It’s been a good week for the Rockets. Winners of three straight and and five of their last six including wins over the Pacers, 76ers, Timberwolves and, most impressively, the Thunder, they find themselves just a half game out of first place in the Western Conference at 15-6, the fourth best record in basketball. Alperen Sengun won Player of the Week in the Western Conference and they have already clinched their group in the NBA Cup tournament. Nevermind that impressive NET rating of 8.2, good for fourth in the NBA.
At the quarter pole of the season, this is a very good basketball team and they are likely to improve as the season goes along. With 21 games down, we are deep enough into the season to take a look at some of the numbers and see where this team is at beyond its record.
WINNERS
Ime Udoka
When you look at potential coach of the year candidates, Udoka has to be on the short list. In two seasons, he has imposed his ideology on this young team and turned them from a disaster to a contender. He preaches hustle, accountability and limiting mistakes and his team has followed through as one of the better defensive teams in the NBA and near the top in turnovers. This is a true team without one marquee star to lead them. Instead of a single dominant player, they spread the wealth across a range of talent. If he can keep them on track through the long season, they will be a playoff team and potentially a highly seeded one.
Defense
This is arguably the best defense the Rockets have had since Jeff Van Gundy was the head coach of guys like Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady. They are second in defensive rating, lead the league in rebounding and are in the top 10 in steals, blocks, opponent points off turnovers and opponent fast break points. They have the ability to shut down very good teams every night. At times it feels like there are more than five guys on the floor. Moreover, they have an edge. Players like Dillon Brooks and Fred VanVleet have brought a toughness that was lacking and turned this into a fiery team that backs down from no one.
The Terror Twins
The nickname for Amen Thompson and Tari Eason is appropriate. When these two come off the bench, they wreak havoc on opposing teams. Both are exceptional defensively and provide the kind of length and explosiveness that are difficult to deal with. They seem to have hands everywhere and are particularly adept on the break where they excel. Thompson is only in his second season and Eason is in his third though he missed nearly all of last year to injury. This pair makes the second team go and they often find themselves on the floor at critical times, particularly on defense.
The Road
The Rockets have as many losses at home (three) as they do on the road. Typically, a .500 record on the road and a winning record at home is the most basic recipe for success, but this is a team that seems to thrive in other buildings. Like most teams, they aren’t quite as good statistically on the road, but what they lack in numbers, they make up for in fortitude. They just won back-to-back overtime games on the road for the first time in years. The young legs (and partially soft schedule in that particular part of the schedule) certainly help, but this is also a very resilient team that doesn’t let up.
LOSERS
Cam Whitmore
If there has been one player who surprised last year but has been wedged in purgatory this year, it’s Whitmore. Starting the season with an abysmal three point shot didn’t help, but mostly his minutes are being squeezed because his position and skillset are similar to Jalen Green, Thompson and Eason. At just 20 years old, Whitmore has plenty of time to develop and is one injury away from meaningful playing time. But, at the moment, he is glued to the bench when he isn’t in the G League.
Jalen Green’s Consistency
Green began the season on a tear after signing an extension along with teammate Alperen Sengun. But since he has tapered and struggled to find consistency offensively. He’s gone from shooting 40 percent from three early in the year to just under 28 percent over the last 10 games. What makes it so frustrating has been his occasional offensive explosion like the 41 he dropped in Philly last week. He continues to contribute defensively, but will often find himself off the floor in important moments because the team wants the defense of Eason and/or Thompson. Green must find other ways to contribute or other players will begin to eat into his minutes even more regardless of his talent.
Steven Adams’ Return
Despite being one of the better rebounders and screeners in the league year-in-year-out, Adams has played only limited minutes for the Rockets so far this season. Some of that has been his recovery from injury, while other times it has been Udoka’s decision to play smaller with Jabari Smith, Jr. at the five. It feels very much like the Rockets are treating Adams with kid gloves. It might be different were they losing, but they can afford to rest him for now. It would be nice to see Adams get more minutes as the season goes along. They will likely need his presence in the middle.
Shooting
Honestly, if this team shot better, they might be the best team in the league right now along with the Celtics. They are 11th in points scored, 26th in field goal percentage, 26th in three-point percentage, 23rd in free throw percentage and 27th in assists. Still, they are 16th in offensive rating thanks to protecting the basketball, being top 10 in pace, and effective offensive rebounding. They simply do not have a consistently good shooter on the team, let alone several. It’s why despite a plus-minus rating of 8.2, they play in a lot of close games. Winning with defense is obviously quite possible, but it makes it a lot tougher when the offense doesn’t come along for the ride. They probably cannot improve this dramatically without a trade, but even a slight improvement with their defense could represent a substantive change.
This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2024.
