The Rockets are in last place, 3 more bad news, Uduka’s new tactics collapsed, this player can save lives

The Rockets lost to the Pistons 111-115 at home, giving the team two consecutive losses at the start of the season and ranking last in the Western Conference. Even the excitement of introducing Durant in the offseason was dampened by this defeat. There were fans in the stands clutching slogans saying "We want team basketball," and their shouts were filled with disappointment. This game not only resulted in a loss, but also exposed a bunch of heart-wrenching issues. Three bad news were overwhelming, and there was only one good news left that could give people some relief.

Let’s talk about the first bad news first. The top five lineup that Uduka had high hopes for completely failed. This lineup consists of Amen Thomson, Durant, Jabari Smith, Shen Jing and Adams. Five players who are more than two meters tall stand on the court. Their size and wingspan seem to be advantages, but when they actually play, they find that they are all loopholes. On the offensive end, there was simply space constipation. Shen Jing was forced to advance with the ball from the backcourt. He was originally very lethal in the interior, but running back and forth exhausted his energy and the pace of the positional battle was also slowed down. The team only had 15 assists in the entire game, which was far below the mid-level level in the league. The tactics basically became Shen Jing's singles + three-point bets from outside. No one except Durant could score stably.

The problems on the defensive end are even more obvious. The Pistons exploited the slow pace of the five-high lineup and beat it to death. Cunningham relies on pick-and-rolls to rush back and forth. Rockets players are always half a beat behind on defense, and the opponent can get open after passing the ball a few times. There was a scene that touched my heart. With a simple pass, Cunningham opened a gap in the Rockets defense, and he succeeded in an easy layup, while the Rockets' defensive players were still stunned. Not to mention restricting the opponent, he didn't even grab many rebounds. Although the lineup seemed to be tall, the fighting awareness was extremely poor. Last season, this top five lineup could be used occasionally as a surprise move, but now it is forced to be a regular style of play, which is purely self-defeating martial arts. Uduka's new tactic completely collapsed.

The second bad news is even more fatal. The point guard line is completely broken, and the prospect Sheppard has become the team's shortcoming. It is not unfair to say that it should be abandoned. VanVleet had just signed a two-year, $50 million contract during the offseason. However, he tore his anterior cruciate ligament and suffered a season-ending injury before the start of the new season. This money was wasted more than it was wasted. Now there is no one in the team who can hold the ball and organize the ball. They can only count on Sheppard to step up, but his performance is really disappointing.

In the opening game against the Thunder, he scored 9 points on 3-for-11 shooting. His passing and control performance was lackluster, and one step on the defensive end became the norm. Uduka abandoned him directly in the second half. He had to be replaced after Amen Thomson left the game with cramps. As a result, he was put on the bench again in the second overtime, and was abandoned twice in one game. When it came to the game against the Pistons, he went 2-for-8 and was full of holes on the defensive end. His plus-minus for the game was -15, the lowest on the team. In the final quarter, the Pistons focused on him and played pick-and-rolls, scoring consecutive points to seal the victory. This meant that he had to bear a lot of responsibility for losing in the end. The American media all say that he is a semi-finished product, but now it seems that he is not even a semi-finished product. Instead of letting him score points on the court, it is better to give up as soon as possible and give others opportunities.

The third bad news is that there are problems with the team's mental state and tactical execution, and Uduka's coaching ability has also been pushed to the forefront. The Rockets played like a loose ball in this game. On the offensive end, it was either Durant playing alone or others throwing random shots, with no coordination at all. Durant almost vomited, his knees were covered with muscle-effect patches. In 28 minutes, he scored 37 points on 9-of-18 shooting, including all three-pointers, but his teammates couldn't take the opportunity at all. Shen Jing made 5 of 18 shots, and his layup in the final quarter was blocked by Reid; Amen made 2 of 8 shots, only had 1 assist and committed 4 fouls in the game. The two brothers faced off on the same court, and he was suppressed by the Pistons' younger brother Osar.

There is even less energy on the defensive end. Players make mistakes as if nothing happened, neither communicating nor adjusting. Last season, VanVleet and Dillon would loudly remind their teammates to make up positions. Now no one does this job. No one feels serious about missing someone, and they just prepare for the next offense. All six Rockets players and coach Uduka received technical fouls throughout the game, causing chaos on and off the court. Uduka didn't come up with decent tactics either. It was obvious that the five-high lineup was not easy to use. After switching to the regular lineup to lead the score in the third quarter, he switched back to the regular lineup in the last quarter, which abruptly ruined the advantage. What's even more outrageous is that the introduction of Durant was supposed to allow him to harvest the game at critical moments, but now he has returned to the Suns mode. The entire team relies on him for singles and does not design exclusive tactics for him. This coach is really incomprehensible.

The three bad news are overwhelming, but it is not without hope. The outbreak of basic-salary substitute Okogie is the only good news. No one thought that this humble role player could become the glue on the court. He didn't play for long, scoring 10 points and 4 rebounds on 3-of-4 shooting, and even started the game in place of Amen Thompson in the second half. The most important thing is that when he is on the court, the Rockets' offensive and defensive conversion efficiency has obviously improved. His sense of fighting and running without the ball are what the Rockets lack most now. When others are sleepwalking, he is actively blocking positions, grabbing rebounds, and making up defenses. He has made several key steals and rebounds.

Some fans said that it would be better to adjust the lineup around Okogie, remove Adams, put Okogie or Eason on, and let Sheppard be a pure shooter without dribbling, maybe it can revitalize the whole team. At least his performance proves that it's not that no one can use the Rockets, but that they haven't put the right people in the right positions.

The Rockets are now standing on the edge of a cliff. Their two consecutive losses are not accidental, but the result of a combination of lineup flaws, rigid tactics, and sluggish player status. The salary space is also very tight. The total salary exceeds the luxury tax line. If you want to strengthen, you have no leverage. You can only wait for the middle of the season to pick up scraps that others don't want.. There are too many problems to be solved next: the five-high lineup must be used as appropriate and can no longer be used as a conventional weapon; Sheppard must either adjust his status quickly or abandon it decisively, and the point guard position must be filled; Uduka must quickly come up with decent tactics and stop relying on singles; more importantly, the team's spirit must be raised, otherwise no matter how strong the star is, he will not be able to carry this broken team.