The Rockets defeated the Pelicans!Green scored 31 points, 2 rookies showed value, and Shin Kyung-Smith collapsed offensively and defensively.
On February 1, Beijing time, the NBA regular season continued, and the Rockets challenged the Pelicans on the road. This is a game where the Rockets will have to give their best, as their opponents, the Pelicans, are strong opponents in the West, and the Rockets have not had a good record and need to get back to winning as soon as possible. However, it backfired, and the Rockets were very passive in this game, falling into a disadvantage from the start, and eventually suffered a 99-110 loss to the Pelicans, suffering a two-game losing streak.
There are many reasons for the failure of the Rockets, but the main one is their lineup configuration and tactical arrangement. The head coach of the Rockets was very weak and confused about the use and rotation of players in this game. He starved some of the highly-performing players out of playing time and left some sluggish players in the main positions, causing the Rockets to lose balance and efficiency on both ends of the floor. Below, let's analyze which players are bright spots and which players are black holes in this game, and how the head coach handles it.
First of all, we want to talk about the biggest highlight of the Rockets, and that is Green. Green showed his versatility and explosiveness in this game, scoring a team-high 31 points on the offensive end, including five three-pointers, and shooting 55 percent from the field. Not only is he able to break through and deal damage, but he is also able to project steadily from the outside, bringing steady firepower to the rocket. Moreover, Green was also very active on the defensive end, contributing three steals and two blocks, interrupting the Pelicans' offensive rhythm multiple times. It can be said that Green is the only player who can play against the Pelicans in this game, and his performance is worthy of praise and recognition.
However, Green's outstanding performance has not been valued and trusted by the head coach. In this game, Green only got 28 minutes of playing time, and in a crucial moment in the final quarter, he was replaced by the head coach, leaving him unable to continue to help the Rockets chase points. It was a very puzzling decision, as Green is the Rockets' most dangerous scorer, and with his defense excellent, he is more than capable of competing with Pelicans star Varan. If the head coach could have given Green more playing time and trust, perhaps the Rockets would have had a different outcome.
In addition to Green, the Rockets also have two players who have performed well, that is, the White Devils and Amen. The White Devils showed their offensive prowess in this game, shooting 455%, scored 15 points, and was the second-highest scorer for the Rockets. He's able to bring consistent aggression to the Rockets on the inside, and he's also consistent with his free throws, making 7-of-8 free throws. Amen also had a good performance in this game, scoring 10 points and six assists, and was the only player with the Rockets to have an assist double-double. He was able to bring some organization and tandem to the Rockets at the point guard position, and his three-point shooting has also picked up, shooting 3-of-6.
However, the performances of the White Devils and Amen have not been recognized and reused by the head coach. In this game, the White Devils were given just 19 minutes of playing time while Amen was given just 18 minutes. These two players, both of whom are the main players of the Rockets, have played far below their average playing time. Why would the manager do this? Maybe he wanted to give other players more opportunities, or maybe he wanted to try other tactics, but, judging from the results, this did not bring any benefits, but instead made the Rockets lose some advantages and opportunities.
So, did the manager give his playing time and opportunities to some players who performed better? The answer is no. In this game, the head coach gave two players a lot of playing time and opportunities, but the performance of these two players was very bad, they were Shen Jing and Smith. Shin Kyung played 32 minutes in this game, the most on the Rockets team, but he only scored 4 points and 5 rebounds, and he shot only 167%。He had no presence at all on the offensive end, and he was easily blown up by the Pelicans' interior players on the defensive end, which didn't help the Rockets at all. Smith played 29 minutes in this game, the second-most of the Rockets, but he didn't score a point, and he shot 0% from the field and 0 of 6. He was completely unthreatening on the offensive end, and was easily broken by the Pelicans' perimeter players on the defensive end, without causing any hindrance to the Rockets at all.
These two players are the black holes of the Rocket's offensive and defensive ends, and their sluggish performance directly led to the Rocket's loss. They occupied the main position of the rocket, but did not play their due role, but dragged down the overall level of the rocket. Why do managers give them so much playing time and opportunities? Maybe he wanted them to get back into shape, or maybe he wanted to give them more confidence, but, judging by the results, it didn't lead to any improvement, but instead put the Rockets in a deeper predicament.
Finally, we're going to talk about the other main player for the Rockets, and that's VanVleet. VanVleet had a decent performance in this game, finishing with 16 points, three rebounds and five assists, making him the third-highest scorer for the Rockets. Instead of squandering like he did before, he opted for some reasonable shots, and he shot 50 percent from the field. He can bring some consistent scoring and combing to the Rockets at the guard position, and he can also continue to score at critical moments, giving the Rockets some hope. However, VanVleet's performance was not without its shortcomings, and he made 4 turnovers in this game, the most on the Rockets' team. He sometimes made some mistakes and errors of judgment when facing the Pelicans' defensive pressure, which caused some fluctuations and interruptions in the Rockets' offense. If VanVleet could have done a better job of controlling turnovers, perhaps the Rockets' offense would have been more fluid and efficient.
Overall, the Rockets lost in this game in the head coach's tactical arrangement and personnel use. The head coach did not take full advantage of Green, the White Devils and Amen, and instead relied too heavily on the sluggish performances of Shin Kyung and Smith, which led to serious problems for the Rockets on both ends of the floor. The Rockets need to adjust their tactics and lineup as soon as possible to regain their form and confidence, otherwise it will be difficult for them to maintain their advantage and position in the competition in the West.