Nine games away from the playoffs and the Houston Rockets have been cursed with yet another injury on their squad in the form of Patrick Beverley. However, analysts think that having Beverley off the court is more of a blessing in disguise.

Just as center superstar Dwight Howard returned from his knee injury, guard Patrick Beverley got sidelined with his wrist injury.

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He has opted to sit out for the rest of the season after he undergoes surgery.

With the playoffs approaching, most Rockets fans see Beverley's injury as a curse. The Rockets need all the energy they need, and losing one of their starting five can't be good.

Further analysis on the matter though shows that the Rockets are in a position to capitalize on Beverley's injury for the better.

Statistics from NBA.com reveal that the Rockets' offensive capabilities increase from 103 to 104.5 with Beverley on court.

On the other hand, their defense posts a net differential of -4.2 points per 100 possessions.

Matt Moore, of CBS Sports, further analyzes the situation saying that the Rockets are better defensively with Harden on court alone than have Beverley on the floor with him.

"One very key aspect that I noted was that the Rockets give up the same frequency of three-point attempts with Beverley on vs. off," Moore says.

Basketball-Reference.com notes that Beverley is one of only four who average more than 30 minutes with a low percentage of plays used by a player. This is mainly due to James Harden's amazing offense.

Beverley is also noted as averaging the fewest assists among point guards playing as much as 30 minutes per game.

Even without Beverley, Rockets general manager Daryl Morey is confident that they can still win the title.

They do concede that the Rockets will miss his presence on the court and it may affect them on some games. However, that does not stop their determination to earn that championship.

TagsPatrick Beverley, injury, Blessing