Hi all, new blog post here. I detail how Houston can collapse on drives with their pack the paint defense, how they should guard Dennis Schroder to stop him torching them again, and why OKC will miss Dort so much. https://www.teaandrockets.com/post/round-1-film-preview-houston-rockets-v-oklahoma-city-thunder
Instead of straight up doubling, OKC opted to send strong help on Harden. This is simply a case of Houston needing their shooters to punish the defense. This didn't happen in the regular season series, where Houston shot 25 of 105 on open or wide open shots per NBA tracking, a dismal 23.8%. this simply can not happen...just shoot average or slightly above average and OKC will be hard pressed to keep up...I’m really not asking for much
The 3 games vs. OKC this season, Rockets did not have either Covington or Green. This is going to be a very different series.
agreed they beat us handily in OKC, but we won the 1st game, and in the 3rd game, we were in complete control before choking away a double digit lead late...Harden shot 1-17 from 3 in that 3rd game while the team shot 9-45 from deep, yet we were still up by 16 heading into the 4th and had to get outscored 41-20 just to lose by 5...Chris Paul also had 28 in that game CF talking like OKC is some top tier team...Rockets don’t shoot like a bunch of D2 college players and compete defensively, and they can win this series with minimal issues even with Russ missing games
Exactly!! And Rockets were up double digits in that 3rd game WITHOUT Russ and no RoCo, no Green. We got this!
My favorite part was the Schroder strategy: This brings us to Dennis Schröder. Schröder torched the Rockets, averaging 20.3 points while shooting 60% from the field and 47.4% from deep. The Rockets had a smart strategy defending Schröder in the pick n roll, going under whether using traditional coverage or switching. In these three clips, it looks as if the guard was told to fight over the screen. It’s not perfect, but it almost turns into a drop coverage as Tucker sits so far back. On all occasions Schröder is deterred from driving. Houston needs to give him the Giannis treatment every time he’s down the court. Schröder exploded for 15 points in the 4th quarter of their last matchup, helping turn a 16-point deficit into a 5-point win. He should be seeing a wall of red around the free throw line. And if he does beat his man off a high pick n roll and gets downhill, Houston needs to collapse hard. This is made a lot easier with OKC's lack of shooting threats.
I'm surprised Ego is not mentioned more in the article. To me, Gordon will be the biggest wildcard for the series not counting Westbrooks injury. We really need his shot to fall or him to be able to get to the rim. The biggest reason is that we need to minimize Mclemore's minutes. Mclemore has been our best shooter, but Chris Paul will target him on offense no matter who he is guarding. I don't know if the 3 pt shooting can offset all the easy buckets and free throws they will be able to get off him.
EGo may need to play the Russ role and attack the rim to pull any early doubles or traps off Harden. His 3 ball looked much better vs. 76ers, shot 50% from 3.
Thanks @foggy94 , I feel like I'm wrapped up in a warm blanket of knowledge after reading/watching your work. We're gonna be okay in this series!
Harden shot 6-40 from deep in the 3 regular season games. It's not even just role players who threw up bricks.
Great read! Surprised Jeff Green didnt get a single mention! I especially believe he will be the catalyst for this team. He provides the pick and roll/pop and above the rim presence that the ROX sorely lack and could be a quasi paint protector with his leaping ability. MDAs matchup and roster utilization will also need to be quick to respond and proactive! NO DOUBLE DIGIT RUNS!!!! GO ROX!!!
true, but I trust Harden will produce in these playoffs...I don’t trust the role players at all...role players are getting much better quality looks than Harden, but they still brick it is up to them to make OKC pay for the attention they’ll be giving Harden...they don’t even need to be great, just average will probably be good enough
Oh it's Jeff Green content you want? I got you covered https://www.teaandrockets.com/post/bubble-science-game-3-in-which-we-stan-jeff-green
Schroder will be the X-Factor, he can get to rim lightning quick and so effortlessly. He is their version of Russ.
