Neither the Rockets nor the Trail Blazers, two teams that will meet at the Moda Center Saturday night, got their seasons off on the right foot.
For the Trail Blazers, they were blown out by the Utah Jazz in their home opener, as the changes they’ve made on the defensive side of the ball remain a work in progress. Between working in a number of new players, a short lead in from the start of training camp to the beginning of the regular season and their preseason performance, Portland’s difficulties were somewhat predictable, if not still disappointing.
As for the Rockets, they didn’t even get to play their scheduled opener versus the Oklahoma City Thunder due to positive COVID-19 results and running afoul of league rules regarding social distancing, which prompted and subsequent quarantine protocols that left Houston without enough players to safely field a team.