Houston Rockets: Share the basketball!
At first glance, it would seem that the Rockets have a lot of scoring power. They have six players averaging in double digits per game, with Jalen Green and Kevin Porter Jr. leading that charge at 21.0 and 19.8 points per contest, respectively. However, a closer examination reveals that talented individual scorers do not equate to offensive continuity.
The team is currently averaging 21.5 assists per game, which ranks 27th out of 30 overall teams. This highlights a big component of Houston’s offensive woes. The team has guys who can score. However, the majority of those points are coming from isolation plays, or as they call it on the playground, “iso ball.” This is okay for a pickup game on blacktop, but in an organized setting against the best players and coaches in the world, it is too easy to defend against.
For example, Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors scored 50 points against the Phoenix Suns on November 16. However, his team still lost the game. The fact is, no matter how talented a player is, one man cannot compensate for the superior game plan of his opponent on a consistent enough basis to result in winning basketball. Sure, there will be the occasional exception, but in most cases, the rule will remain true.
Historically, the best NBA teams have consisted of three guys who were primary scorers, while the remaining players knew which shots they were relied upon to convert in order to make the offense work. Right now, the Rockets have a bunch of young upstarts who all want to be called upon.
The guys at the top of the food chain are eating well, but the rations are slim for the guys at the bottom. When the team begins to pass the ball with more frequency, the offense will flow, and points will not be as hard to come by.