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The Houston Rockets will be hosting the Washington Wizards on Tuesday in Russell Westbrook’s first game at Toyota Center since he was traded in the offseason.
The Wizards returned to playing basketball again after their last six games were postponed because of a lack of personnel due to the NBA’s COVID-19 protocols.
They lost their return game, a 121-101 debacle against the San Antonio Spurs, on Sunday but are looking to get back on the winning track against the Rockets.
Meanwhile, the Houston Rockets have won their last two games and will be targeting a third straight victory when they meet the Wizards.
Combined Starting 5 (Washington Wizards vs Houston Rockets Prediction)
The Washington Wizards are likely going to be rusty for this game, while the Houston Rockets will be more than ready for the matchup.
Though Westbrook’s return will be the backdrop of this game, his backcourt mate will probably steal the show. Bradley Beal should be back in proper form after finally playing his first game in two weeks.
This combined starting five will be quite unusual since I’ll be picking a player who comes off the bench for the Houston Rockets because of an incredible performance in his previous outing.
When East meets West on Tuesday, these should be the top five players on the court.
Here is our combined starting 5 for the Washington Wizards and Houston Rockets:
Point Guard - Russell Westbrook (Washington Wizards)
This has not been one of Russell Westbrook’s best years. He’s averaging his lowest points per game in 11 years at 18.0. Still, he offers the complete package statistically, with 9.5 rebounds and 10.6 assists in each outing.
It was difficult to choose between Westbrook and John Wall at the point guard spot, but the Houston Rockets playmaker has missed a number of games this season. Additionally, Westbrook impacts games in more areas than Wall does.
The 2017 MVP could be extra motivated to play against his former team when he visits them on Tuesday.
Shooting Guard - Bradley Beal (Washington Wizards)
Bradley Beal is having a career-year this campaign, despite the mounting losses for the Washington Wizards.
Beal leads the league in scoring at 34.5 points while also producing 5.5 rebounds and 4.9 assists per outing. In a 141-136 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers, he scored 60 points on 20-of-35 shooting from the floor.
While he has been the subject of trade talks over the last few years, Beal has remained faithful to the Wizards and has not demanded a trade despite his team’s lack of success.
After a poor shooting performance against the Spurs, expect Beal to bounce back in a big way against the Houston Rockets.
Small Forward - Victor Oladipo (Houston Rockets)
In three games with the Houston Rockets, Victor Oladipo is putting up 22.3 points, 4.0 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 2.0 steals a night. After missing the last game to injury management, he will be returning to the line-up against the Washington Wizards.
When engaged, Oladipo is one of the most dynamic scorers in the game. As he gets more and more comfortable with the Rockets, he will likely carry more of the scoring load.
Oladipo should have no problems staying focused for the game since he’s playing head-to-head against the Washington Wizards’ best player, John Wall.
Power Forward - Christian Wood (Houston Rockets)
Christian Wood has missed his last two games but is listed as day-to-day. He could return to the line-up for the Washington Wizards game if all goes well with his ankle.
Wood has been playing sensational basketball since the season began. He’s averaging 23.5 points, 10.8 rebounds and 1.8 blocks in 33.6 minutes per game, all career-highs. The 25-year-old is a center but he is as mobile a big man as they come.
If he makes an appearance against the Washington Wizards, he’ll likely give the Houston Rockets another double-double.
Center - DeMarcus Cousins (Houston Rockets)
How could DeMarcus Cousins start against the Washington Wizards when he hasn’t played that well this season? For starters, his last performance suggests that he needs to be a regular starter in order to play at his best.
Cousins had 28 points, 17 rebounds and five assists in 30 minutes of playing time versus the Dallas Mavericks last Saturday.
That’s his best game since he played for the New Orleans Pelicans three years ago. A Twin Towers combination of Cousins and Christian Wood would be an interesting experiment, especially if the Houston Rockets trade P.J. Tucker.
Stay tuned as Cousins could have another big game in the offing in Tuesday’s game versus the Washington Wizards.
