The Rockets Are Struggling to Stop Stars

The NBA All-Star Break is approaching. Teams across the league can rest some of their top players while the league's best gather in San Francisco for a weekend of events. Some who will gather in the Bay Area have given the Houston Rockets the most trouble this season. These players cause problems for the whole league, but Houston allows star players to secure victories against the team at a high rate.

The Rockets have had several games in which a team's best player takes over for a stretch and leads the team to victory.

Against the Dallas Mavericks, Anthony Davis dominated during his minutes on the floor. He controlled the game physically, defensively, and through his offensive skills. Davis didn't finish the game due to injury, but he made his impact early on and helped the Mavericks create a lead Houston couldn't overcome.

In Houston's prior game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Anthony Edwards went off for over 40 points. The Rockets had a chance to win late, but Edwards dominated in the clutch and inspired the rest of his team. The Timberwolves eventually won by double-digits after a tight game for over three quarters.

Jalen Brunson did the same with the New York Knicks during a big victory against the Rockets in Madison Square Garden. Houston held a lead over the Knicks in the fourth quarter, but Brunson took over and made some difficult shots to sink the Rockets.

This trend doesn't bode well with some of Houston's upcoming matchups. They'll move on to face the Phoenix Suns with two stars capable of taking over games and leading teams to victory. Devin Book is one of the best players in the NBA. He's often seen as the league's best shooting guard. His running mate, Kevin Durant, is seen as one of the best players of all time. His resume speaks for itself, but his skill is still at a high level despite being an older player.

Both players can score at a high rate and are some of the league's toughest shotmakers. They frequently hit difficult shots that even good defense has no effect against.

Stephen Curry is a player who has an extensive history of hitting difficult shots despite quality defense. When he and the Golden State Warriors take on the Rockets, they'll bring recent acquisition Jimmy Butler to try to continue their domination over Houston

After two straight difficult matchups, the Rockets will be tasked with stopping Anthony Edwards in a rematch of their late-game meltdown against Minnesota.

Houston's defense against star players has been lackluster recently, but not necessarily due to poor individual defense. The Rockets have several players capable of guarding the opposing team's top players. Houston's point-of-attack defense is still a strong factor for the team.

The reality is, the league's best players are going to make tough shots. That's why they are the league's best. Sometimes the only way to compete is to make difficult shots of your own, and the Rockets haven't consistently proven they can accomplish that. If there's no easy offense, and no one to make difficult shots, there is increased pressure on the defense to perform.

Adding extra pressure against star players makes a tough task nearly impossible. The defense should get a boost with the eventual return of Jabari Smith Jr., but Houston may have to struggle with opposing stars for the rest of the season.

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