Houston Rockets: Takeaways from the Hornets Loss

Houston, we might have a problem. Wednesday night's contest against the Hornets wasn't great for the Rockets.

Oct 23, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard Tre Mann (23) defends against Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green (4) during the fourth quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Last night's loss against Charlotte highlighted some issues for the Houston Rockets. ESPN ranked Charlotte as the No. 25 best team for this season, and Houston at the No. 19 spot.

Players on the roster have said multiple times that their goal is to get to the Playoffs. Losses to potential middle-of-the-pack teams won't help in achieving that goal. Yesterday's game was a near win, with the team having been up by 18 points at the most.

In the first half, Houston played well. Alperen Sengun had a double-double early in the game, finishing with 25 points and 18 rebounds. All-around production like that is what the team needs from him. Right after signing his extension, he continues to prove why he deserved that contract.

However, Sengun fumbled the ball late in the fourth. This turnover ultimately led to Houston losing. Although he is a center, and does not need to have great ball handling, this tends to happen a lot. His handling has improved during the offseason, but he needs to work on his balance and stability driving with the ball so he doesn't lose it.

Jalen Green played good for a time, too. Starting off the season with 28 points, this may give him the confidence he needs to thrive and be consistent. But his shooting was poor, making nine of 23 shots.

The second half rotations were not great and minutes in general were not distrubited well. Tari Eason, the anchor of Houston's second rotation, only played 13 minutes. Cam Whitmore saw the floor for eight minutes. Jock Landale came in the game way too soon. He played just fine, but Eason likely should've seen more consistency on-court.

Amen Thompson was terrific. In 22 minutes, he had 13 points, four rebounds, and one block. His production to this team is what Houston needs off of the bench to win games.

Reed Sheppard did not look as comfortable last night as he has in previous games. He is only a rookie, still figuring out how to contribute. He had four points, three assists and one block in 16 minutes.

The Rockets simply became lazy in the second half. They were outstanding in the first half, dominating on the boards and shooting on the perimeter. Houston let Charlotte go on a 10-0 run in the third quarter, which eventually led to them winning the game.

There is a trend with the Rockets, and it goes back to last season as well. They get a lead, and cannot close out the game with a win. Udoka has long preached intensity, and the Rockets would do well to maintain that for four full quarters.

Luckily, this game is just one of 82, and the young up-and-coming Rockets will have plenty of time to rebound from their day one disaster.

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