“It seems like most of the articles I’ve written since I (blissfully) returned to The Dream Shake have been some iteration of ‘the Rockets have the NBA’s second-best Offensive Rating, but they need to fix
their offense.'”
That’s how I started my last piece. Nothing has changed. The Rockets have since hung a solid 119 points on the Lakers, but they hardly adjusted their approach. The shots went in. That said, something did feel different in that contest:
On the defensive end.
It’s easier to postulate about offensive improvements. The Rockets’ shortcomings on that end are readily diagnosable. They don’t move the ball enough. They isolate too often, even though they don’t isolate well. Open and shut.
The defense is a different story. Last year, Houston’s 110.3 Defensive Rating was fifth in the NBA. It also felt like the team’s identity. Now, they seem to distinguish themselves largely with offensive rebounding. This year’s 112.9 Defensive Rating lands ninth in the league. In the grand scheme of things, that’s barely above the median.
Against the Lakers, there was a tangible difference. The Rockets swarmed on defense. It looked like 2024-25:
Perhaps a certain defensive juggernaut’s return had something to do with that.
The Rockets are (mostly) healthy now
No, not Dorian Finney-Smith. Although that’s another cause for celebration. Finney-Smith was a non-factor against Los Angeles, but rest assured, that won’t hold.
It was also Tari Eason’s second game back, but it was the first in which his presence was particularly pronounced. Eason’s 4 steals harkened back to better days.
And, ideally, brighter days ahead.
Remember the “Terror Twins”? Perhaps the moniker left something to be desired in terms of creativity, but it was optimal in its accuracy. Eason and Amen Thompson terrorized opponents as a bench duo last year:
This year, it’s time to do the same in the starting lineup.
The duo is +13.6 in the 218 minutes they’ve shared in 2025-26 (per databallr). That’s good, but a micro lens reveals some room for improvement. Thompson and Eason force opponents into a 13.6% Turnover Percentage, which is 1.2% below league average.
Wait, sorry – below league average?
Believe. Eason’s steals per game are down to 1.0 from 1.7. Thompson’s have stagnated, but as his point-of-attack responsibilities have increased, his menacing presence in passing lanes has become somewhat muted.
On that note, the Rockets’ roster changed from a defensive perspective this summer. They expected to mitigate the loss of Dillon Brooks, but Fred VanVleet was not accounted for. He’s been a “guard the other team’s best player” candidate at times, so long as they aren’t too tall. What’s the solution?
The Rockets need to step up their effort
More terror. Substantially more terror.
This isn’t strictly about increasing the Terror Twin’s time together. That will happen naturally. Instead, it’s about what Eason and Thompson have encapsulated as a duo: Full effort, at all times, no matter what the circumstances.
That’s what Ime Udoka needs from the Rockets.
Light on point-of-attack defenders? OK – swarm harder. Switch faster. Communicate more. What choice do the Rockets have?
The eye test is a funny thing. The basketball purist suggests that it’s the ultimate measure, but it’s fraught with subjectivity. My eye is not your eye.
To my eye, the Rockets have been less effortful on defense this year than they were last year. To my eye, that changed against the Lakers. Here’s hoping that change is permanent:
It’s time to strike some terror in the hearts of opponents again.
