The Rockets clawed their way back from down 3-1 in their first playoff series in five years. They showed the same grit and determination that led them to the number two seed in the Western Conference. But, once again in a big moment, their offense failed them and they lost Game 7 103-89 at Toyota Center Sunday night.
No matter what the team and fans might feel in the immediate aftermath of this series, this was a huge step forward for this young Rockets squad. And, like old times, they were bested by one of the best franchises of the last 15 years. It’s a great place to grow from, so let’s sort out the lessons to take away from this.
Defense alone doesn’t win championships.
The Rockets were one of the top three defensive teams in the NBA. They showed that same intensity in the series with the Warriors. And it nearly won the series for them. But, ultimately, their inability to hit shots sunk them. As people are fond of saying, it is a make and miss league. And this is a team that misses far too many shots. With only one regular rotation player shooting better than 36 percent from beyond the three point line, it’s tough to beat good teams and that is something the Rockets learned.
It is worth noting that they are essentially no better offensively this season than they were last year when they went 41-41 and missed the postseason. Which brings up an important point…
They have a core, but it may not be enough.
Amen Thompson is, from recent reports, absolutely untouchable. And he was magnificent for most of this series. But, the two guys who were supposed to carry them – Alperen Sengun and Jalen Green – struggled. Green, in particular, had a disappearing act that would impress Houdini. After leading the team in scoring with 21 during the season, he averaged just 13 against the Warriors. If you take away his 38 points in game two, he only managed just 9 points per contest. Yes, the Warriors planned to shut Green down, but it begs the question, if he is your best offensive player, can that possibly be enough?
Keep playing hard.
Regardless of the loss, this team plays hard. They fought back down 3-1 in the series to take it to game seven. No one likes playing them. They are gritty, tenacious and play with an attitude. If they can maintain that level of defense next season and improve on their shooting, they will be in contention for more than just a birth in the playoffs.
Next year will be tougher.
Having said all that, next year is going to be harder. Teams will see them coming and understand their weaknesses. This is still a very young team and this experience will serve them well, but if they think they can just take what they have learned here and roll into next season as a favorite…well, coach Ime Udoka isn’t going to let that happen. Still, they will need to redouble their efforts or risk taking a step backward.
