The Houston Rockets are scoring like never before. Through the first two weeks of the season, Houston owns the No. 1 offensive rating in both the NBA and franchise history – a stark contrast to the defense-first Rockets of a year ago.
Of course, the addition of Kevin Durant has played a vital role. This Rockets offense wouldn't be what it is without him. Houston struggled badly in the half-court last season, prompting the addition of KD, and now ranks among the league's top five half-court offenses. Their true shooting percentage has jumped from 24th last year to second-best this season – both clear reflections of Durant's impact.
But there's more at play.
The Rockets finished with the second-best record in the Western Conference last season, despite being the worst free-throw shooting team in the league (73%). That weakness reared its ugly head in the postseason, where their percentage dipped even lower to 70%. In fact, Houston scored as many points (728) as Golden State did in that seven-game series, but missed 60 free throws, compared to just 28 for the Warriors.
Rockets Heighten Importance at the Line
This year, that has changed dramatically. The Rockets have made a concerted effort to not only improve at the foul line, but to get there more often, too.
Sure, Durant's career 88% mark has certainly helped buoy things. But assistant coach Cam Hodges had each player sign a contract that stipulated how many free throws they would have to make in practice before they could leave, per the Houston Chronicle.
Durant, the veteran leader, pledged to make 20 free throws in each one of his workouts.
“They're easy points,” Durant said. “But they can hurt you, too.”
Alperen Sengun has to go 5-for-5 from the line twice in a row. Jabari Smith Jr. is contracted to make 23-of-25 free throws before he can leave practice.
“It's a way of holding guys accountable while still making it fun,” Hodges said. “And it seems to be working.”
It certainly does. The Rockets currently rank 13th in free-throw percentage at an improved 79%. They're also getting to the line far more often, as they lead the league in free throw attempts, averaging more than two per game above the next closest team.
Another veteran, Jeff Green, said the contracts symbolize the players' commitment to addressing what was previously a major flaw.
“We know that last year that was a big Achilles heel for us, especially in the playoffs,” Green said. “But I think this year, the main focus, as physical as we play, aggressive as we play towards the rim, is being conscious of knocking down our free throws. Cam Hodges implemented this contract to sign to put the onus on yourself, to make yourself better by picking your own number and getting better free throws. So I think it was a good thing by him, but we also take accountability of making sure that we're focused on making them.”
The schedule has also played a role in the Rockets' early-season surge, both in terms of opponent quality and timing.
Rockets take advantage of early schedule
The Rockets dropped their first two games of the season to the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder and the Detroit Pistons, who finished sixth in the Eastern Conference last year. Since then, they have faced two of the bottom-five Eastern Conference teams from a year ago, followed by a depleted Boston Celtics squad.
It took an Amen Thompson buzzer-beater to beat the Celtics in Boston a year ago. But before Saturday's rematch, Udoka told his team, “Not tonight. We ain't going to need it,” as the Rockets proceeded to blow out a far less talented Celtics team, 128-101.
Houston's wins have come against teams with a combined 6-14 record to begin the year. Next up? The Dallas Mavericks, who are 17-26 since trading away Luka Doncic.
This stretch, where the offense has not coincidentally taken off, has given the Rockets valuable time to gel offensively, figure things out, and build confidence.
Which has been crucial while not only integrating Durant, but also Thompson at point guard and Reed Sheppard in a larger role.
Sheppard has responded by averaging nearly 12 points per game over the last three games, culminating in a 4-for-5 three-point performance in Boston on Saturday.
It's also helped Thompson settle into his new position and grow his confidence running the offense. Thompson, who was disappointed by his lack of aggression in the first two games of the season, has had seven or more assists in each of the three games since. Following the Detroit loss, assistant coach Ben Sullivan told Thompson to trust his speed and instincts, something he's been able to do against the last three opponents.
“He understood we lost a few close ones, and the impact he could have had if he was a little more aggressive,” Udoka said. “He has a lot on his plate offensively, being at point guard now.”
Much like Rocky Balboa rebuilding his confidence by pounding lesser fighters in Rocky III following his loss to Clubber Lang, the Rockets are discovering their rhythm during an early lull in the schedule.
And when tougher competition arrives, such as the Thunder or Pistons again, the Rockets should be better prepared, sharper, and far more confident for the fight ahead.
