The game last season when Ennis played for Memphis playing expert defense on Harden and lit the Rockets up from the 3-point line is the high water mark and is all I need to know about his play. if Ennis can do a quarter of what I saw that game, I will be happy with the acquisition.
During the 2017-2018 NBA season, the Houston Rockets preferred to play with two of Trevor Ariza, Luc Mbah a Moute and PJ Tucker on the floor at all times. The three perimeter defenders vaulted Houston into sixth in defensive rating and the number one team in the NBA in performed switches at 1,406, more than doubling most NBA teams. Unfortunately for the Rockets, they would lose two of their three trusted defensive specialists in free agency. With only PJ Tucker remaining, there was a gaping hole at the small-forward position. Ariza was the free-safety, the signal caller, pointing out coverages and playing the passing lanes. Mbah a Moute was the epitome of versatility, defending 1 through 5, applying heavy on-ball pressure and covering up the opposing team’s premier ball-handler. Enter James Ennis. A hybrid to the truest sense, at 6’7” and 210 pounds with an almost 7’ wingspan, Ennis illustrates the ideal combination of athleticism and length the Rockets want from the small-forward position. With Houston, Ennis will thrust into familiar roles of filling the lane in transition and hitting spot-up opportunities, but also unfamiliar roles of consistently, night in and night out, battling against the opposing team’s perimeter ball-handlers. With the Rockets looking to fill the sizable void left by Ariza and Mbah a Moute, The Athletic had a chance to talk to the proclaimed ‘Ennis The Menace’ about why he chose Houston, his role entering the season and what Rockets fans and the NBA can expect from the Rockets’ newest weapon. We will also step into the film room to take a closer look at how Houston can take advantage of his strengths, his ideal role within the offense and defense and why this will be a perfect fit. The Athletic: What’s going through your mind as you get ready to meet up with your team and train with everyone in the Bahamas? Ennis: Just going through a championship organization, that’s something that goes through my mind. Just meeting up with everybody. Different organizations are different in how players come together. So it’ll be my first time with this team. The Athletic: Do you know Chris Paul and James Harden well? Ennis: Not personally. The Athletic: From your times defending and going against James Harden and Chris Paul, how difficult were they to match-up against? What sticks out about them? Ennis: They’re very difficult players. They’re superstars. And in this league, those superstars are hard to stop. So the best thing against them is you have to make it difficult. With Chris, definitely his speed and his handle. With James, definitely his step-back and he knows how to draw the foul well.
Film Room: His aggressiveness Ennis does know Harden well. A popular calling card for Ennis was his stellar defensive performance against Harden in the 2016-2017 season when he was a member of the Memphis Grizzlies. Ennis is known for his high energy and never-ending motor. Scouts have marveled at his stamina and conditioning, especially late in games when competing for loose balls, defensive rebounds and slashing movement in the half-court. In that performance against Harden, Ennis did not waver in his aggressiveness. He used his body and hands effectively, bending his knees on-ball and leveraging his chest into Harden off-ball. A Rockets offensive staple is the 21 series offense. Here the 21 series transitioned into a 21 dribble hand-off. Ennis hugged Harden initially, and Eric Gordon ended up taking on the screen-and-roll with Nene. Ennis, with his long wingspan, was able to help one pass away, a trait his peers Ariza and Mbah a Moute had. He stunted towards the roll man, which forced the pass back to Harden. He then recovered and began playing the angles. At first, he angled Harden towards the middle where the help-defense was located. Once the screener arrived, he angled Harden back towards the sideline. Zach Randolph helped collapse on Harden and Ennis got his body and chest into ball. This caused a turnover. Ennis combined his athleticism with proper fundamentals to force the travel. Once Harden picked up his