The Rockets are a professional basketball team. That may seem like a very neutral, even innocuous statement, but if you have watched the Houston professional basketball team in the last three years, then you realize the gravity of what was just presented to you. (Remember when I told everyone to calm TF down ?)
The Rockets are a professional basketball team. After an off-season of restructuring —Hiring Ime Udoka and signing veterans Fred VanFleet and Dillion Brooks to big contracts (that were scoffed at by NBA Twitter)— It was going to take time for the team and organization to shake off the stink that was the past three seasons. But here we are watching a competent, competitive, and legitimately fun-to-watch Rockets team who are 6-6 on the season (dropping three straight after winning 6 in a row). Again, I can’t stress this enough—The Rockets are a professional basketball team.
The Udoka-Effect
Houston is a top-10 defensive team so far this season, a far cry from what they were before Udoka showed up. The level of intensity and aggression the Rockets play with is undeniable. It’s wild that when defense is expected from everyone and is a focal point of a team philosophy, a team will play defense well. Udoka has expectations and has challenged the young, unproven guys on the team to step up, and the results have been staggering.
Despite his obvious offensive talents, Alperen Şengün has always been a player picked apart for his defense. Instead of scapegoating his shortcomings, Udoka has entrusted and challenged Şengün to improve defensively, and he looks like a completely different player on that end. His positioning and effort have improved so much. Even though he’s not a defensive stopper, he isn’t a negative, and when you are that talented offensively, being positive on defense is much more valuable. Jabari Smith Jr. and Jalen Green, young guys with a lot of potential, have bought in as well, and with their athleticism and effort, they look like entirely different defenders than what we have seen when the Rockets were a glorified AAU team.
A guy like Tari Eason is way more effective as an agent of chaos being inserted into the game to wreak havoc when the team is structured and disciplined. The pure athleticism that the Rockets possess is one of the most promising aspects of the team, as they can be overwhelming with their pressure and defensive flexibility. Udoka has a lot of different pieces to experiment with, and the final form of this Rockets team’s defense will be scary.
Dillion Brooks Is Psychotic
Adding Dillion Brooks, one of the best on-ball defenders in the NBA, was a move that perplexed NBA Twitter like he wasn’t one of the best on-ball defenders in the league. Sure, he made a fool of himself last season, but he was a good player on a young and talented Grizzlies team (that has fallen apart for a plethora of reasons this season). With an improved shot selection and offensive efficiency, Brooks looks like a player deserving of the contract that was roundly mocked this summer. Is he a psycho? Yes. Does his being psychotic make him fun as hell to watch as a Rockets fan? Also yes.
Dillion, the villain, is probably one of my favorite Rockets in a while. He still has that "doing too much” energy sometimes but is more focused and consistent, which is probably all thanks to Udoka. Watching him be so aggressive in taking on the challenge of guarding the opposing team’s best player every night is something to behold.
Şengün is the Truth
Şengün is the Rocket’s best player. He is the offense's focal point and has taken a leap this season. The Şengün truthers are being proven right. He is the real deal. Through the Rockets' rebuild, he was the only young guy on the team who knew how to play NBA basketball. Despite the immaturity and apathy around him, his basketball IQ stood out as he was constantly guiding players into where they should be on the court when to move the ball—basic things that have escaped the team the past three seasons. This season, he is averaging 20ppg/9rpg/6asts and is getting better every game. The Warriors game seems like just the beginning for Al-P.
The team has started to defer to him in late-game situations and made winning plays despite two close losses to the Clippers and Lakers. (One erased by an inexplicable James Harden Game winner and poor defense against Lebron on the final stretch"). If Jabari and Jalen develop half of the basketball brain Şengün has, then the Rockets will be a force to be reckoned with in the league.
Regardless of where the Rockets place in the standings, this season is already a success because the organization's culture has changed significantly. The Rockets have a coach who isn’t afraid to hold players accountable and push them to improve. They have veteran leaders like Fred Van Fleet and Jeff Green, who offer a level of control and reliability that you need to be successful and are models that the young developing guys can learn from.
It’s understandable to have concerns about a guy like Jalen Green, but he is a player who hasn’t played any meaningful basketball on a team that is coached hard and has expectations like The Rockets do now. Like the other young, unproven guys, he will learn throughout the season, and the best is still far off with JG.
Making the Play-In will be a massive deal for the Rockets, and the new In-Season tournament has offered another goal a young team with ambitions should be gunning for. Things look good in Houston, and it feels like the beginning of something good, possibly great.
Jock Landale, I will see you in hell.