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Echoing Friday’s assessment by ESPN’s Jackie MacMullan, former NBA players and current analysts Jalen Rose and Paul Pierce each see the Houston Rockets as a dangerous team in the 2020 playoffs.

Both Rose and Pierce indicated that the unique timing of the 2020 postseason, which will occur shortly after a hiatus of more than four months due to the COVID-19 pandemic, could benefit the Rockets.

In a virtual version of ESPN’s NBA Countdown, Rose said:

I’m loving teams like the Celtics and the Rockets. Small ball, spread it out, and take advantage of the big guys that can’t score against little guys.

That’s really what it’s going to be. It’s going to be like AAU out there. These dudes have been off for months!

So if James Harden can get hot, and then Russ [Westbrook]… Don’t sleep on Houston in the West.

A few minutes later, Pierce followed up with a similar view:

In a pickup game situation, Houston is going to be scary. They’re going to be scary. If I had to put money on it, I wouldn’t bet Houston… but I feel them.

Rose also said he still views the top-seeded Los Angeles Lakers (49-14) and No. 2 Clippers (44-20) as “better” than the Rockets, who are 40-24 and tied for the No. 5 spot in the Western Conference. However, the unique circumstances could boost Houston’s chances of an upset.

MacMullan’s case for Houston was largely built around the benefits of added rest for veterans like Harden, Westbrook, and P.J. Tucker, who have all played extensive minutes this season. She also referenced the team having more time to adapt to Mike D’Antoni’s smaller lineup after abruptly making the stylistic change in the middle of the season.

Other potential benefits to the Rockets might include:

• Eric Gordon says he’s healthy for the first time all season after dealing with knee problems.
• Harden appears to be in ideal shape, physically.
• The rare opportunity to hold a full training camp just before the playoffs will allow D’Antoni to further integrate both the smaller system and new players after in-season changes.
• The Rockets had lost four games out of five as of the March 12 hiatus, and the long break should halt any negative momentum.
• Though Houston is tied for No. 5 in the West, being a higher seed may not be that important in the 2020 playoffs, since all games will be played at a neutral site near Orlando and without fans.
• After the trade of Clint Capela for Robert Covington, every player in the team’s projected closing lineup (Westbrook, Harden, Gordon, Covington, Tucker) is at least 29 years old. In theory, older rosters should benefit more from extended rest.

Even considering those angles, none of ESPN’s analysts pegged Houston as the championship frontrunner in the West. After all, some deference should be given to the fact that LeBron James and the Lakers outplayed Houston by nearly 10 games over the first 60+ games of the season.

But the long layoff and an effective season reset prior to the playoffs seems to offer a more plausible path. Considering where the Rockets were as a team when we last saw them in March, they’ll gladly take it.