Click here to Watch San Antonio Spurs v Houston Rockets Live

                         

Without any doubts, most experts regarded the San Antonio Spurs as legitimate championship contenders before the season got underway. Yet, the Spurs did not play particularly well so far and are hoping to get back on track when they take on the Houston Rockets on Saturday at 1:30 a.m. GMT.

In contrast, the Rockets exceeded nearly everyone’s expectations as they rallied to a solid 8-6 record in the first three weeks of action. Given the fact that Houston had to start this year’s NBA campaign without the injured All-Stars Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming, their performance can certainly be considered a remarkable accomplishment. Most importantly, Trevor Ariza elevated his game to the next level and led the Rockets averaging 18.3 points, 5.4 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.1 assists per contest. Likewise, late first round pick Chase Budinger showed a lot of potential and could transform into a valuable rotation player down the stretch. So far, Budinger put up 8.7 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.4 assists in just 18 minutes off the bench. Despite these positive aspects it should be mentioned that Houston had significant problems matching up with taller teams since their front-court is extremely undersized. 

Unlike the Rockets, the Spurs’ front-office is still waiting for their off-season acquisitions to pay dividends. More specifically, Greg Popovich squad came slow out of the gate as they lost 6 out of 10 to start the season. That said, the team around Tony Parker managed to bounce back with wins versus the Washington Wizards and Milwaukee Bucks to make it back to the .500 mark last week. Even though the recently acquired Richard Jefferson played well thus far, San Antonio’s teamplay has not been as efficient as in recent years. One positive aspect has been rookie George Hill who seems to be on his way to become an essential part of the Spurs’ rotation as he averaged 12.5 points, 2.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 27 minutes per game. In conclusion, it looks still the encounter between the Texan rivals from San Antonio and Houston could still be anyone’s game. Although the Spurs have more talent on board and a deeper bench, they appear to lack the explosiveness and ball-movement of the Rockets’ offense. Either way, the audience can expect an entertaining ball game when Tim Duncan and company face the Rockets at Toyota Center.

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