Has TyTy Washington Jr. Surpassed Daishen Nix As Rockets Backup Point Guard?
HOUSTON — Houston Rockets rookie TyTy Washington Jr. is starting to find consistency within coach Stephen Silas' rotation.
He has appeared in six of the previous seven games. And in a loss against the Boston Celtics Tuesday night, Washington played a career-high 20 minutes. He finished with 10 points, five rebounds and three assists inside TD Garden.
But since recording five assists and zero turnovers in his first meaningful minutes against the Miami Heat on Dec. 15, Washington's appearances have come at the expense of sophomore prospect Daishen Nix.
"He did a good job," Silas said. "He ran the show and made plays for his teammates. With five assists and no turnovers, that's pretty good. For his first game, he looked uncomfortable early on. But once he settled in, he did a good job.
When Washington returned from the G League, Silas mentioned that he and his staff would try to figure out how to distribute minutes between Nix and the rookie product from Kentucky.
He said both players are capable of playing behind Kevin Porter Jr. as the team's primary backup point guard.
In Nix's case, Silas believes he has a good feel for the game. There are moments he does not have to call a play — given that Nix has his teammates organized on the floor.
But Washington has played nearly ten more minutes than Nix over the past two weeks.
A Dec. 19 loss against the San Antonio Spurs marked the only night Nix played more relevant minutes than Washington. He finished with a career-high nine assists — seven came during the first half.
"He's a physical defender," Silas said. "Offensively, he can get to the rim — he makes the right play most of the time as far as drawing help and making an early, on-target pass. He's done a good job."
Washington has averaged 14.0 minutes during the Rockets' current three-game road trip, while Nix recorded two consecutive DNPs due to Silas' decision.
Nix's last appearance came Friday night in a loss to the Dallas Mavericks, where he played nine minutes. Washington played 12 minutes behind Porter — who was in foul trouble for the majority of the night.
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