It's only the first game of the season but the Rockets already have a feeling of déjà vu. Against the Hornets, they took control of the game at the start of the second quarter, before being up to 18 points ahead at the end of the first period. It will still hold in the third quarter, then Houston will crack.
What happened then? A scenario already observed last season: the skill dropped, and Ime Udoka's men never managed to adapt, continuing to insist from afar.
“When we put in, we have dynamics, energy and, conversely, when it doesn’t fit, we are in difficulty”, recognizes Fred VanVleet. “We must highlight their defense but there was clearly a snowball effect with our clumsiness. The ball is no longer circulating. So yes, we have to do better on offense. »
The Texans only scored 14 points in the paint in the second half, the latter having preferred to light from afar, while the clumsiness was clear: 6/21 at 3-pts after the break… “Sometimes, in attack, pushing harder is not always the best solution”continues the leader, who takes responsibility for this lack of variety.
Flat that is confirmed or simple jitters?
Where Charlotte's defense hampered the Rockets was on Alperen Sengun. The Turk was excellent in the first half then, in the second, the defenders stuck to him closely.
“There were always two-person takes, help came from everywhere. I missed some easy shots that I don't miss. It wasn't my best day.”he delivers.
“I want us to keep our confidence and for the guys to take these shots”adds Ime Udoka. Except that the clumsiness, like last season, foils the Rockets, who then defend less strongly and show signs of frustration. “We were in front and we rested a little on our laurels”continues the coach. “The shots won't always go in, we have to be able to rely on our defense and continue to play well like in the first period, with the offensive rebound. That changed in the second half. »
This bad habit plagued many matches last season and we must remember that Houston finished with a record of 41v-41d, failing to make the play-in. This first meeting, against the modest Hornets, must therefore quickly become an exception.
“The season is long and it’s only one game”Jalen Green reassures himself. “These are shots we want to take and we have a lot of good shooters on the team. I also have the impression that it was the jitters of the first match. »
