I watch every minute of every Rockets game. When we struggle we are playing lax defense. When we lock in on defense everything fixes itself. Playing lockdown defense requires laser focus. That laser focus is also required to hit 3s. You can't play 80% defense and expect to execute 100% offense. Throughout the season, the short periods of struggle are correlated with less than stellar defense. When we make a conscious shift to a defensive, effort based mentality, everything clicks. It is human nature to let off the gas when you are up 2-0 against what is by all objective measures an inferior team. Losing game 3 should be the wake up call we needed. Based on player and coach interviews, the emphasis on energy and effort that is required is incoming. Let's go Rockets!
Playoffs only: Warriors are the best to defend 3-pointers at 31.5% Rockets are 11th best to defend 3-pointers at 41.2% This is so called "Playoff Dan Tony". https://www.foxsports.com/nba/team-...&time=2&pos=0&team=1&qual=1&sortOrder=0&opp=0
Against the Warriors you need more than just effort on defense. Our switching game plan is good to a fault. Have to mix it up. I agree with your general point though.
The switching defense works well against teams that don't drive a lot (Warriors: last) and don't iso a lot (Warriors: bottom 3rd). Minnesota is high in drives and number one in isos (5th in regular season). They also have the personnel to do it, Rose/Teague very fast; Towns, Butler, Wiggins heavy iso players
The Rockets defense will come from their offense. The more times Minnesota has to take the ball out of the basket the more times Houston has to set up their half court defense. By missing so many wide open looks it becomes really tough to always match up well in transition (even though the Rockets switch everything there are some switches you would rather not have happen). Secondly the missed shots, especially when open, do have its toll on your mentality, even if they are professionals. This leads to less effort on the defensive end. Now we have gotten more mentally tougher guys on the team this year, but this was evident to me during Saturday's game.
Do we not realize this is the playoffs? Do we not realize we lose HCA if we lose a home game (and unlike us, the Jazz have a LIT crowd)? Do we not remember what happened after we blew out SAS in game 1 of round 2 last year? Did we honestly think we could just cruise to a series win? PLAY DEFENSE WITH SOME FU**ING INTENSITY!
