Are Houston Rockets a 'Mirror Image' of Denver Nuggets?

Due to the improvements under coach Ime Udoka, coach Michael Malone believes the Houston Rockets' style of play mirrors the Denver Nuggets.

For the fourth time in 26 days, the Houston Rockets will face off against the Denver Nuggets Friday night inside Ball Arena. A win in Denver would give the Rockets their first road victory of the year and a 3-1 regular season series win over the reigning NBA champions.

Coach Michael Malone has not been shy about the improvements he has seen from the new-look Rockets. And Houston's progress has Malone believing that the Rockets have emulated the Nuggets' style of play.

"When I watch the tape, the way they are playing is similar to how we play," Malone said. "The offense that they run is a mirror image. This is a very hungry team and has improved a lot."

Malone described the Nuggets' style of play as a ball-moving team that wants to register 30 assists each night. And after 22 games, Denver is averaging the second-most assists in the league at 30.0.

Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic grabs a rebound away from Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun / Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Malone began to establish the Niggets' cohesion when he first took the helm in Denver in June 2015, and each player has bought into his teachings over the previous nine years. His guidance coincides with Nikola Jokić's attribute as a playmaker.

Coach Ime Udoka has preached the same message since his hiring in April. Similar to Malone, Udoka has had the luxury of having his players buy into his system, which includes Alperen Şengün — whose on-court intelligence and playmaking are comparable to Jokić. 

"I think as you play and you have success, everybody that comes in now, it's who we are," Malone said. "When your best player is your most unselfish player, that's pretty easy to follow for everyone else who comes in. Everybody feels involved in the offense; they are more willing to fight and be engaged on defense."

Jeff Green Encourages Alperen Şengün to 'Be Better' Than Nikola Jokić

Houston is 11th in the league with an average of 26.3 assists. Last season, the Rockets finished 30th in assists averaging 22.4. Playing more through Şengün has been one of several significant changes Udoka has made during his first year in Houston.

The third-year Turkish native has posted Houston's second-highest usage rating at 27.5. As a result, Şengün is averaging 5.6 assists. During the 2022-23 season, Sengun averaged a usage rating of 21.1.