dribble, Ennis stepped into his space and jammed into Harden’s pivot foot. Jamming into the offensive player allows the defender to crowd and exert full pressure onto the basketball and create imbalance. Harden was forced to retreat and protect the basketball. This then allowed Ennis to take the pressure further by using his hands to ‘deny’. He put up both hands and took away both the shot-attempt and passing lane. With Ennis disrupting Harden’s vision and balance, Harden was trapped and ultimately traveled. The key to defending superstars like Harden is to disrupt their timing, push them out of their prefered spots and make them uncomfortable. Ennis does all three on the same possession. The Athletic: When you were being recruited, you met with the Rockets front office. How did that go? Ennis: I definitely got good vibes. Everybody was excited. I’m excited. I’m definitely looking forward to begin. They were one of the first teams to call me. They flew down to Beverly Hills and they met with us at the hotel. They put together a pitch booklet. They were all in on me. And throughout the process, Mike [D’Antoni] was great. He kept in touch with me and my agent throughout free agency to try to really put together a deal. Mike D’Antoni was a big part of it because you really want a coach to believe in you. The Athletic: How did Coach D’Antoni say he wanted to utilize you? And as a result of your conversations with him, what have you been working on this offseason to prepare? Ennis: He definitely wants to use my ability to guard 1-4. My shooting ability. And my energy. So my biggest thing this offseason was being able to knock down the three. This whole summer I’ve been working on my ball-handling, distributing the ball out of pick-and-roll and shooting a lot of three-pointers, open shots and contested shots. Coach D’Antoni told me in the meeting that if I don’t shoot double or have a career year in 3-point attempts then he’s gonna bench me. He wants me to shoot as many threes as possible. Scouting Report: Last season, Ennis spent 10% of his time on defense guarding opposing point-guards, 36% of the time on shooting-guards, 34% on small-forwards, 16% on power-forwards and about 4% on centers. He is right, at any given time, Ennis can switch and pick-up any position 1-4. Ennis is quick enough and long enough to disrupt a point-guard from facilitating the pick-and-roll. His length allows him to stay on the hip of shooter-guards and recover around pindowns and screens to alter catch-and-shoot attempts. His ideal size and frame makes him suitable against wings and smaller-forwards. Even against athletic forwards, his awareness and lateral quickness allows him to defend slip screens and rolls. The Athletic: Offensively, you’ve made 35.9% of your career 3-pointers. You’ll attempt a higher volume in Houston. Have you worked on your shooting in particular this offseason to make it quicker? Expanded your range? Ennis: Yeah. I’ve definitely been working on my release. I’ve been working on my left hand, as my guide hand, to get my thumb off the ball when I release, making it faster and more accurate. I’ve been shooting a lot of threes with Chris Johnson. Left. Right. Pretty much from everywhere.
Film Room: His shot release During the summer, Ennis has been training with Chris Johnson on his release, particularly on catch-and-shoot opportunities. Johnson worked previously for the Rockets organization for a season as personnel for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers of the G-League. They have worked extensively on putting Ennis in positions similar to what he will see with Houston. Ennis’ preferred catching spot is his chest, right into the middle where he can transition directly into his dip, gather, elevate and release. Notice the fluidity in which Ennis attempts the 3-pointer. There is no hitch. There is no mechanical break. As Ennis noted in his answer, he’s been working on his guide hand and thumb. As a right-handed shooter, his left hand (off-hand) guides the shot on the arc and balances the body overall. To speed his release, Ennis will need to work on his dip. The dip encompasses the transition of the ball from the chest to the waist/thigh and then above the shoulders for the release. By taking the ball towards the hip and then bringing the ball back up, the shooter generates additional power