It’s time to make “China Shaq” the hero of a Rockets’ postseason run.
The Rockets are shocking the NBA world. Houston has the NBA’s best record (56-14, .800, March 18). But one player who hasn’t gotten much playing time could be just the one to push the Rockets all the way to the NBA championship.
Courtesy: Zimbio
He’s Zhou Qi, 7’1 210 pounds, with an enormous eight-foot wingspan. Qi, who played excellently during his tenure with the Xinjiang Flying Tigers, has the nickname, “China Shaq.”
But Qi hasn’t had the opportunity to play much during his NBA career. He sat out last year to play overseas and, this year, he’s playing behind big men Clint Capela and Nenê. He hasn’t played in a game since December 29 and has clocked only 75 minutes the entire season.
It’s Qi’s shooting that sets him apart from Houston’s other bigs. He shot 35% from three In the G League. His jump shot allows the Rockets to have all five positions capable of making three-pointers. He can play off other players, like Ryan Anderson and Luc Mbah a Moute, who are both excellent deep shooters.
And just imagine James Harden, Eric Gordon, Trevor Ariza, Anderson, and Qi on the court at the same time. Actually, it would be an opponent’s nightmare. Moving Qi into the rotation allows the Rockets to play “big defense,” meaning that the Rockets can simultaneously play two seven footers who play defense well.
That’s an advantage when guarding teams like the Spurs–a team that uses a similar strategy with seven-footers LaMarcus Aldridge and Pau Gasol. The Rockets could also use a two-big lineup against the Golden State Warriors. That way, Qi and Capela could dominate the paint on offense, which is an Achilles heel for the Warriors’ defense.
By putting Qi into the playoff lineup–even if Qi plays limited minutes behind Nenê and Capela–the Rockets would be much more versatile than they are currently.
But if that’s the plan, then the Rockets need to adjust the lineup now. Playing Qi during the final quarter of the season allows the Rockets to develop on-court chemistry before playoff time.
I think it’s time to make “China Shaq” the hero of a Rockets’ postseason run.
