sp6r=underrated wrote:Dr Spaceman wrote:
This Houston squad of the last two years has the highest defensive ceiling I’ve seen post-handcheck..
This is insane. Even if you take their best defensive stretches there are multiple clubs that have put up better defensive stretches. I think you're given them bonus points for aesthetics.
Wrong maybe but not insane. The Heat were a very similar aesthetic team but had clear structural flaws. Watching those old Heat games you see them start to really lose their cool after 2-3 ball rotations. This is exactly what the Spurs would exploit against them time and time again. After that first seam the hole grows bigger as they get to the ball later and later. Doesn’t happen with the Rockets. Matter of fact the Rockets are actually more likely to close the seam than the reverse after multiple passes. You essentially have a split second to attack the opening before they close it. I’ve never seen anything like it. It’s why they are isolated against far more than any defense since such things have been recorded, because they apply the bandaid at mind-blowing speed so all you’re left with is maybe a size mismatch if you’re lucky.
The Rox are also unique historically in that their rim protection lineup is also their switch lineup. Capela and Tucker can do anything out there, he’ll id trust Tucker on Steph Curry perhaps more than all but 1 or 2 other defenders in the league. No other defense can brag a big man like Capela who can hold his own as a helpside defender and a switch guy even on ones. He has to be pretty thin to be able to do this so he gives up a bit to beefier centers but the Rockets are very aggressive with double teams to help cover his back and force a lot of turnovers on such psossesssions.
What you get is a team that doesn’t give anything up. The one real weakness is Harden’s cement feet stopping dribble penetration but they do a wonderful job covering for that with switching and Tucker’s help side rotations. They dare teams to try to go to the post against them because they’re team thicc and they body people and fight and don’t give an inch. Harden himself is like in the top 5 percentile as a post defender. He doesn’t get enough credit for how hard he’s worked to tighten the screws and limit his liabilities. You see teams just give up against them and hope that Kevin durant can hit enough fade-aways over Eric Gordon. I have never seen a team that forces more pick and rolls to not generate any advantage and their switching and the way they play passing lanes actively discourages screening and passing, the backbone of any good offense. It becomes so costly for offenses with all the turnovers they just stop doing it which is what GSW did last year.
It’s borne out in the results. Holding very good offenses in Utah and Minny last year to -7 and -6 respectively and holding GSW to 105, 103 and 102 ORTG in 3/5 games is absurd. GSW was easily the best offense in recorded history and could barely muster a point per possession against them in their best games. I don’t know what other teams are capable of that performance.
Indy, Chi, Boston, Miami, Utah of course are contenders but each of those teams save Chicago had very clear structural flaws mostly with shooting big men and pick and roll containment. I don’t know what flaws Houston really has.