and potential energy. This increases the velocity and strength in which the basketball is released, speeding up the player’s mechanics. In the above video, the shot was wide-open and released between .6 and .7 seconds. Ennis defender, albeit in pick-up basketball, stunted to help on the roll man and was late to recover. This gave Ennis enough space to calmly knock down the open 3-pointer. The Athletic: What are your thoughts on analytics? How did Houston integrate that into their pitch to get you and show how much better of a player you could become? Ennis: Well they integrated me into the pitch. Mike D’Antoni said, every player that has ever played for him always has a career year. He expects me to have my best season. I’m really coming in there, really to fill two shoes. The defense of Luc Mbah a Moute and and Trevor Ariza’s shooting. They thought I was a good match because I’m younger and more of an offensive threat. For analytics, they told me about the 3-point shooting. Just about how many shots I’ll get, how open I’ll be, how my percentages will increase in their system. Scouting Report: Ennis’ comments about his 3-point shooting and his importance in the offense propose the question of where the increased volume of attempts will come from? First and foremost, Ennis will attempt most of his 3-pointers in transition, assimilating into the role of Ariza the past four seasons, particularly Ariza’s role before the signing of Gordon. The Rockets were the top scoring team in transition during the 2017-2018 season. That was primarily due to the high volume of attempts from beyond the perimeter early in the shot-clock. Last season, Ariza converted 36% of his 3-pointers in the first nine seconds of the shot-clock (15-24 seconds). In comparison, James Ennis shot 43% on the same shot-attempts in 2016-2017 and 30% in 2017-2018. Even if you average the numbers, they get to his career catch-and-shoot average of ~37%. These transition opportunities will come off of pindowns, quick-hit curls and double drag screens where Ennis will pop-out from. Also, quick pick-and-pop in transitions, something Ennis told me he’s comfortable with doing in the offense, will also be on the table as Paul and Harden look to bait defenders into preferred mismatches. Flare screens will also be another way to open up Ennis for 3-pointers. PJ Tucker had the most screen assists for any Rockets forward last season, primarily because he would flare for Ariza and Mbah a Moute in the corners. The flare screen feasts on defenses that overload towards the strong-side, looking to throw multiple bodies at Paul and Harden. Once defenses commit to the ball-handler, Tucker would slide into the passing lane and set the screen, freeing up the corner shooters. This plays into the Rockets preference for corner 3-pointers, as Ennis shot 44% and 38% from the left corner the last two seasons, respectfully. The Athletic: What do you make of the expectations about having to come in and fill the shoes of Trevor Ariza and Luc Mbah a Moute, who helped the Rockets achieve a top-defense ranking? Ennis: I have a chip on my shoulder. I have a lot to prove. So this year, coming in, I’m just really focused on just being the player I can be and being someone Coach can put in at anytime and help. I’m always hard on myself so I’m really not going there and thinking ‘I gotta do what he does, I gotta do what he does’. I’m gonna go in there and do what I do and play my game. The Athletic: You had chance to play for Coach Jeff Bzdelik during the 2016-2017 season. How would you describe the scheme he employs? Ennis: Disruptive. Aggressive. Communicate a lot. Switch a lot 1-4, sometimes 1-5. The Athletic: You’ve proven to be a perimeter defender. How does your skill-set translate to a Rockets team that ranked first in the NBA last season in switches? Ennis: I think my skill-set translates because I’m versatile. I can switch 1-4. I can guard the 5, too. I’ve been in the weight room a lot this summer so I can guard any position. I have the nickname ‘Ennis The Menace’ because people will always comment how I’m all over the court. That’s why I think I’m perfect for Houston. I’m always going to have energy, no matter what. The Athletic: Ennis The Menace? Where’s that from? Ennis: I had this in Australia, kind of in Miami. Then I lost it. I’m gonna bring it back to Houston.
