The Rockets were efficient on incredibly low volume. You can say the Rockets have great shooters or blame scheme, but it comes down to the Rockets play 2 non-shooters almost all the time. As such, this allows at least one player free to rotate any time there is a double team or a PnR. This makes it difficult to get shots in the paint, but it is also difficult to get open 3s to the good shooters. It is hard to get two non-shooters in an action without defenders just going under everything. If the Rockets want to shoot more 3s and have those attempts come from good shooters (not a slow release and accurate), the Rockets have to play at least 4 players at a time who are accurate and don't have a slow release. The defenses the Rockets face right now have a rule that basically says, when things break down, guys on non-shooters collapse to paint or rotate to shooters.
Vertical spacing: rim threats forcing a defense to defend up, and should only be discussed once horizontal spacing is achieved.
They just weren't comfortable with anyone not named Fred running any type of screens. My reaction for watching the Alpi and Durant "35 Action,Craig!!" in game 1 of the season vs OKC: "That does not look natural. It's ugly." My reaction for watching screens/pnR in the post season: "They look like they've never ran these actions." zero improvement. Coach throwing Amen and Reed under the 18 wheeler and giving specific number of times they've ran the PnR reminded me of Ime going on 790 last season imploring that Green has to be able to make the pocket pass to the roll man. The failure was in believing only Fred could spam that play when in reality you needed to practice it in game with Reed and Amen over and over again instead of the settling for the Teen Wolf action for Durant and Alpi. People like to clown on Alpi doing it, but those 2 had similar numbers on that action. 47% fg for Durant/46% for Alpi for comp: Ant 46%/Brunson 47% So it was effective and it's going to get you 50+wins. But it's just so easy to defend and that style of ball just makes everyone else feel uninvolved.
Rockets have three players in the top 50 in 3 point attempts Reed #16 Jabari #31 and KD #49 So they aren't really the problem -- the issue is that Sengun and Amen are really terrible at it. Next year Reed needs to be in the top 4-5 for attempts and Jabari needs to move up the list as well.
They both achieve spacing, and Adams (in his threat of rebounds) achieves the same gravity of vertical players, is all I’m saying. So I wouldn’t say one type of spacing/gravity has to be achieved before discussing the other. Are we primarily talking about Sengun? That is: Scoring bigs who can’t shoot threes can’t win anymore in the nba without 4 shooters?
Good question. While the OP's intention was about horizontal spacing, vertical spacing is a good concept to talk about. Having someone whose threat of converting at the rim (a rim runner, cutter, lob threat, great dribble penetrator, great offensive rebounder, etc.) the defense would respect creates spacing. In our case, Amen is clearly a vertical spacer. I'm not sure if Sengun counts as one. The thing is, just like the horizontal spacers, the vertical spacers need to be positioned in the right places at the right time to maximize their threats.
Yeah vertical isn’t even the only rim gravity. Any player when at the rim who draws a man who won’t leave him can provide the equivalent gravity of vertical guys. Most G/SFs don’t have same gravity at the rim bc on drives or low post moves by teammates they’ll get left to help bc so what if you pass to them, they can still be blocked easily. so, I do think sengun counts since he’s a legit huge threat if given the ball under basket. However, he can hamper driving lanes bc as passing lanes tighten on drives, low-post scorers can be left at last second (except for lob threats), so his man can and do leave him at last second to block Jalen Green. By comparison, we see Adams have even more gravity bc guys just simply never leave him for any reason. He has more gravity than young Capela with prime Harden.
The Rockets do run plays and they do run downscreens etc. I think fans just hone into the one on one play too much. Sure it looks ugly but again we have a team where the SG can’t shoot 3s or beyond 12 ft and is limited to the dunker’s spot and they have to create slips or DHO’s etc to get him open. We have a center who needs to drive or get a short hook in the paint to score. He doesn’t usually look for shooters on the drive either. I keep saying insert Sengun and Amen into any of these playoff teams and you likely will see the same issues. You think SGA would have a lot of room to operate with Sengun and Amen clogging up the lane? How about the Spurs? Replace Victor with Sengun. Replace Fox with Amen. You’d likely see the same half court traps and matchup zone or 2-3 zone type defenses against those teams and they would still struggle to score
