Like the Thunder before them, the Rockets are growing quickly, very quickly. Perhaps even sometimes too quickly, since it is essential to go step by step.
Outsider against the Thunder, Houston was able to see that there was still a gap with the leaders of the Western Conference, and more than the frustration of having lost, Fred VanVleet retained the margin for progress.
“There is always room to progress and improve”underlines the leader. “We would like to learn by winning all the time and doing everything to be very good, but that is not the reality. It's a valuable experience to be here, and the way the NBA put together this game and this weekend. There is an atmosphere and intensity worthy of the playoffs. More than a disappointment, it is the fact of having missed an opportunity. “.
Holders not at the level
For Ime Udoka, the Rockets did not show their best face, but the NBA Cup does indeed allow you to get a taste of the playoffs. Few in the group have already tasted it.
“It’s a playoff atmosphere, and everyone is playing to advance to the next round”, recalls Ime Udoka. “So you have to be up to it. When you look at the stats, I would say Amen (Thompson) and Tari (Eason) really earned an “A” coming off the bench. Other than that, we really struggled with starters. You have to play better in this kind of situation.”
The targeted starters are notably Jalen Green and Fred VanVleet, authors of 8 out of 29 on shots, with a terrible 2 out of 19 at 3-points. The Thunder had chosen to let the Rockets shoot from afar. A profitable choice, and Ime Udoka is aware that with a little more skill, it could work.
Clumsiness puts too much pressure on the defense
“Sometimes it's about just making your shots, and if we had made a few in the first half, we probably would have taken a lead of 10 points or more.” continues the Houston coach. “The other way to attack is to make stops and project yourself. I think that's when we built our biggest lead, that seven-point lead. We managed to make stops and get out in transition. We won in these areas, offensive rebounds, transition… But it is obvious that players must shoot better when they are in a good position. Especially since you put a lot of pressure on your defense when you don’t make your shots.”
For Alperen Sengun, the Rockets have learned a good lesson. “It was a bad night for some of our best players, and me first of all… First of all, I didn't start the game well, and I have to learn my lesson from that. I need to start matches better, and be ready. There are many lessons to be learned. It was a complicated match, but we now have days off, and we will be able to watch all this, learn, and concentrate on the rest of the season. »
