Hey guys, it’s Ari Alexander checking in with your Rockets newsletter. There’s...not a lot of good news. The Rockets are the worst team in the NBA and showing little to no improvement on either end of the floor.
Just how bad are they?
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The Rockets are 29th in offensive rating, 28th in defensive rating and 29th in overall rating. They have the league’s worst record. There is frankly no saving grace for this team as they are atrocious on both ends of the ball.
They are, somehow, oddly good at rebounding, leading the league in both offensive and total rebound percentage. Players on other teams have recently criticized the Rockets for playing too much iso ball. They are 26th in assist rate. Those criticisms are probably correct. They’ve now lost eight in a row and are one-13 in their last 14 games.
Jae’Sean Tate is back!
One good thing is the return of Jae’Sean Tate from a lingering ankle injury. Tate took his time to fully heal and returned once there was no risk of-reinjury. Since he’s been back, he’s clearly shown why he earned his three-year, $22.1 million contract extension, typically guarding the opponents best player and standing out as a secondary creator.
Sengun’s breaking records
Former Cy Lakes star De’Aaron Fox had a quote this week saying the Rockets should play through Alperen Sengun. Sengun responded by putting up a 10-10-10 triple double against Fox’s Sacramento Kings with Dusty Baker in the audience.
Sengun became the youngest center in NBA history to record a triple-double, and the first Rockets center to do so since Hakeem Olajuwon.
What’s next
Potentially a new coach. Stephen Silas’ seat gets hotter and hotter with every loss. A double-digit losing streak, something that has been common in the post-Harden era could end up being the death knell. This is the 2nd season for Jalen Green, the 3rd season for Kevin Porter Jr. and the Rockets have real talent in the starting 5, yet are still losing at alarming rates. Eric Gordon’s telling quote about not seeing improvement from a couple of weeks ago doesn’t shine a positive light on what the coaching staff has been doing vs. what they want to get accomplished.