The Houston Rockets’ 5th Ranked Defense Is for Real

Roughly 3 weeks into the NBA season, trends, trajectories, and data have accumulated to a point where projection and analysis start to feel ok.

The Houston Rockets are 5-3, their best start through 8 games since the 2019-20 bubble shortened season. They're on a 5 game winning streak in November, one of three undefeated teams in the month alongside the Timberwolves and 76ers.

While Houston is currently in the bottom third of Dunks & Threes' strength of schedule metric, what we've seen through 8 games is noteworthy; it's been a breath of fresh air watching the execution and tenacity of this Rockets group, something it sorely lacked in the recent rebuild years. They're currently 5th in Defensive Efficiency (2nd in November!!) per Cleaning the Glass, and the proof is in the process of how the Rockets are generating stops at a high level.

They're nailing the simple minutiae that set the table to curb easy points: They're 6th in the league in transition points allowed per 100 possessions. They're first in transition frequency, as only 10.6% of their defensive possessions start out of transition. They get back and get set like their lives depend on it.

However, controlling the controllables is not the sole reason for efficacy, this is just a flat out good defense, 5th in halfcourt defensive efficiency. 

What's set this group apart on the defensive end?

Their physicality and pick up points have been fantastic, equally important in denying early penetration and establishing defensive presence.

The Rockets are primarily playing a switch heavy scheme, but it's how they defy the ideology of that that's made them stick out; it has rarely felt as though a defender is on an island even though they rarely play aggressive ball screen coverages.

Watch early in the possession as the Pelicans set up stagger screens for Dereon Seabron. They have Matt Ryan as a screener, a huge threat to pop and apply pressure as a shooter. They have Zion Williamson as the second screener, a massive threat on the roll or off the bounce. 

Note the almost handoff of Zion by Jae'Sean Tate to Jabari Smith; they squeeze the action, denying any sort of space created by the potential of a screening action. Dillon Brooks high tags slightly off Ryan in the slot, an additional hand to contain Zion as Smith in turn stays open a half beat to help Tate if Seabron darts middle. So much of creating out of ball screens is forcing indecision or confusion. Houston is doing everything in their power to dictate their own terms, denying dribble or roll penetration and living with shooting threats.

The Lakers go into an empty corner look here and Castleton screens and opens himself on the roll to the strong side to try and open up a potential one on one chance off the roll with Alperen Sengun in action.

Watch how the Rockets work to deny the middle of the floor.

Brooks once again helps off the slot and is awaiting near the free throw line. Sengun is showing at the level of the screen with arms wide and high. Tari Eason shoots over the screen and is back in front. Houston sells out to make two player game in an emptied out side as difficult as possible with how many bodies they show and the way they do so.

Reaves has no traction cutting back to the outside, tries to go middle again, and Eason has Brooks a few steps away to help contain. Reaves kicks to Rui Hachimura at the top of the key, Brooks closes out, and Rui hits the three.

While this results in points on the board for the Lakers, they have to work for it. It's something the Rockets are comfortable with giving up. Hachimura is a 36% three-point shooter since his rookie season, which is solid and roughly average; Houston will take this over exposing themselves and putting themselves into rotation. If they can keep teams to shooting contested shots above the break, by all means.

Only 30.3% of total shots taken by opposition are within 4 feet of the basket against the Rockets per Cleaning the Glass, the 7th least in the league. On the other hand, the Rockets are 24th in percentage of shots taken above the break, 29% of total opposing attempts. They're ok with that. 

Houston has benefitted early on from early season shooting percentages (they're third in opposing three-point percentage, 32.5%), but chalking this up to shooting luck is unfair when looking top down at the entire process. They have their non-negotiables, they work to maintain them, and more importantly, they make you work period.

Again, it's simplistic in ideology, but beautiful in routine practice.

Brooks was Zion's primary match-up in the most recent game against New Orleans, and he performed admirably. But, Zion with a cleared out corner and isolation in the mid-post rings alarms for every defender one on one in the game.

Jonas Valanciunas rolls to just above the restricted area to give Zion an outlet. But, Brooks uses the baseline to keep Zion in front, and as he spins back, Sengun is there in helpside to meet him and cut off any sort of open lane on the counter.

Zion kicks the ball to Dyson Daniels who feeds Jonas in the post... and Sengun cleans up with the block. The key aspect here; Fred VanVleet comes off the far corner and tags Jonas, denying an easy catch and basket, and pivotal in sticking him up momentarily so Sengun has the time to recover after helping.

This team has been phenomenal playing the gaps, almost looking like they're playing zone at times with their help principles, though they rarely are.

Gary Payton II ends up canning the long range triple, but again, that's the point.

The Rockets fight, scrap, show their length, and deter the interior multiple times in this clip. Golden State uses the entire 24 second clock and nail a bail out three from a 34% for his career distance shooter. They live with this happily.

Their personnel improved over the off-season, adding some of the best perimeter defenders in the league in Brooks and VanVleet.

While Sixth Man of the Year will be a contentious race, Jae'Sean Tate is playing defense at a level that should warrant serious consideration along with his offensive exploits. He's feisty as ever on the ball, empowered by strong help. His ability to jostle, front, and batter with posts has been key for a team that's played numerous smaller lineups.

However, what's been most notable to me is the improvements of Jalen Green and Sengun within the contexts of this new system. The question the past two seasons always arises "How can you build a good team around those two defensively," which was frankly somewhat warranted given how poor they've both been on that end to start their career.

Green scraps! I've really liked his improvements fighting over screens. He's been more active and engaged off the ball. He's long and quick, and while he still struggles guarding anyone with strength, it matters less now with the team around him and the effort he's putting into possessions early.

The same issues still exist for Sengun; changing directions laterally is just never going to be his thing, and that's ok! The defense is built with that in mind. With more size, better on-ball defenders, and attention to detail, Sengun has been a bright spot defensively, in my eyes. Screening actions that would've sent the Rockets into rotation last year don't hit the same.

New Orleans looked to get movement and traction in the halfcourt by back-screening with Jordan Hawkins, a tremendous movement shooter, and the Rockets neutralzie with their communication and switching.

Valanciunas sets a monster screen to get some space for Brandon Ingram, screening out Tate as Hawkins screens Sengun who's dropping back. Jeff Green switches with Tate to pick up Ingram, Sengun stays present in the lane as help for Green and an initial deterrent on the swing pass before picking up Jonas on the roll, and Tate flies back overtop to switch onto Hawkins. The possession ends up dead on arrival.

His hands are fantastic along with his engagement, garnering 4 or 5 deflections in the waning minutes against New Orleans, which was crucial in picking up the possessions needed to come from behind and win that game in the final stanza. He's been emphatic in getting back in transition, doing the early work to build a presence, and is a better rim protector than his block numbers currently indicate. Especially on the clean-up plays, Sengun makes himself felt, which is perfect in this scheme.

With how good Sengun has become as an offensive engine and herky jerky off the bounce scorer, building the defense around containment, tenacity, and with a ton of length and versatility on the defensive end has been a boon and the right direction. 

Will the Houston Rockets finish a top 5 defense in the NBA? If I had to bet on it, I'd probably say no, but what they are doing is legit, it's meaningful, and it should start to whisk away the takes that Houston will never be "good enough" defensively as long as they start Sengun and Green. It's early, but the Rockets are playing with purpose in the process, and I can't get enough of it.