The Houston Rockets have been the best team in basketball all season, and they are capable of making a deep postseason run even without Luc Mbah a Moute. But, as James Harden and Chris Paul noted on Tuesday, losing a key player at a crucial point in the season always presents challenges.
Mbah a Moute left Tuesday night’s game against the Los Angeles Lakers after he suffered a dislocated shoulder on an explosive dunk. The 6-foot-8 forward is scheduled to undergo an MRI on Wednesday. After Houston’s 105-99 win in an essentially meaningless game, both Harden and Paul spoke about how important Mbah a Moute is to the Rockets.
James Harden on Luc Mbah a Moute's injury: "He's a big part of what we're trying to do and have been doing it. He'll bounce back stronger than ever. Hopefully, he can come back in his role. It's tough to see on a guy that's worked extremely hard, to come back and re-injure it."
— Jonathan Feigen (@Jonathan_Feigen) April 11, 2018
CP3 on Mbah a Moute: "Luc has been unbelievably important. Just his spirit, the way he plays. He defends, rebounds, runs, all that stuff. It’s going to by committee.”
— Jonathan Feigen (@Jonathan_Feigen) April 11, 2018
The Rockets have solid front-court depth with PJ Tucker, Ryan Anderson (who is nursing an ankle injury but expected to return for the playoffs) and Joe Johnson. Still, Mbah a Moute has averaged 7.5 points and 3.0 rebounds per game and is an important player on the defensive side of the ball. His role is one that is extremely crucial to postseason success, so Houston is hoping the injury isn’t serious.
