It was the meeting not to be missed, to validate the good start to the season and the progression of the franchise, since the arrival of Ime Udoka and his “Bad Boys” style. Finally, the Rockets came across stronger than them in the semi-final of the NBA Cup, against the Thunder. Damage.
However, we must not forget that the Texan franchise is currently in 3rd place in the West. The mid-season tournament was not a way to (already) save the furniture since the best is perhaps still to come.
“We have the feeling that we could be in a better position overall. That's the message. It's a good sign that, even when we're not at our best, we're still in the matches, we can win them.”, believes the coach Who “wants to take a better approach in the next third of the season” before taking stock again.
The rest of the season, immediately and after four days of rest, for the Rockets, it is a very lenient schedule until Christmas: the Pelicans, the Raptors, the Hornets, then another duel against New Orleans after opening the gifts. That's three of the five worst records in the league. Perfect to bounce back after the frustration of this defeat against Oklahoma City in Las Vegas.
“We feel like we should have won. We’re upset,” confirms Jalen Green. “But we’re good. Everyone is on the same wavelength. We lost this match and we want to quickly move on to the next one. Before, when we lost, we told ourselves that it was another defeat. It's different. I haven't experienced this part of the ranking before. »
For a few more 3-point shots…
Jabari Smith Jr is delighted to be able to take a breather. “I’m taking advantage of these few days to recharge my batteries physically and mentally. We had some big matches, so it’s good to start from scratch.”he said.
Perhaps it is also a good opportunity to work a little on the attack, which is clearly not at the level of the defense. The Texans have the 2nd defense in the league, but only the 18th attack, including the 28th 3-point address (32% success behind the arc)…
“We want to play faster, with a higher tempo. We focused on that this season, and on offensive rebounding. On this point, it’s okay, but if we play faster, we could have easy baskets and not rely on the outside shot”analyzes Ime Udoka, not worried by the clumsiness of his players, already present last season. “As long as the shots don't fall in, we will maintain confidence. The guys work very hard, it just has to translate into a match. When it does, it will have a snowball effect on the rest of the group. »
If the Rockets finally find a little skill from distance, while continuing to defend so well, that could give a more than interesting result, right? “It will be scary. It will come »warns Jalen Green.
