Rockets have two back-to-backs, but a second-game issue is already showing?

KILT-AM / SportsRadio 610

The Rockets have played only two back-to-backs, yet a clear “second-game problem” is already showing.

Transcript

00:00So, yes, keep it locked here for that.

00:02All right, the Rockets.

00:04The Rockets have not played since Saturday.

00:06But Saturday was the second night of a back-to-back played up there in Dallas

00:09versus the Mavericks.

00:10It was their second back-to-back in the season.

00:13And, really, they have not encountered very many of these this year.

00:16More teams have had these back-to-backs.

00:18But they will.

00:19And they will.

00:20Because they have not had that many this year, as the season goes along,

00:23they have a lot more.

00:24They have a lot less real estate to get in more games than most other teams

00:27in the NBA.

00:28Okay, so back-to-backs are going to be a thing that they're going to have

00:31to contend with.

00:32And I think that they're going to have to contend with them in a particular way

00:35because they had a back-to-back versus the Utah Jazz,

00:38which was the first sign of what is happening here.

00:41It was both of them in Utah.

00:42They won the first game pretty handily, 129-101.

00:45And then they lost the second game by eight points.

00:48But it was one of those, the whole way you were looking at this and like,

00:51why are the Utah Jazz up?

00:52Why are the Utah Jazz up?

00:53And the Jazz ultimately won.

00:54You had another back-to-back.

00:55Like now it was a home and road back-to-back where you were here in Houston

00:59versus the Suns on Friday.

01:01Then you went to Dallas and you got ran by the Dallas Mavericks, 122-109.

01:07And the question I have is, well, actually it's not a question.

01:10It's really a statement.

01:10I think the Rockets have a second game of a back-to-back issue.

01:14You'll see this kind of shortened into Sega Baba.

01:17And I think about it in my head like that because sometimes I'm stupid.

01:20But, like, they do have an issue with these second games of back-to-backs.

01:23And I think it's inherent because of the roster, the construction,

01:27but also what we're seeing in these games as well.

01:30Well, you mentioned roster.

01:32I think that's the biggest thing.

01:33I mean, Steven Adams, you know, maybe my favorite player on the team

01:38and a lot of people's favorite player, doesn't play in those back-to-backs.

01:41Doesn't play in the second leg of those back-to-backs.

01:43Yeah, still managing him.

01:44Even though he's another year removed from that.

01:47What was it, the knee injury that – he's still at this age, I think,

01:50and with those physical ailments, they're still managing him.

01:54So it feels like he's going to continue to be on the plan

01:56where he doesn't play second nights back-to-backs.

01:58I think it reflects – like, they have to have a completely different identity

02:02on those second games.

02:04And that's a struggle in the midst of a season because their identity,

02:08they may not be as physically dominant or intimidating defensively,

02:15but they're still a really good defensively – defensive team.

02:18No Steven Adams, you're not quite the same defensive team.

02:21You're just not.

02:23And then the other thing, part of their identity is rebounds,

02:25particularly offensive rebounds.

02:27No Steven Adams, you're not – they got out-rebounded in both those second nights

02:31of the back-to-back, if I'm remembering.

02:33I know Dallas did.

02:34I think technically with the Dallas game, did Dallas actually out-rebound them?

02:38Yes, I know Dallas did.

02:39I'm trying to remember the Utah one.

02:40No, the Rockets out-rebounded them, but they just didn't out-rebound them

02:43very much.

02:44That's the thing is usually – it was 37-31, the rebound battle.

02:47The Rockets won it.

02:48But normally in a game like that, the Rockets out-rebound that team

02:52by double digits, by 10, 15 rebounds.

02:55Like, that's the way that technically goes.

02:58You know, you're not the same defensive team,

03:00and your rebounding struggles, particularly offensive rebounds.

03:03And that's where he excels.

03:05So I think personnel is it.

03:08You know, obviously no Dylan Brooks anymore.

03:10You're not getting what you need to get out of Clint Capella by a long stretch.

03:13Yeah, was it Beast got in last week that was like, Clint Capella?

03:18Yeah, I'm good on that.

03:19And like, you see why?

03:21He's not – he was brought here at some level of insurance for this particular instance.

03:25When Steven Adams has to be out, particularly managing his health and whatever,

03:30you're like, oh, well, here's another big that we can turn to.

03:32He didn't give you enough of that.

03:33Like, he's not a bad screener, but you have an elite –

03:37You don't win games with screens.

03:38I think actually –

03:39No, in that role.

03:40In that role, you've got to do more.

03:42Well, I actually think that the screens are a big part of it

03:44because one of the things I noted as well, their offensive creation was a lot down.

03:50Now, some of this also –

03:51I'm talking about rebounds, defense.

03:52That's what he's there for.

03:53Oh, without question.

03:54But I think also there's some knock-on effects of the other things that he does.

03:57He's become such a foundational piece for what they do.

04:00Steven Adams, this is all a credit to him and how good he is for this Rockets team.

04:05I think screening matters to this team because they don't create –

04:08you don't have – this is part of the idea of, like, you don't have a point guard.

