Rockets Signings: What to Learn From Dillon Brooks and Fred VanVleet?
The Houston Rockets made a splash in the free agency pool, signing former Toronto Raptors point guard Fred VanVleet to a three-year, $130 million deal and signing former Memphis Grizzlies wing Dillon Brooks to a four-year, $180 million deal.
The collective agreement among the NBA community is that they overpaid them. However, they both fit into Rockets coach Ime Udoka's defensive play-style.
Udoka was hired by Houston in April, as the organization hoped he'd extend his defensive prowess to the Rockets.
Udoka was the Boston Celtics coach in 2021-22 and was the mastermind behind their NBA-best defensive rating. In 2022-23, the Rockets had the second-worst defensive rating in the association (118.6), so they can definitely utilize his methodology.
VanVleet averaged the NBA's third-most steals per game (1.8) in 2022-23, while Brooks was a member of the NBA's All-Defensive Second Team because of his ability to lock down some of the best players in the league throughout the season. … and yes, that includes his controversial tangles with Lakers legend LeBron James.
Udoka could use VanVleet and Brooks during practice as examples of proficient back-court defense and it may rub off on the rest of the roster.
Rockets starting shooting guard Jalen Green was solid on the offensive end in 2022-23 (22.1 points per game), but his defense was considered average, according to The Athletic. Some pointers from VanVleet and Brooks could make Green an elite two-way player, potentially earning him his first All-Star appearance.
The same could be said about point guard Kevin Porter Jr. and versatile rookie Amen Thompson. If it works, this may rub off on big men Jabari Smith Jr. and Alperen Sengun as well.
The Rockets are among the youngest teams in the NBA, so the players are likely more eager to improve. However, none of this will happen if the two free agent signees don't play to their defensive standard early in the 2023-24 season.
You can follow Hunter De Siver on Twitter @HunterDeSiver.
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