Houston Can’t Afford to Take Anyone Lightly

Nothing worked for the Houston Rockets during their lackluster defeat on Saturday night against the Brooklyn Nets on Houston's home court. The team had no energy on defense, and the offense didn't create enough quality looks for consistent scoring. The Rockets have created a culture of being more physical and out-hustling their opponents. They can't afford to lose their advantage in that area when margins are so tight in the standings.

They especially can't afford slip-ups while first-time All-Star Alperen Sengun is recovering from a left calf contusion. Houston may get its star big man back when the Rockets visit Madison Square Garden Monday night, but his presence is missed every game he doesn't play.

Houston depends on Sengun throughout the game to initiate the offense, but his isolation skills are necessary during clutch time. He can create quality opportunities either for himself or his teammates when he can work in the post. The Rockets require consistent shot creation in the most critical possessions.

When Sengun isn't in the lineup, there aren't many other options for Houston to methodically create good looks. Jalen Green creates shots of his own, but he doesn't function as an offensive engine as Sengun does. He's also missing Fred VanVleet, another initiator for the offense.

Green had a high-volume shooting night against the Nets, scoring 29 points on 24 attempts. He converted on some difficult shots, but he showed a variety of moves to get to the rim for easier looks. He's a capable scorer, but he's not yet creating efficient offense for his teammates at the same rate as some of his fellow lead ball handlers.

Amen Thompson is the team's other lead ball handler, especially when VanVleet and Sengun are out.

He finished the game against the Nets with a team-leading seven assists without turning the ball over once. He found his teammates well during a relatively clean game by the offense with just 10 combined turnovers. He suffered from the inverse of Green's struggles. Thompson may have involved his teammates in the game, but he wasn't impactful with his scoring.

Thompson benefits from his teammates' passing abilities which function well with his timing and positioning. He's also an adept rebounder, helping him create fast break opportunities after stops or put-back attempts on the offensive glass. He can create some offense for himself as he's shown throughout his starts, but it isn't consistent enough to depend on when the team's offense creators are out of the lineup.

Getting Sengun back from injury against the New York Knicks would immediately improve the offense between both games. Fred VanVleet will likely miss a stretch of games, and Jabari Smith Jr. is still weeks away from returning. However, the Rockets have one of the six easiest schedules remaining in the season. There's no excuse for a lack of effort against teams the Rockets are projected to win against. While they may not have some of their top creators, allowing let-ups like their defeat to the Nets could reawaken some bad habits with the postseason just beyond the horizon.

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