rogust
The Houston Rockets were dealt a bad hand on Tuesday as it was revealed that Eric Gordon will miss up to six weeks after undergoing knee surgery.
Gordon is a pivotal piece of Houston's rotation, and with him gone for the next month and a half, the Rockets will need someone to step up in terms of scoring.
With that in mind, it's officially time for Russell Westbrook to come into his own in a Rockets uniform.
The Rockets could be without Eric Gordon for over a month. https://t.co/902kbQND64 pic.twitter.com/Ap1tDuOSjf
— theScore (@theScore) November 12, 2019
Westbrook's presence on the Rockets has been questioned ever since he was traded from the Oklahoma City Thunder, considering he and teammate James Harden are predominately ball dominant players.
Harden is scoring at an absurd rate in 2019-20, averaging 37.3 points per game. Meanwhile, Russ is averaging 21.9 points per game, his lowest mark since the 2013-14 season.
In order for the Rockets to win, the ball can't be in Harden's hands at all times. And with Gordon sidelined, that means there's more touches to go around for Russ. Harden needs support, and it's time for Russ to answer the call for help.
Coach D'Antoni said Eric Gordon's loss will be challenging if/when Russell Westbrook has to sit out a game in a back-to-back scenario. "Chris Clemons will fill in and help point guard duties when Russ is not there. Ben (McLemore) will step up and play and Austin (Rivers)." https://t.co/q5YQD84brY
— Alykhan Bijani (@Rockets_Insider) November 12, 2019
Gordon was having a rough start to the season, averaging just 10.9 points, the fewest of his career, while shooting at an ugly 30.9% clip, as well as 28.4% from deep.
With the Rockets' sixth man no longer in commission for the next six weeks, it's time for Westbrook to prove his worth in Houston and help Harden secure some wins.