Houston Rockets: 3 goals for Marquese Chriss in 2018-19

2. Improve on defense

Despite being regarded as a freakish athlete who plays with energy, Chriss has yet to fully put his defensive woes to rest. There are plenty of moments where the former lottery pick looks adrift, displaying a lack of focus against his assignments.

During his rookie season down in the desert, Chriss was frequently taken advantage of within pick-and-roll sets, giving up a whopping 1.38 points per possession to roll men with the Suns. Phoenix’s defense proved to be more efficient without him on the floor, giving up 1.6 fewer points per 100 possessions.

Although playing in the Rockets’ switch-heavy defensive scheme could prove to be a much better fit for Chriss than most expect, the new kid on the block must show a more concerted effort on a nightly basis — and hold himself accountable — should he seek to crack Mike D’Antoni‘s rotation this coming season. Finding out a way to hold his own in isolation and one-on-one situations on defense could prove to be the difference between whether or not the former Washington star is able to make his stay in Houston a successful one.