Rebounding and Countering Switches: The Houston Rockets Are Learning
Whilst their opponents scrap in an attempt to get healthy before the Playoffs, Houston is finding another gear.
Sunday featured a lot of different events in the sports world. The big one of the afternoon featured the debut of 2017 March Madness Bracket, but others watched a potential (yes I know, improbable) Finals preview. The Houston Rockets and Cleveland Cavaliers battled Sunday night in a huge effort from both LeBron James and James Harden. Harden featured a 38-point, triple double, and LeBron posted 30 in the Rockets win.
More importantly than just the statistics of the game though were a couple of key factors in the Rockets success offensively. Cleveland’s defense isn’t as solid statistically this season, ranking 22nd in defensive rating and 23rd in second chance points, but Cleveland still know how to lock-in defensively when necessary. What stood out in the Rockets win was their urgency on the glass offensively and defensively. In their first meeting, way back in November, The Cavaliers won 128–120, and out-rebounded the Rockets by 14. In this meeting however, the Rockets won the rebounding battle by 16 boards, and posted a 20–4 advantage on the offensive glass.
Kevin Love’s absence helps, but at times, the Rockets showed an urgency to go after the boards. As seen above, this happened often as a long three would rim out and create a long rebound, and more often than not at least one of the Rockets’ shooters would go free for the board. This is something that doesn’t necessarily transfer into the playoffs, but it does speak to the team in how much they wanted it and perhaps, how much they’ve learned.
The other part of this is how they get the offensive boards, when their only real rebounding threat is Clint Capela. Ryan Anderson is a solid rebounder, but when he plays so far out he’s not usually in position to contest a board, but the Rockets are sending guys to the rack to try and get extra possessions.
It’s a new tweak from Mike D’Antoni and it seems to exploit any team that has players who don’t box out every possession. There were times even on made shots that Ariza or Lou Williams would get in and literally blow by the defender to attempt a rebound.
What else that stood out from the game, and the main thing moving forward, is Harden’s ability to take advantage of a switch like no other player in the league. It was really obvious in the Finals last year how the Cavaliers would play pick and roll defense against the Warriors. A lot of times they would have Tristan Thompson shove hard over a screen and really force Curry to turn back to prevent any mismatch. Against the Rockets though, Cleveland opted to just switch and contain. This was a terrible decision and Ty Lue has to have seen this, as well as any other team in the league that wants to switch their big in pick and rolls.
Harden cooked Tristan Thompson on three straight possessions, and this wasn’t just what he did. There’s a reason Harden was a +23 on the night, and Thompson was a -23. The Rockets welcomed the switch and the threat of the three ball created so much room to work with for Harden because the Cavaliers wouldn’t help off of it.
The reason it creates such a mismatch, is that when the pick and roll happens, Harden has gotten so good at finding where the open man is. If you shove on the screen, he’s going to find the big man rolling, if you shove and the defender on the opposite side helps on the big, Harden is going to find the opposite corner. It leaves you helpless and you’re really only going to do well if the Rockets miss shots. At the rate they take them, even missing shots doesn’t matter as much.
This isn’t just about Tristan Thompson, though, it’s about the Rockets being a match-up nightmare for any team not named Golden State. The only team in the league that can play with the Rockets in small ball scenarios is Golden State when KD is healthy. When Green or Durant guards Clint, they’ll be able to at least respectfully switch onto Harden. It still isn’t a great scenario for them, but it’s a lot better than what any other team can do.
In the Rockets and Cavaliers first meeting, Cleveland showed some signs of being able to defend the pick and roll, the problem is getting all five members to really work on that end. In the above clip Irving goes over to help on Nene, but he also has to read James and once James turned to face the corner, Irving has to respect it to close out but JR Smith was way too slow on the switch to cover Nene leaving him wide open.
These are the types of plays that are so deadly and while everyone knows the narrative of “The Rockets just chuck up threes and of course they will score” and while that is really accurate, they’ve perfected the pick and roll this season and Harden has been steering this team around through it.
The Rockets are learning and improving, and that’s a scary thought for their rivals hobbling towards the postseason.
