Sacramento Kings vs Houston Rockets Prediction - Combined Starting 5 featuring James Harden and De'Aaron Fox
For the second time this week, the Sacramento Kings and Houston Rockets go head-to-head as part of their back-to-back set and the first NBA game of 2021 for both teams. The Rockets and Kings have a great mix of guards on their teams which makes for an exciting game.
Houston held on for a 122-119 win against Sacramento in a game that marked John Wall’s season debut for the Rockets. Wall had 22 points, six rebounds, nine assists, one steal, and one block in his first game in 735 days.
Combined Starting 5 (Sacramento Kings vs Houston Rockets Prediction)
With so many outstanding guards, it’s difficult to leave out a couple of them in our combined starting 5. The only solution was to move one of them to the small forward spot to accommodate the inclusion of a third guard in the lineup.
Here is our combined starting 5 for the Sacramento Kings and Houston Rockets game:
Center - Christian Wood (Houston Rockets)
It has been quite a season for Christian Wood, the fifth-year player who was an undrafted rookie out of UNLV. From his first preseason game for the Houston Rockets to their most recent game, Wood has been a model of consistency.
His season averages of 25.0 points, 9.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.0 steals, and 1.7 blocks per game are all career-highs. Wood was acquired in an offseason trade with the Detroit Pistons which is looking more and more lopsided by the minute.
Power Forward - Harrison Barnes (Sacramento Kings)
Harrison Barnes had a big game in their last meeting with the Houston Rockets. Barnes registered 24 points on 8-of-14 shooting from the field with two three-pointers. He also added eight rebounds and an assist.
The 15.8 points nightly average is his highest since coming to the Sacramento Kings in a trade.
Small Forward - James Harden (Houston Rockets)
Surprise! It’s the new year and James Harden is still a member of the Houston Rockets.
Harden is a natural shooting guard and one of the best all-time at the position. But for our combined starting 5, we had to move him to small forward so he can make way for one of the point guards to join our select squad.
The Beard has been very professional during games even with his trade demands. Against the Sacramento Kings on Thursday, he had another outstanding all-around game with 33 points, six rebounds, and eight assists.
Shooting Guard - De’Aaron Fox (Sacramento Kings)
With John Wall back in the Houston Rockets lineup, we had to make room for De’Aaron Fox in our combined starting 5. Despite his size, Fox can be a combo guard since he’s been counted on to take and make shots for the Sacramento Kings.
He’s capable of scoring in bunches and he is more of a scorer than Wall. This season Fox is averaging 20.6 points and 6.6 assists per game.
Point Guard - John Wall (Houston Rockets)
It’s been a long road back but John Wall is finally playing in the NBA again. Wall’s playmaking is a perfect complement to James Harden’s scoring. The 5-time All-Star had 22 points, nine assists, and six rebounds with a steal and a block in his debut.
If the last game is a preview of things to come, then Wall is going to be an excellent fit for the Houston Rockets.
Also Read: NBA Trade Rumors: New York Knicks to wait until late January before considering roster moves