Hark back to! Team Rocket 24 30, win rate 44! 6 games won one, 5 games
On February 15, Beijing time, the Houston Rockets lost in an incredible way when they faced the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round of the playoffs. After this defeat, the Rockets finished 24-30 with only 444% win rate in 12th place in the East. Losing to a weaker Grizzlies team may be a better indication of the true level of the Rockets.
Compared to the Rockets led by Silas last season, the current Rockets look in poor shape, winning only one game in six league games some time ago, losing to the Knicks, mainly due to the referee's misjudgment. It's fair to say that the Rockets played badly in this game, and they didn't show the competitiveness they should have against the weaker Grizzlies.
This failure once again laid bare the problems of the rocket. Although they played well in some tournaments, most of the time they didn't reach their peak form. The starters were a mess and unaggressive. Defensively, they are also a mess, and the interior duo of Shen Jing and Smith can occasionally score some points, but so far, there have been more than 50 questions in their penalty area, and they have not been well answered. Even a rocket will not bring a single back. This makes us wonder if rockets really have the potential to become stronger. Or are they just an ordinary team?
If you look at the history of the Rockets, they have had moments of glory and times when they have fallen behind in the playoffs. But this season, the Rockets can indeed beat teams like the Lakers, Nuggets, Kings, and Bucks, but the Rockets will always have more losses against less powerful teams. No matter what kind of team the opponent is, the Rockets are confident. Beating a strong team is a big step forward for the Rockets, but losing to weak teams in a row is the most direct evidence of the Rockets.
The defeat was a huge shock to Rocket fans. They want to see their team show more fighting spirit and quality. Although the Rockets spent tens of millions of dollars on a lot of reinforcements this summer, the results were terrible: VanVleet and Deron were ordinary characters. Still, the Rockets failed to disappoint them. They have to show their quality in the few remaining league games and show people that they are a strong team.
This failure once again confirms the change of the rocket. So, they have to find a better opportunity to increase their ranking. Compared to last season's Silas-led Rockets, the Rockets look like they're in a cycle — they don't know what to learn from that after losing, they repeat the same game in the next round and lose again. It's as if Udoka's magic has been drained. Unlike the smart coach who focused on offense and defense before the game, Udoka was slow to adapt and react, and he also insisted on using a few regular substitutions, which was a major factor in the Rockets' loss.