We've seen the recent stretch of games. We understand the frustration. We are aware of the glaring issues of the Houston Rockets roster. At 19-20, they are below .500 for the first time since November 4th. Additionally, the Rockets just fell out of the playoff picture after losses to the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers, now holding the 11th seed. On the bright side, Houston is three wins away from their highest win total last season with another half of NBA basketball left to go.
Houston's trouble on the East Coast
After nearly losing against the Detroit Pistons, Houston spent the next two games on life support, getting completely outclassed by two contending teams in the Celtics and 76ers. Each deficit was as high as 21, with Boston winning by thirty-two points. Both teams torched the Rockets at the perimeter, shooting 49.5% from deep with a combined thirty-nine three-pointers.
The entire Celtics starting lineup scored in double figures with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown combining for 59 points. Joel Embiid on the Sixers made his return from injury and recorded a whopping 41-point double-double, frequently drawing fouls with ease.
On the road, Houston holds a putrid 4-14 record. While it may seem frustrating to watch, infamously reminiscing the last three seasons, it couldn't get worse, right? Right?
During the postgame interview, a reporter asked Rockets coach Ime Udoka about his opinion regarding Jalen Green's continued lackluster performance. Udoka responded by citing the overall lack of performance from the starting five.
“In general, I don't love our performance from the starting lineup for the most part. You got it going a little bit late but you want to come out with that intensity from the start. The aggressiveness.. making those reads and looking confident from the start.”
Struggles with the young guys
While this does illustrate the overall performance as a team, Jalen Green is certainly a prime culprit. Throughout 39 games, the former 2nd overall pick 17.4 points on a poor 40.1% efficiency and 33.7% from the arc. In the month of January, Green is shooting under 40% averaging 17.7 points. Halfway into his third season as a pro, it's not a bold take to believe his potential as an All-Star caliber player is nonexistent.
It's not just Green that's struggled either. Initially hailed as an All-Star potential, Alperen Sengun, has tapered off a bit, specifically on the defensive end and turnovers. At times he appears lethargic on defense, which translates to his overall energy on offense. The heavy burden on the 21-year-old to facilitate, defend, and score on his own has led to his erratic performance. This was evident against Philadelphia, as he committed five turnovers in just the first quarter.
January blues
Over the past couple of years, the midpoint of the NBA season has not been kind for Houston. Between the end of 2022 into 2023 through January, the Rockets posted a 2-15 record, including a thirteen-game losing streak. Around that same stretch in 2021-2022, Houston went 4-13. Just went the NBA gets settled a month after the season starts, the Rockets appear to lose steam. Let's hope Udoka's first year prevents this from happening again.
It doesn't get much better however, as they will face the new and improved New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday night.
Teetering above .500 for the majority of the season, the Knicks started 2024 going 6-2 after making a blockbuster trade, acquiring forward OG Anunoby from the Toronto Raptors. Unlike the Celtics and Sixers, the Knicks don't necessarily specialize in offense. Defense has been their strong suit. In the last eight games, New York has held opponents to a 43.9% field goal, which is currently 2nd in the NBA behind the Minnesota Timberwolves. This could bode well for the Rockets, as they've failed to compete against teams who regularly score more than 120 points in most games.
The Rockets boasted a top-three defense for the first two months of the season. Since their cold streak occurred toward the end of December, Houston has dropped to eighth in defensive rating and is 19th over the last 10 games.
Again, it could be worse. After three grueling seasons, the Rockets are finally a better team. At least each game has something Rockets fans can hope for, but they aren't playoff-bound. Not quite yet.
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