The Houston Rockets have a great offense. Specifically, they’re ranked sixth in offensive rating. Problem is, they’re dead-last in the NBA in defensive rating, and check in with a negative net rating.
At the end of the day, if Mike D’Antoni can’t get this team even to play just average defense, the Rockets aren’t going to do much winning. They’re 4-3, sure. But they’re not going to win the games they need in order to make a serous case for a playoff push.
James Harden can put all the insane numbers he wants – at this point, he’s averaging 32 points and an NBA-best 12 assists per game. However, if the Rockets can’t fix their issues on the defensive end, all of those stats will feel empty.