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The Rockets and the Zone

Discussion in 'Houston Rockets: Game Action & Roster Moves' started by daywalker02, Nov 10, 2025 at 2:16 AM.

  1. Joe Joe

    Joe Joe Go Stros!
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    The best half-court offense tops out at about 1.06. The Rockets' zone basically makes the average half-court offense they've faced look like the best half-court offense in the NBA when they play zone.
     
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  2. Aruba77

    Aruba77 Member

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    I’ve grown to hate the zone. We are a team that has the talent to switch and play man. The zone takes away one of our biggest defensive advantages.
     
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  3. Joe Joe

    Joe Joe Go Stros!
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    Durant, JSJ, Adams, and Sengun are best suited to play PF or C defensively. Unpopular opinion, but I do not think Durant and JSJ are a good fit defensively in man-to-man units. JSJ and Durant have worked on offense so far.

    The Rockets don't use it much, but Amen, Okogie, and Tari bring the Rockets' man-to-man defense when deployed together. I just don't know if Ime wants to play that much man-to-man with Durant while also depending on Durant for so much offense.
     
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  4. HoustonSportsAddict

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    We are top 10 in defensive rating. I don't think the zone is the problem.
     
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  5. RHU525

    RHU525 Member
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    How did the zone cause us to turn it over almost 20 times. That’s is what killed us.
     
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  6. heypartner

    heypartner Member

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    Help me out here: where do you get that number? Do you mean points per play?

    Do you think the left axis of that chart is points per play, or per possession?
     
  7. Joe Joe

    Joe Joe Go Stros!
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    Halfcourt number is points per play in halfcourt from cleaning the glass. As zone is played per play in which zone is played, I assume their possession on left axis is per play in which zone is played (i.e., that 1.1 is not equivalent to the 110 Defensive rating which is points per 100 possessions). After an offensive rebound, teams typically are trying frantically to just get a man on the ball such that I would not consider that defense to be zone, and as such, I doubt a PPP for zone defense counts this portion of a possession to be zone.

    I think their "possession" should be called "play" as I highly doubt it covers the entire possession in which at any point zone is played.

    If it is truly per possession, that is decently impressive.
     
    #27 Joe Joe, Nov 10, 2025 at 4:57 PM
    Last edited: Nov 10, 2025 at 5:06 PM
  8. heypartner

    heypartner Member

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    One of the criticisms of zone is it hurts your rebounding. So, you’d think they would measure the whole possession, and just remove transition possessions.

    Do you know if CtG has zone data like that? If so, I might finally subscribe.
     
  9. kjayp

    kjayp Member

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    just an eye test and i aint digging up no stats... but i hate the zone... it seems to always result in their guys getting wide open looks from the perimeter...

    too many players can make u pay nowadays...

    most of our 3pt % is due to wide open looks....

    I dont think 1 or 2 stars can beat us... but when most of their team is raining wide open 3s on us - it gets dicey...

    I'd much rather man up... and help and rotate as needed.
     
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  10. groovemachine

    groovemachine Member

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    and the zone … they got a ton of offensive rebounds and resulting open 3’s
     
  11. Easy

    Easy Boban Only Fan
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    I checked the NBA team DefRtg which is PPP. The median is 1.14. The Rockets' is 1.12. Of course it includes fast break points so it should be somewhat higher than half court only.
     
  12. Easy

    Easy Boban Only Fan
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    BTW, the Rockets DReb% is 11th. Not great but not too bad either.
     
  13. Holybats

    Holybats Member

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    While we are 1st at OReb%.
     
  14. heypartner

    heypartner Member

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    Did nba provide the median. Or did you calculate it? I can’t find league-wide averages for stats at nba.com. Must be looking in the wrong place.
     
  15. Easy

    Easy Boban Only Fan
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    No, I just looked at the team DefRtg ranking. https://www.nba.com/stats/teams/advanced?dir=A&sort=DEF_RATING
    The 15th and 16th are both 1.142. I compared it to the zone PPP shown on the chart which looked like it's a little below 1.1.

    But after seeing your exchange with Joe Joe, I realized that PPP in the chart could mean point per play, not per possession. If it's per play, then I was comparing orange with apple.
     
  16. Easy

    Easy Boban Only Fan
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    Yes, but it is irrelevant to our discussion about zone defense.
     
  17. javal_lon

    javal_lon Member

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    Just go back to man to man when mfers like Harrison Barnes getting open looks..
     
  18. conquistador#11

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    [​IMG]

    Ime is going to cook us all!!!
     

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