04:11It's not specifically to have a dude that you call a point guard.

04:14It's the places where you create offense.

04:17And dribble handoffs and screens are a big part of that.

04:20Steven Adams is really good at that.

04:21Now, to be fair, Alperin Shangoon didn't play on Saturday.

04:24That is a huge part of this.

04:26He is a creative force when you get the ball to him in the middle of the floor.

04:28He does some of that dribble handoff screening.

04:31He does some of that rebound.

04:32All of those things show up and you miss him greatly when he doesn't play.

04:35I don't want to miss that because that matters.

04:38But the Steven Adams part of that as well is tough.

04:40And when you don't have that, I think you see some of the turnovers get exacerbated

04:45because they turn the ball over a decent amount when, you know,

04:48Kevin Durant has to have the ball in his hands a lot

04:50and sometimes he can be a little sloppy.

04:51A man, Thompson, can be sometimes sloppy with the basketball.

04:54I think those things happen.

04:55And it gets worse when you don't have a really good screen at the top

04:58creating that advantage where you can put a guy on your hill.

05:00I don't agree with that.

05:01I think his strength is slipping screens and getting to the front of the rim.

05:05I think his strength is rolling on the screen and getting to the front of the rim.

05:09The screens, I mean, I'm not saying they don't matter.

05:11Obviously, we know that.

05:12But what I'm saying, his strength is at the rim.

05:15You know, that's where he offensively and defensively.

05:17I think he might be selling my guy short.

05:18And defensively.

05:19Again, I'm not saying they're not important.

05:21But how many times have you seen him, like, slip a screen

05:24and all of a sudden Durant gets him the ball, you know,

05:26off the baseline or something and it's a bunny, you know,

05:29or set the screen and roll and get to the right spot.

05:32I remember one play vividly from the other night against Phoenix.

05:35You know, it was a perfect, you know, location in the lane to get it.

05:39But that's neither here nor there in terms of, like,

05:41our discussion about the importance of a screen,

05:43which shouldn't really matter.

05:45But it does to the team.

05:46No, I'm saying, but I think his strength is after the screen,

05:49you know, down in the paint.

05:50But that's, again, that's neither here nor there.

05:52What I think is important is the other part of this.

05:56You're eating up a lot of Kevin Durant minutes

05:57when Steven Adams is not on the floor.

06:00That's a lot of minutes.

06:01I mean, he's been playing terrific.

06:03I think he had, what, 28 and 27 in the last two games.

06:05Correct.

06:06And you're getting a lot out of Kevin Durant.

06:09But they're not here just for the regular season, you know,

06:12and he needs to get some time off at 37.

06:14Yeah, I mean, he had 31 minutes in that game.

06:16Now, to be fair, that's also because the white flag got waved early in this game.

06:19And I imagine that's part of why, is to try and manage those minutes.

06:23That's another thing about the back-to-backs is that the aging parts of this team,

06:26they're going to need to be managed as well,

06:28except you're leaning heavily on them, Kevin Durant, Steven Adams,

06:33some of these guys.

06:33So it's one of those things that we're going to have to continue to watch.

06:36But this is something that they're going to have to contend with

06:38and find an answer specifically for the second nights of back-to-backs.

06:42Yes, you have kind of the way that you win generally.

06:45That's going to need to be altered for these games,

06:47especially if you know Steven Adams is not necessarily going to be there all the time

06:51and you still have these creation issues.

06:53The point of me bringing that up is not to say that that's the only –

06:56like, clearly, defense, being that anchor, mattered.

06:59You had the Mavericks getting downhill a lot in that game.

07:03Yeah.

07:03But then also rebounding, those things showed up,

07:05and you didn't have your guys clock in to help fill in that gap

07:10until too late in that game.

07:12But I think it's all the little things all compound to make it a team like the Mavericks

07:17that should not beat you, beat you pretty handily in that moment.

07:20And I don't know that you can afford to let those slip.

07:22And maybe more importantly, I think that those are things that you need to figure out

07:25and you need to demonstrate that you can figure out to be the team you want to be.

07:28Yeah, and then quite simply, you know, the simple answer ultimately is

07:32your rotation changes from one night to the next.

07:35And that's always going to be a little bit of an issue.

07:38Yeah.

07:38So I think that this –

07:39I mean, El Regent Shepard's getting more minutes in the second games of back.

07:42He is, he is.

07:43And he was okay in this one.

07:45No, I'm not saying he's playing bad.

07:46I'm saying everything just – your rotation changes.

07:47Yeah, everything shifts.

07:48So, yeah, you've got to be a team that's a little bit more amenable to going back and forth.

07:52I don't think that this is going to make them fall out of the playoffs

07:55and the rest by any means.

07:57But right now they're sitting fourth in the West

07:59and they have not had as many of these games that they need to contend with

08:02where you lose against teams that you probably shouldn't.

08:05I think that those are things that it's definitely going to need to –

08:07we're going to need to see this come a decent way for the Rockets to be who they want to be.

08:12But there you go.

08:12You're in the loop here on SportsRail 610.

08:14We'll next see them on Thursday.

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