Ennis The Menace. I chuckled the first time James mentioned that nickname to me. However, he’s not wrong. Ennis is a menace on the defensive end of the floor. He dives, runs, switches and battles. Always around the basketball. Take the above clip for example. The Grizzlies switched the Blake Griffin and Andre Drummond 4/5 pick-and-roll, taking Marc Gasol away from the paint. Drummond was matched up against a smaller forward. Watch Ennis’ anticipation as the help-side defender. Once Drummond picked up his first dribble, Ennis sprinted over, trapped the basketball and helped force the turnover to spark a transition opportunity. Ennis told me his speed was something that stands out about his defensive capabilities and he showed it on that play. He was defending the corner shooter. The pass into the post was made nonchalantly, there was no threat from Ennis at that time. In a matter of a second, he covered ground from the help-side onto the side pocket of Drummond. Ennis The Menace was a common nickname for him in the NBL and with the Miami Heat. In large part due to his tenacious play, never-ending motor and aggressive tendencies on both ends. One area where he will be able to earn that moniker in Houston will be through offensive and defensive rebounds. Because of his size and length, Ennis has always been a great rebounder, outflying smaller forwards and guards and boxing out against Bigs. In his time in the National Basketball League, Ennis was the fourth best rebounder, averaging over 7 rebounds a game as a wing. During the 2016-2017 NBA season, a tool was developed to give players rebounding ratings. Ennis had a rebounding score comparable to Trevor Ariza, PJ Tucker and Patrick Beverley. All three are known for their ability to track the basketball and secure the rebound. The above clip is an example of Ennis using his great leaping ability to help secure the offensive rebound. Ennis has a great second bounce, something that takes some wings and Bigs multiple seasons in the NBA to get good at. He already had a strong frame, but with the additional weight Ennis has added on this offseason, he can leverage his body into Bigs and fight more on the offensive glass. Here’s an another example of why Ennis is a strong offensive rebounder. He crashed inside while the shot was in the air and gained inside positioning. He maintained the inside positioning by keeping Millsap and Bazemore on his back. Offensive rebounding is a little different from defensive rebounding. On the defensive end, coaches will instruct bigs to box-out, not use their height, and get their body into the offensive player to gain inside positioning. For offensive rebounds, if an offensive player is long enough, coaches will often instruct the player to get around that defender. If they cannot, the offensive player should attempt to tip the basketball to another big or teammate around the basket. For a team like the Rockets who like to keep three defenders back to secure the defensive rebound, particularly in their small-ball lineups, Ennis’ ability to use his length and size will be beneficial to limit teams to one-shot possessions. The Athletic: There’s no way to prepare for this new Warriors team other than playing them. But, do you think this Rockets team, right now, with you and Carmelo Anthony and Michael Carter-Williams as additions, can defeat the Warriors in a seven game series? Ennis: Yes we can. A lot of power. A lot of offensive power. A lot of defensive power. Bringing in Carmelo who is an offensive threat. Michael Carter Williams is a good guard, he can score the ball, his length. If everyone is healthy, we’ll definitely beat them. The Athletic: What’s the most important thing to do when you’re playing the Warriors? Ennis: You definitely gotta communicate, especially on switches because they slip a lot. Definitely have to be aggressive. They’re a good team. A lot of superstars and all stars on that team. You have to make it difficult for them.
