Houston Rockets Season Review: Roller Coaster Ride Ends with 41-41 Record and Defensive Improvements

To be honest, when Alperen Şengün fell, many people probably thought that the surprise season of the Houston Rockets would be over.

However, they then snapped the streak with an 11-game winning streak and were once one win behind the Warriors, who were in tenth place in the Western Conference. However, they suffered five losses after a each other, which ended their hopes of advancing to the play-offs. off.

This description is indeed a prime example of the Rockets’ season, moving between two extremes like a roller coaster. When you don’t expect at the beginning of the season, they were able to deliver a top eight record in the Western Conference before the All-Star Game But when you start expectations, a series of injuries and hits that the wall has brought this team back to the bottom of the Western Conference , just when you started to think that the playoffs this season might have nothing to do with them, another wave of a winner approaches the field last game everyone’s hopes were raised, another wave of losses drove them away.

Nevertheless, the Rockets have a record of 41 wins and 41 losses this season, which is almost 50%, an improvement of 19 wins over the previous season, if it were not for Conference competitive West, there would even be play-offs to play in the Eastern Conference. shortlisted for best coach.

thereOpening season analysisIt has been mentioned from time to time that the focus of watching the Rockets this season is whether they can improve their defensive pain points and three-pointers, and help the team establish a healthy system and culture. Udoka to advance the Rockets’ record.

protective border

Let’s talk defense first Last season, the Rockets averaged 118.6 points per game, third from the bottom in the league this season, they averaged 113.2 points per game, ranking 14th in the league ranked ninth in the league, indicating that Udoka’s income is protected by iron blood successfully moved in the Celtics to Houston.

This defense system is mainly divided into three main points: 1. Pressing the ball holder, 2. A large number of wing changes to prevent interference, 3. Protect the paint area but not shrinking too much.

The Rockets have plenty of resources at forward this season, which allows Udoka to build a defensive team with both height and physical strength other players are waiting for opportunities to steal the ball, interceptions are 7.8 – this season, which is eighth in the league, the best example.

Even if the opponent wants to get rid of the defender through the pick-and-roll or take-off to create a shooting opportunity, the defensive player will most likely choose to step forward and pass the screen to block the opponent. and continue to put pressure on the ball.

Even guard Fred VanVleet, who doesn’t have that long, will use his strong body to face the ball carrier and make him stop the ball. This system effectively limits the opponent’s outside shooting This season, the Rockets have limited their opponents’ mid-to-long shooting rate to 37%, which is in seventh place in their league from the basket is 33.6%, which is even higher in the league First, at least, this stat was last in the league last season (37.8%) .

After limiting three-pointers, there is another offensive weapon available in today’s basketball: the layup fast break. Udoka uses a lot of defense and recovery to reduce the opponent’s turnovers, and prevents the opponent from triggering the fast break by targeting a person -keeping the ball in the first view.

This season, the Rockets have a large number of players from 6 feet 6 inches to 6 feet 11 inches in height the opponent cuts into the penalty area, , or when he gets the ball in the midfield, as long as the defensive player can hit the first shot, he can block it to some extent and support the player who defended the position to make it first up for him.

At the same time, this group of players also has strong mobility, allowing them to return to defense quickly, and they also have a certain size advantage when blocking and moving fast breaks. That gives them the fourth-lowest rushing scoring average in the league at 1.08.

In the past, the Rockets’ defense has always struggled to pull back too much. That is, when the opponent gets the ball in the midfield, many players often want to help defend , but they all collapse in the penalty area, as a result of which the back door was opened in the midfield.

Therefore, the change made by Udoka this season is that players who do not mark the keeper of the ball will stand outside the four corners of the penalty area to protect the penalty area. -this job has successfully increased the Rockets’ average defensive rebounds per game this season from mid-range to forward. While securing the zone, Udoka played some man-to-man defense to prevent players without the ball from entering the empty zone.

Offensive end

On the offensive end, Udoka definitely abandoned last season’s offensive model of using Jalen Green, and instead used VanVleet and Şengün’s pick-and-roll, or Şengün’s high-post transfer and hand at hand as the starting method. This approach has immediate results through VanVleet’s experience and Şengün’s excellent spatial judgment and passing vision, the Rockets offense that was disorganized last season has established a main axis.