After suffering a three-game losing streak, the Rockets had a two-day break. On January 2, Beijing time, they will face the Pistons, who have the worst record in the league. Although the Pistons have just stopped their 28-game losing streak, I believe the Rockets still have a good chance to beat the Pistons and end the losing streak.
It is said that losing can expose the team's problems faster. The main reason for the Rockets' losses in the past few games is that there are problems on the defensive end. He conceded 123 points against the Pacers and had a defensive efficiency of 1233；Gave up 129 points against the Suns and had a defensive efficiency of 1266；He conceded 131 points against the 76ers and had a defensive efficiency of 1356。That's the team's season average of 1113. The third-best defensive efficiency in the league varies widely.
The absence of Dillon Brooks may have been the main reason. In the game against the Pacers, Dillon withdrew from the game on the spot due to a right oblique muscle strain, and missed the game against the Suns and 76ers. As a result, without Dillon's Rockets, there was no defensive feeling at all in these two games. Maxey of the 76ers played one of his best games of the season, hitting consecutive three-pointers from the outside in key moments to take the Rockets away.
The value of some players can only be reflected when they are absent. This is not false at all. If you look at the defensive stats, Dillon's opposition defense doesn't seem to be that outstanding: for example, the average shooting percentage of opponents drops by 10%, the three-point shooting percentage is not much different from usual, and the two-point shot will be 15%。
There's a very important factor here: because Dillon tends to defend the opponent's arrowheads. You can't always expect the opposing star to behave awkwardly, can you?So the problem can be understood in this way: because of Dillon's presence, the main arrow on the opposite side failed to play at a higher level, which also made the other players of the Rockets reduce the defensive pressure.
In this sense, Dillon is the hidden core of the Rockets' defense and supports the defensive intensity on the outside. The Rockets were 15 feet away from the basket and were able to shoot opponents from an average of 37 percent overall1% down to 345%，2.The 6% drop is the second highest in the league. If you just look at the three-point shot, then the Rockets can force the opponent's shooting percentage to drop by 38%, which is the highest figure in the league.
But it's clear that the Rockets haven't been able to do that in the past three games, which makes people realize that without Dillon, there is no one who can replace him on the defensive end. Tate's individual defense stats are good, and he can reduce the opponent's average shooting percentage by 59%, but when he really encountered Maxi like this, it directly exposed his defensive energy level. And VanVleet's height is a hard injury, except for being able to stay out of position on the defensive end, the rest is a bit difficult. Jalen Green's defense is only mediocre, and it is difficult to become a defensive arrow.
The reason why the Rockets must emphasize the intensity of outside defense is because center Shin Kyung is not the type of defensive gate. He has a good sense of defense, but he is limited by his physical attributes and is only a good defender. Therefore, with Eason on the wing, the Rockets can create a three-in-one defensive system, which is the main reason for the team's success this season. In addition, Dillon is also the spiritual leader of the team, and a good team must have the kind of people who can do the dirty work and boost the morale of their teammates.
Fortunately, Dillon's injury is not very serious, and I believe that soon, he will be able to return to the court. Last summer, the Rockets signed and traded for 86 million to get Dillon a four-year tenure. He also became one of the players on the Rockets' longest contract. It can be seen that the Rockets also believe in Dillon's value very much, otherwise, they would not have given such a contract. Even Van Jordan only got a three-year contract.
From this point of view, the Rockets can indeed consider reinforcing the swingman at the front, and if they consider a trade, then Oladipo's contract can come in handy.