Film Room: Matching up vs. Warriors The first aspect Ennis mentioned was communication. During the 2016-2017 season, the Grizzlies gave the Warriors trouble in their regular season battles. Tony Allen and Ennis would work in tandem to make it difficult on Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson to operate around screens and in space. Thompson came around a simple Durant off-ball screen and caught the ball on the right block. As Thompson stopped his pivot foot, Tony Allen jammed into him. This put Thompson out of his preferred position and more towards the sideline. Thompson then changed his pivot foot and was forced to pass the ball away. Durant curled around with Ennis and pursuit. Ennis stayed on his hip and kept his arms in deny position, one arm on the pass and the other arm aggressively following Durant’s back. As Durant dribbled around the perimeter, he switched the dribble from his left to right hand. Ennis used his long wingspan to poke the ball and came away with the steal. Against Durant, defenders cannot simply contest his unbelievably high release point. However, the key is to stay on his hip, particularly around screens, aggressively deny him the basketball, jam into his space with the lower body, then use arms and wingspan to pressure the ball and takeaway the pass. Make him as uncomfortable as possible, which in itself is a tall task. His on-ball defense on Curry, particularly when Curry comes around screens is a positive for the Rockets. Watch the ball pressure from Ennis. He positioned himself between Zaza Pachulia and Curry. The tighter and closer on the hip of the ball-handler the defender is, the harder it is for the screener to shield the defender and create an advantage. The only way for Pachulia to create enough space for Curry to curl and shoot was if he was extended his hip or made an illegal lean towards Ennis. This is all possible because Gasol played drop coverage, a safety blanket for Ennis. As Ennis fought aggressively around the screen, Gasol had the responsibility of covering both the roll man and the ball-handler until Ennis could recover. For Ennis, his length allowed him to redirect Curry and force a retreat from the perimeter. As Curry came off the screen, he felt the pressure extended by Ennis and retreated inside the perimeter, not outside where he could ignite his quick release. Yes, Curry had an opportunity to continue the dribble-drive inside the paint and pull-up, but with Ennis creeping behind, Curry was hindered and the slight hesitation allowed for Ennis to slide back in front of the basketball. Ennis was never flat-footed, he kept his feet pointed and moving. Ennis ran directly to the strong hand of Curry after the screen. This not only took away the 3-point threat, but would funnel a Curry drive into the help-defense. Curry attempted to reset the dribble, but in the process of doing so he turned the basketball over. This is another example of Ennis The Menace. Even though Curry was closer to the basketball, Ennis sprinted and dove to recover the loose ball. The Athletic: As you’re now with a title contender, what is your ultimate goal, personal goal, for this season? Ennis: First. Team. Defense. This year. Definitely. I just wanna help them get over the hump and I think I can do it. The Athletic: Do you think you’ll be starting at the 3 or the 4? Where would you best fit with this Rockets team? Ennis: Wherever Coach tells me. Wherever Coach puts me at. Whatever he feels will help the team the most. I’ll still have the same chip on my shoulder. They emphasized that I would have a big role. There’s a good chance that I’ll start and if not, I’ll play 25+ minutes. The Athletic: What is something Rockets fans, or NBA fans in general, may not know about you? Ennis: I used to skateboard and I love fishing in my free time. I like to fish in my free time. It’s very relaxing. I’ve been going every morning this summer to relax before training. The Athletic: What’s something you would want to say to Rockets fans? Ennis: Hey, Rockets fans! This is Ennis The Menace. I’m ready to give you guys high energy, a lot of stops and a lot of dunks.
Good stuff, thanks. I think getting Ennis to replace Ariza is a very unheralded move. Media's focused a lot on what we lost, but not what we gained.
Super hyped to see Ennis in a Rockets uni after that read. Don't know why the media is overlooking his addition so much. All you hear is "they replaced Ariza and Luc with Melo LOL" but no mention of Ennis. I could see it already: Ennis outperforms his contract and declines that 2nd year player option. Rockets choose to let him walk and the media proceeds to treat it the same way they did when we lost Ariza and Luc lmao.
I mentioned it earlier but Ariza and Ennis are on opposite trajectories with Ariza declining and Ennis coming into his prime. This will prove to be a very good unheralded move by Morey.
I’m very confident we won’t lose a step with replacing Ariza and Luc with Ennis. My brother’s favourite team is Memphis so I’ve seen a bunch of his games, great energy and hustle. I loved this signing from the start and it seems like he has the perfect attitude for this role. I was actually shocked when he was traded for nothing last year but I guess he was entering free agency and the Grizz weren’t exactly showing out.
Isn't Kelly Iko a clutchfans member? And Alykhan a former Clutchfans contributer? I don't know how they'll feel about their paywall stuff being posted here. Just sayin'
Definitely makes me more optimistic. He's already 36% from 3pt range for his career on 2 attempts. If he can up the attempts while maintaining 36%, he will be a really good addition.
