Defensive communication key for the Houston Rockets

As the Houston Rockets fully embrace a small-ball approach, defensive communication will be the biggest factor for the Rockets to be successful in Orlando.

No team will have to rely on defensive communication more than the Houston Rockets. Unlike most teams, Houston does not use a center in their rotation as a way to better space the floor offensively. While the Rockets’ small-ball approach makes their offense extremely difficult to stop, it also leaves Houston extremely vulnerable on the defensive end as they are undersized and are without a rim protector.

Because of their lack of a center, the Rockets rely on forwards like the 6’5″ P.J. Tucker and 6’7″ Robert Covington to guard opposing team’s big men. Tucker and Covington are both excellent defenders who are capable of locking down any player in the league, but the Rockets can not expect Tucker and Covington to completely shut down elite big men, like Anthony Davis and Nikola Jokic, over the course of a seven-game playoff series.

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Instead, Houston shifts their focus to playing team defense to make up for their lack of size. Playing team defense is centered around communication and that is something Houston must master come playoff time if they hope to make a deep run.

In a Zoom press conference Wednesday morning, Tucker emphasized how important it is for the team to communicate and get on the same page defensively.

“To me, it’s always about our defensive communication,” Tucker said. “It sounds so simple but it’s probably the hardest thing for any team, especially us the way we play defense. I think when we communicate our defense is better, our rotations are better, and in turn, we are able to get stops and we are able to run and get into our offense.”

It is easy to see how important communication will be for the Rockets to be successful defensively. Houston switches defensively more than any other team in the league, whether it be on screens or non-screens, as a way to try to keep a defender in front of the ball at all times so that their opponents are not able to easily get into the paint and exploit the Rockets lack of size.

When the Rockets communicate well and are crisp in their switches they have shown success in shutting down some of the NBA’s best offenses but when they fail to communicate it leads to many easy buckets for their opponents.

Another way communication will play a key for the Rockets is on the defensive glass. Since going all-in on small-ball, Houston has posted a 68.7 defensive rebound percentage, which ranks last in the league.

The Rockets do not have the size to ask one man to keep opposing team’s seven-footers off the boards. Instead, the Rockets must once again rely on their defensive communication in order for them to control the defensive glass.  All five players must be on the same page and must box-out and crash the boards defensively for Houston to limit the number of second-chance opportunities they allow.

Ultimately, defensive switches and having five guys crash the defensive glass will be key if the Houston Rockets want to keep their opponent’s big men in check, but their success at effectively executing these things is all dependent on their communication with one another. If the Rockets all get on the same page and constantly communicate with each other then they could make a deep run in this year’s playoffs, but if they fail to communicate then this year will just be another year to add to a long list of Houston’s disappointing playoff exits.