LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLORIDA – AUGUST 24: Danuel House Jr. #4 of the Houston Rockets (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Danuel House might have violated the NBA’s bubble protocol.
The Houston Rockets are in danger of letting their Western Conference semifinals matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers slip away from them. While James Harden and Mike D’Antoni are doing everything in their power to mount a comeback, forward Danuel House might’ve ruined their depth by potentially violating the NBA’s coronavirus safety regulations.
The league is investigating if House broke the league’s coronavirus bubble protocols. While House claims he did nothing wrong and didn’t leave the Disney perimeter, the investigation is centered around his “activity within the team hotel”, leading some to believe that House brought a guest down to Orlando that the league did not approve of.
Later reporting from Chris Haynes indicated that House may have had a female member of the testing unit into his room.
Danuel House wouldn’t be the first player to get in trouble after bursting the bubble
Los Angeles Clippers guard Lou Williams was famously quarantined after leaving the bubble to attend Atlanta gentleman’s club Magic City, while Sacramento Kings forward Richaun Holmes had to do the same after leaving Disney in order to pick up food. The league is not messing around when it comes to enforcing the protocol, and they will have no qualms about suspending House.
House has become a key sixth man for Houston, as the 6-foot-6 small forward had averaged 10.5 points and 4.2 rebounds per game this season while shooting 36 percent from 3-point range. If the Rockets are to mount a comeback against LeBron James and Anthony Davis, House’s versatility and shooting are a necessity.
House is not as flashy or productive as some of the heavy hitters on this Rockets depth chart, but every time Houston has started to catch fire in both the regular season and postseason, House has been a big reason why. If he can’t play against the Lakers, Houston’s already thin bench will be stretched to breaking point.