Print


Tuesday January 12, 2010 11:08 AM

It Still Starts With Defense


Rockets' defense, though different, still key to team's success

Jason Friedman
Rockets.com Staff Writer

HOUSTON - For the latter part of the last decade, the Rockets’ calling card was defense. Opponents knew that a night against Houston meant an evening filled with contested shots, physical play and intelligent schemes designed to keep points to a minimum. Little wonder, then, that Houston consistently ranked among the league’s top-5 in defense year after year.

This season, however, has seen some slippage in that regard. The same admirable characteristics remain – shots are still contested with fervor, the strategy is sound and opponents will tell you that Houston, though undersized, remains one of the more physical teams in the NBA – but changes in personnel have forced the Rockets to somewhat alter their defensive approach.

With Yao Ming no longer patrolling the paint and Dikembe Mutombo riding off into the sunset of retirement, Houston lacks the shot-blocking and, just as importantly, shot-altering presence of previous years; something which goes a long way in explaining the Rockets’ current ranking as a middle of the pack defensive team.

“Without rim protection it’s hard to be an elite defensive team,” concedes Shane Battier. “That’s just a fact and we don’t have that. We can still be an effective defensive team, though - we just have to be a different defensive team.”

Part of that difference manifests itself in a more aggressive style than the one the Rockets have employed in years past. While Houston may not boast the same sort of interior size it used to enjoy, the club is currently blessed with an abundance of speed and quickness – qualities which have helped the Rockets rise from last in the league in turnovers forced a year ago to 15th overall this season.

It’s also worth noting that Houston’s schedule – the toughest in the NBA to date – has certainly done no favors to the Rockets’ overall defensive ranking. So as things begin to balance out and the club finally gets to enjoy the benefits of some home-cooking, fans should expect to see that number inch upward. And it will be imperative that it does so, since the symbiotic nature of offense and defense states quite simply that the more stops Houston generates with its ‘D,’ the better the Rockets’ transition game will be.

“I think we still rely on defense and when our defense is good that’s when we really are dangerous,” says Luis Scola. “You can’t play up-tempo if you don’t get stops. It’s as simple as that. If you don’t make stops it’s really hard to run. In this league I still believe it’s all about defense.”

For proof one need look no further than Houston’s defensive effort against the New York Knicks Saturday night. The Rockets locked-in during the second half, limiting New York to a mere 39 points after halftime. The end result of all those stops were a legion of fast-break opportunities, allowing Houston to outscore the Knicks 51-32 in transition as the Rockets returned to the up-tempo style which so perfectly suits the personnel they put on the floor.

So while Houston’s defense may not be as suffocating this season as it’s been in the past, it remains the trigger for everything the Rockets hope to accomplish as a team. It’s still frequently the first thing mentioned by coaches and players after games and practice. That much hasn’t changed. What has, however – if only ever so slightly – is the team’s formula for success. As a team in transition – in more ways than one – the Rockets’ defining characteristic these days is not simply their defense but rather their resourcefulness.

“I think the foundation of this team is grit now – we just find a way to get it done,” says Battier. “When we’ve won games we’ve won them in a multitude of different ways. Looking back at our 21 wins this season, I can’t say we’ve won because of ‘X’ – every game we’ve won for a different reason.”

Got a question for Rockets.com? Send it to Jason Friedman. And for up to the second news and injury updates follow the Rockets and Jason on Twitter.