Houston Rockets: 2017-18 NBA season preview
Storyline 2: Will the defense be good enough?
As mentioned earlier, the Rockets’ defense was slightly below-average last season. That simply won’t cut it if they have plans to make the conference finals or beyond. Houston needs to improve to around 12th or 13th in the league if they want to have a shot at a deep playoff run.
Daryl Morey did his part to bring in better defenders this season, as Tucker and Mbah a Moute join already solid defenders in Trevor Ariza, Clint Capela and Nene. Chris Paul can slot in and provide just as much (if not more) defensive value than Beverley, and Eric Gordon should be able to replicate his solid but unspectacular play on that end of the floor this season.
The issue arises when dealing with Harden and Ryan Anderson, two extreme defensive liabilities. Extreme may be too harsh for Harden, as he has proven that when dedicating effort and focus on the defensive end, he can be a passable defender. The hope is that with a decreased offensive load, Harden will have more sustained energy for the other end of the floor.
Anderson will always be an extreme liability on defense, and is someone Houston must work around in order to sustain an above-average defense for the season.
Live Feed
Space City Scoop
Anderson is simply too slow-moving laterally, lacks the athleticism to contest shots at the rim, and is a poor defensive rebounder. Last season, he posted a -2.6 defensive box plus-minus, which was somehow his highest mark since the 2011-12 season!
At the same time, his -0.12 Defensive Real Plus-Minus wasn’t terrible, and there are stretches where Anderson gives solid effort on that end of the floor. It’s just that even with effort he struggles to be close to average on defense.
This season, Houston has a plethora of options to mask Anderson’s defense or simply take him off the floor when necessary. The Rockets can go small and have an Ariza-Mbah a Moute-Tucker frontcourt, or they can put Capela at center when they need rim protection and surround him with Paul, Gordon, Tucker and Mbah a Moute.
Also, if Houston wants Anderson’s floor spacing, they can slot him at center and surround him with good defenders like Paul, Tucker and Mbah a Moute. There are ways for Houston to hide its defensive liabilities this season, which is something the team couldn’t do last year.
The question still remains: will these defensive additions pay dividends? The Rockets’ fast-paced scheme and turnover-prone play lends itself to defensive breakdowns, and for a team that’s planning to switch as much as Houston is, there will be communication errors. At least this season the Rockets have enough quality defenders to throw at opposing teams on a nightly basis.