Rockets Lack Of A Shot Creator Showcases Kevin Porter Jr.'s Value
HOUSTON — Kevin Porter Jr. missed his 16th consecutive game Monday night when the Houston Rockets fell 123-104 to the Philadelphia 76ers.
Coach Stephen Silas has not shied away from expressing how much the team misses Porter. But the Rockets' subpar performance inside Wells Fargo Center marked the pinnacle of his absence.
Houston finished the night shooting 6-of-24 from behind the arc, and Silas credited the lack of a shot creator for their struggles.
"The way we are set up now, especially without KPJ, we don't have much creation for drive and kick 3's," Silas said. "Our quality is just okay. Shot creation is the thing I am most concerned with — we have to do a better job of that."
Porter went down a month ago with a left foot contusion on Jan. 11 in a loss to the Sacramento Kings. He collided with teammate Jae'Sean Tate and Kings forward Malik Monk late in the first quarter. Porter described the injury as a "freakish accident" while stating that he did not believe Monk was a dirty player.
Porter was playing arguably the best of his career. In the eight games before his injury, Porter had averaged 22.8 points on 49.2 percent shooting, 42.3 percent from deep, 6.4 assists and 5.9 rebounds.
Houston offense has looked disjointed on several occasions since his injury.
"He is the guy who has the ball in his hands most of the time for us," Silas said. "He is the one who gets us organized. Now, it's by committee. When Scoot was healthy, everybody was in their space. Everybody was in their spots. Now, there is a bit more nuance to it."
As of Feb. 7, Silas said Porter was still dealing with pain despite showing signs of improvement. There is no timetable for Porter's return. Silas said he hopes to receive more information about Porter's injury following the All-Star break.
You can follow Coty M. Davis on Twitter at @CotyDavis_24
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