Mike D’Antoni Defensive Adjustments

Midget ball is energy intensive. Whether it's reading the right plays or positioning enough to stop a taller player. I can totally understand winging it during the regular season grind.

Assuming nothing drastically changed besides Playoff Mode, maybe no travel or late night distractions inside the Bubble gives them the sleep needed to play and think at a high level.

There was that sleep deprivation article posted last year in the Dish. Getting your 8+ hrs is no joke.

 

In essence, this actually the SECOND full season that Rockets have used this defense.

Rockets started this season with a different defense.

The last 19 games or so, the Rockets have gone back to switch everything.

Our 65 win team was top 10 defense using this system. Even with ill fits like Ryno, Nene, Gerald Green, Iso Joe, etc.

The 2018-2019 team had different personnel and Ennis, Shumpert, Chriss, Knight, Faried and MKG were not great fits for this D scheme, at all.

Neither was Clint if we are being honest.

Our entire 9 man rotation can defend 1-5.

Russ and BMac are our weakest defenders but weak is very different from unable or unwilling to execute the scheme (see Shumpert, Knight, Chriss, Faried).

But most importantly this entire roster has bought in and are committed completely to this defense. And it shows.

This is an effort and execution defense, if even one part not embraced the entire thing falls apart.

 

Shumpert drove me nuts. Refused to switch when his teammate expected the switch, and mucked everything up.

 

Exactly!!

Very frustrating for a guy who was more D than 3.

But could only play man to man.

 

Defence Matters!

 

The Rockets style of defense is very exhausting for the forwards and “center”. However the way to get around that is to have quality depth, and the Rockets have more quality depth than they have had in awhile. So Tucker can rely on help from Green, Covington and Even House some.... that makes a massive difference. Right now Green and House are really helping Covington and Tucker... I guarantee if this Rockets team has a good playoff run, you will see them go hard for more quasi wings that can play the 3-5 so Tucker and Covington can play even 5-8 minutes less each at the 5. That will make a huge difference in their shooting and effectiveness.

 

He didn’t want to defend 4’s and 5’s. He made it very clear.

 

Harden is a frontcourt defnder too . WB rivers and gordon help him by reducing offensive load. Whole team is very synergistic

 

And he deserves kudos for it.

 

Pretty sure it is Turner who deserves credit for this defense

 

I am certain that returning to switch everything was not Turner's idea, it's not his defense.

Morey trading for RoCo was the catalyst. PJ and Harden wanted to return to a system they knew worked.

And Morey and MDA agreed with the math.

Turner and our defensive leaders should get all the credit for re-implementing and ensuring the smooth execution of the switch everything D.

But the players effort, focus and commitment, especially the D leaders like PJ and RoCo who are always communicating and talking should get the greatest credit.

 

EGo took a charge for 1st time as a Rocket. Crazy.

Dare I say it - yet another defensive adjustment.

 

Was the defensive adjustment to bench your best defender?

 

Mike is senile. Just forgot he existed is all

 

Rockets up 2 with 30 seconds left in the game. Would Covington come off of SGA in the corner to triple team Paul even though obviously the game plan was for Jeff to come help off Dort?

That was the game right there. You get that stop and you are shooting free throws to close the game. This loss was 100% on Mike and that's rare that a coach can lose a game all on his own.

 

Here is your adjustment.



NBA demanded a Rockets loss.

FT disparity was egregious.