The Rockets Went From Last to First in this Defensive Category

The Houston Rockets were the worst team in the league in terms of this statistic for years. They did a complete 180 in this category last season.

Mar 27, 2024; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Houston Rockets head coach Ime Udoka gestures to his team on a play against the Oklahoma City Thunder during overtime at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images / Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

The Houston Rockets are just days away from the start of training camp. Expectations are at a four-year high for the Rockets, as many anticipate them to at least make the Playoffs this upcoming season.

The main reason for the high expectations is the Rockets 19-game improvement in 2023-24. One area that has not been mentioned often helped the Rockets to 41 wins last season. Simply put, the Rockets defense was not good in 2022-23.

Game in and game out, teams took advantage of the Rockets poor transition defense for easy buckets. At times, it was poor communication and other times, it was a lack of effort. Having one of the worst shooting teams in the league also didn't help, as long rebounds tend to lead to easier fast breaks.

Like many other areas of the Rockets' turnaround, that all changed last season. The Rockets went from last place in opponents' fast break points to a tie for first in 2023-24. The previous season, the Rockets gave up 17.5 fast break points a game, almost a point more than the 29th-ranked Utah Jazz.

If you go back to the beginning of the Rockets rebuild, they ranked last every season in opponents' fast break points, so the turnaround in 2023-24 is remarkable.

Last season, the Rockets only gave up 11.7 fast-break points a game. Throughout the season, Ime Udoka said that defense and getting back after misses would be a priority. Like missed shots hurt the Rockets fast-break defense the previous season, improved shooting made a difference last season.

The Rockets built a lot of good habits last season that led to improvement across the board. Those good habits could help the Rockets take that next step into the playoffs this upcoming season.

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