One of the biggest takeaways from Houston’s early playoff exit — aside from the lack of experience — was that its season-long half-court spacing (and subsequent 3-point shooting) issues had reached their apex. And it had become so entwined in their identity that the ineffectiveness took shape right from the opening tip in the most important game of their season.
The above possession from Game 7 against the Golden State Warriors illustrated everything wrong with the Rockets’ offensive approach, how defenses could stifle them and why shooting — which the Rockets just stocked up on — remains a premium asset in today’s game.
On Houston’s opening set, the Rockets had Jalen Green initiate and used Dillon Brooks to set a down screen for Alperen Şengün, while the Warriors comfortably sat back in zone. Amen Thompson, who shot less than 30 percent from 3 this year, is stationed in the corner. Şengün, connecting on just 23.3 percent of 3s this season, is not a threat above the break and the attempted two-man game between him and Green is too compact to make a real impact. The play results in Şengün tossing up a prayer, snagging the rebound and then turning the ball over. An all-encompassing Rockets play.
Houston shot just 5 of 17 from 3 in an elimination game, scoring a poor 78.0 points per 100 half-court plays. Charlotte, which ranked last in the league in the same category during the regular season, averaged 90.0 points per 100 plays.
It was clear internally that the organization, which already had a talented defense, needed its offense to drastically improve outside of bullying teams on the offensive glass. In any trade that involved the now-departed Green and Brooks, Houston would need to bring in floor spacers. Those two comprised a large chunk of the Rockets’ 3-point department, finishing first and third, respectively, in attempted 3s per game, and were among the top six in conversion rate. With Kevin Durant and Dorian Finney-Smith now in Houston, the Rockets can become one of the league’s most efficient half-court offenses and deadliest outside shooting units.
Let’s start with Durant. For all the dysfunction that Phoenix endured last season, it’s a miracle the Suns were still a top 10 half-court team, which boils down to Durant and his consistency, even at age 36. According to Cleaning the Glass, the Suns were a plus-6.2 points better offensively when Durant was on the floor, a 90th percentile impact. Durant’s teams’ effective field goal percentage shoots up by nearly six percent, which has been a trend at each of his previous stops. With better players around him, Durant should help Houston’s numbers spike. It’s a seamless fit on paper, a smooth three-level scorer paired with high-motor athletes and a savvy low-post presence.
That doesn’t mean there won’t be some growing pains, especially in the early stages of training camp and the regular season. Expect a natural adjustment period, as a team that adopted an equal-opportunity offense now has to shift towards someone who has had the ball in his hands a ton. Durant’s usage has been in the 93rd percentile or greater in every season he’s been in the NBA. The list of 36-year-old greats who suddenly change their game overnight is incredibly small — that means fewer touches for Şengün, Fred VanVleet, Thompson and others. But the tradeoff has the potential to be monumental.
Last season, 77 percent of Houston’s 3s were above the break, similar to Durant’s shot distribution (76 percent), where he shot an impressive 40.8 percent. Despite the corner 3 being the shortest and seemingly most efficient outside look, the Rockets aren’t one of those teams that design actions to target those areas.
Over the two summers Ime Udoka has been in Houston, his staff has gone on coaching retreats, where everyone comes together for a weeklong brainstorming session, bouncing ideas off one another and watching hours of film of opponents and from different leagues. This offseason, improving the Rockets’ setup against zone defenses and creating space has been a strong focus.
And nothing here is reinventing the wheel, Tyus Jones (21) is of a similar build to starting point guard VanVleet. Quick-hitting actions on the strong side, using Durant as a screener and allowing him to pop, while a big ensures Durant has ample room by screening his man, can easily work in Houston. This is a funky variation of Spain action and should be used a lot next season.
The Rockets love to use VanVleet as a screener. He’s one of the best guards in that respect, but it’s one thing to force a switch for Şengün, who is going to back you down in the post. It’s another to generate a wide-open attempt for a Hall of Fame sniper. Inverted pick-and-rolls only truly work where the bigger ballhandler is a respected playmaker and Durant’s 18.9 assist rate (88th percentile among forwards) forces defenses to guess.
In Finney-Smith, the Rockets are acquiring a veteran 3-and-D forward who torched them as a Laker, hitting 12-of-20 3s against them in late March and April. There’s a gap in skill between Finney-Smith and Durant, but there’s no mistake that the former’s teams fare better offensively with him on the floor. Across Brooklyn and Los Angeles, Finney-Smith’s teams were a plus-10.8 and plus-9.3 while he was on the floor, per Cleaning the Glass.
Because he lacks real on-ball skills, he can space, relocate and convert, which makes him an asset. Finney-Smith shot 42.9 and 43.5 percent in the corners and 39.9 on above-the-break 3s. When teams go zone, as the Rockets did here against the Lakers, Houston won’t need to force the issue or probe this season, knowing that there are quality shooters on the perimeter.
Because the Rockets now have an abundance of talent, Udoka’s in-game lineups might even be more effective than his starting and closing groups. Take this possession below, now with Thompson and Clint Capela running pick-and-roll instead of Luka Dončić and Rui Hachimura. Capela’s vertical gravity (which is more prominent than Hachimura’s) forces the opposing big to slide in, temporarily leaving Finney-Smith alone in the corner. Thompson has certainly made a similar cross-court pass like this before for an open man.
As Houston’s focus next season shifts to title contention, its new additions should be afforded a learning curve. But assuming the Rockets maintain their defensive prowess, adding bona fide spacers in Durant and Finney-Smith should solve their half-court issues once and for all.
(Photo: Meg Oliphant / Getty Images)