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James Harden #13 of Houston Rockets passes the ball during the preseason game between Toronto Raptors and Houston Rockets at Saitama Super Arena on October 10, 2019 in Saitama, Japan. (Photo by Takashi Aoyama/Getty Images)
via Getty
James Harden #13 of Houston Rockets passes the ball during the preseason game between Toronto Raptors and Houston Rockets at Saitama Super Arena on October 10, 2019 in Saitama, Japan. (Photo by Takashi Aoyama/Getty Images)
In the 2019-20 NBA season, the Houston Rockets used the small-ball strategy. At first, it was working fine, but in the playoffs, the Rockets were exposed.
As of now, playing without a center is very difficult, and the Rockets faced the consequences. They were sent home in the second round of the playoffs. This led to them firing Mike D’Antoni and hiring Stephen Silas as their new coach.
In a recent conference, Silas revealed his strategies for the upcoming season, where he talked about whether he wants to continue with the small-ball lineup.
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“In today’s NBA, you cannot play one way. Small ball can be a part of it. On the offensive end, we want to be a little less predictable. On the defensive end, the same thing. Playing against teams that have different ways of defending is tough. I want to be that team.
“What I will do [on offense] is try to make it easier. Put in a few little actions and be a little more versatile on the offensive end to let those guys play to their strengths. Not so much stand around with iso. Defensively, we’re going to have to improve. It’s going to take a little more structure and a little more discipline.”
#Rockets coach Stephen Silas: "In today’s NBA, you cannot play one way. Small ball can be a part of it. We want to be a little less predictable."
GM Rafael Stone: "I would anticipate we’ll provide Stephen with some more optionality to go big or small."https://t.co/YKgsl9y72P
— Ben DuBose (@BenDuBose) November 5, 2020
Over the last few seasons, the Rockets’ strength has been their offense. With James Harden as the spearhead, Houston paid little to no attention to defense. However, with Silas’ introduction, the team will play better defense.
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What’s next for the Houston Rockets?
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SAITAMA, JAPAN – OCTOBER 08: James Harden #13 of Houston Rockets dribbles up court against the Toronto Rapters on October 8, 2019 at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. (Photo by Jun Sato/WireImage)
The next season is quite important for the Rockets. For starters, their two superstars, James Harden and Russell Westbrook need to lead the team to a better record. But the issue is that the Rockets have little to no cap flexibility for the coming seasons.
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So even if they want to compete for a championship, they would have to run it back. All things considered, Stephen Silas has a tough job ahead of him. Unless Houston decides to trade Harden or Westbrook, this is a team Silas would have to improve and compete within the Western Conference.
What do you think? Will Silas help the Houston Rockets get over their hump?
