The positions of “first banana” and “second banana” on offense for the Rockets are well accounted for. James Harden and Russell Westbrook might switch the titles between them depending on who’s feeling hot, but there’s no debating that those are the two main dudes when it comes to scoring the ball. But then the question becomes: who is the “third banana”?
Looking at their roster and watching their games, it seems like the third banana is Eric Gordon. But that’s LAME. What kind of team wants a banana like Gordon to be their third banana? Just because he scored 50 doesn’t mean that he should be just chucking up those flat-ass threes like he does. Maybe Clint Capela could’ve counted as a third banana, but he’s gone now. He’s never coming back.
Note: I’m not implying, with the content of this video and my rhetorical question combined, that Austin Rivers should be the third banana for the Rockets. Maybe if he was hot every night like he was tonight, if he could toast defenders every time with his crossover like he did tonight. But as Rockets fans know, that kind of thing doesn’t happen with Rivers every night. Or even most nights.
Personally, I want Bruno Caboclo to be the third banana. Unironically. The Rockets robbed him of a chance for a sweet REVENGE GAME against the team that marginalized him almost all the way back to Brazil, and I’m starting to think that maybe the Rockets aren’t as committed to making him the Brazilian Kevin Durant as they should be.