Ben DuBose

Well, every team doesn't have Victor Wimbanyama.

That strategy is a lot more effective when the guy that's sagging off and trying to hedge is 7'5", an athletic freak, maybe the biggest in the history of the NBA, and is able to recover in ways that most teams can't.

I do think to the larger point, this team does need more spacing.

And so when Jabari and Reed are able to make shots and space the floor, it does so much to let the big guns operate.

And even if Shingun couldn't tonight, KD could.

And against an undermanned Hawks team, it was enough.

I also think we should point out defensively, I believe 86 points was the lowest the Rockets have held an opponent to all year.

So this is a culture wet.

And that's what I keep going back to.

And I think there's a lot of positives to take in that regard.

There are some offensive questions that this team needs to resolve, but to hold any opponent to 86 points, especially on the road, I don't care if it's night two of a back-to-back, you're playing hard.

You're playing together.

I thought Clint Capella looked really good in his minutes with rebounding and rim protection.

I just think overall, if you're going to fix the Rockets this year to where they have any chance at all to make some noise and contend for a championship, you've got to get back to the formula from a year ago defensively.

That's what this team does at its best.

That's what Ime Udoka has become known for over his time in the NBA.

Fix the defense, and then let's hope that as the weeks progress, maybe they get Fred Van Fleet back in some capacity before you get to April.

Let's hope that the offense, as the season moves along, can...

can start to put this together.

It's got to start with defense.