Houston Rockets vs Thunder Reaction and Rockets Offensive Identity?

Summary

In this video, the host of Rockets Chop Shop shares insights from the Houston Rockets' preseason game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The game, which went into overtime, highlighted ongoing challenges for the Rockets, particularly around offensive cohesion and individual play. The host discusses the team's over-reliance on Fred VanVleet, the need for better ball handling, and the importance of developing a more cohesive team strategy. He also highlights standout performances, especially from Reed Shepard, while stressing that the team must improve if they hope to make the playoffs.

Takeaways

• 🏀 The Rockets recently played an overtime game against the Thunder. Although they technically won, the Thunder played more cohesively, which highlighted the Rockets' struggles.
• 🤔 The Rockets' offense still lacks a clear philosophy. Many of the issues from last season, like disjointed offensive play, were visible in this game.
• 🙌 Reed Sheppard had a standout game and showed his potential. His passing and shooting skills could address some of the Rockets' offensive weaknesses.
• 🎯 Fred VanVleet’s presence was missed. He brings stability and structure to the offense, which became evident as the Rockets struggled without him.
• 💥 The Thunder may be one of the league's best teams this season. Their additions, such as Alex Caruso and Isaiah Hartenstein, make them even stronger.
• 🚀 Jalen Green struggled with his role as a primary ball handler. He still needs to develop his playmaking skills to efficiently run the Rockets’ offense.
• 🧩 The team seemed to lack a hierarchy on offense, with players frequently focusing on isolation plays rather than team-oriented basketball.
• 🔄 The Rockets need to develop a balanced offensive system that utilizes the strengths of all players. Simply relying on post-ups and individual talent is not sustainable.
• 📈 The team is balancing development with the desire to make the playoffs. However, this could create challenges as younger players are asked to adapt to specific roles.
• 🔍 This preseason game provides valuable footage for the team to analyze. Improvements need to be made, particularly in terms of energy, cohesion, and offensive execution.

Q & A

What were the main takeaways from the Rockets vs Thunder game?

The main takeaways were that the Rockets struggled offensively, with many of the same issues from last season resurfacing. Oklahoma City played better as a team, with more aggression and smarter play, while the Rockets struggled with individualism and lack of cohesion.

How did the Rockets' players perform during the game?

Some players had good moments, like Reed Shepard, who was highlighted for his performance. However, many starters struggled with selfish play, poor ball movement, and immaturity in their decisions. Jabari and Amen took uncharacteristic and poor shots, and Jalen Green was criticized for not executing well as a ball handler.

What did the speaker say about Oklahoma City's performance?

The speaker praised Oklahoma City, saying they could be the best team in the league. They highlighted the addition of Alex Caruso and Isaiah Hartenstein as major upgrades for a team that was already competing for the Conference Finals. OKC played as a cohesive unit, with more speed, intelligence, and team basketball than the Rockets.

How important is Fred VanVleet to the Rockets' performance?

Fred VanVleet is crucial to the Rockets, as he is the 'adult in the room' who can organize the offense, make good decisions, and create better opportunities for his teammates. His absence was felt in this game, as the team lacked structure and struggled with offensive execution without him on the floor.

What are some of the key issues the Rockets need to address moving forward?

The Rockets need to develop a more cohesive offensive philosophy, improve ball movement, and reduce individualism. Players need to sacrifice personal stats for the team's success, and Jalen Green must improve his ability to read the defense and make better decisions as a primary ball handler.

How did Jalen Green perform in the game?

Jalen Green struggled in his role as a ball handler. While he can score, his passing was not up to the standard required for a primary ball handler. He missed key opportunities in the pick-and-roll and didn't effectively read the defense.

What is the significance of the pick-and-roll offense for the Rockets?

The pick-and-roll is a key part of the Rockets' offensive strategy, but its success depends on having a capable ball handler. Fred VanVleet is currently the best option for running the pick-and-roll, but his ceiling is limited. Jalen Green can score out of it but lacks the passing ability to maximize the system.

What potential does Reed Shepard have on the team?

Reed Shepard shows potential as a key player, especially in running the pick-and-roll and making smart passes. While still a rookie, he could potentially become the team's backup point guard by December if he continues to develop, though this might expose roster weaknesses if the team has to rely on him too soon.

What did the speaker identify as a critical challenge for the Rockets' young players?

A critical challenge is balancing individual development with team success. Young players on their first contracts may struggle to fit into defined roles, but the team needs a clear hierarchy for success. Learning to play with each other and sacrifice individual stats is essential for the Rockets' progress.

What adjustments does the speaker hope to see from the Rockets in future games?

The speaker hopes to see the Rockets play more cohesively, with a clearer offensive identity and more structured team play. He expects better decision-making from Jalen Green and hopes that coach Ime Udoka will develop a system that involves every player on the floor. The team should also focus on watching film and learning from their mistakes.

Outlines

00:00

🏀 Rockets vs. Thunder Recap & Channel Updates

The video begins with the host introducing the topic: a recap of the Rockets versus Thunder game. They express their intent to share personal takeaways and then promote the Rockets Chop Shop as a go-to platform for basketball fans, offering highlights, analysis, podcasts, and merchandise. The host encourages viewers to like, subscribe, and support the channel through donations or sponsorships. The segment ends with the host building excitement for the video, expressing a passionate connection to the team.

05:02

⏳ Overtime Struggles & Key Player Performances

The host reflects on the Rockets vs. Thunder game that went into overtime, describing it as an 'ugly game.' While the Rockets did well in certain moments, many issues from the previous season resurfaced, particularly in offense. They highlight Reed Shepard's excellent performance and acknowledge Oklahoma City as a strong team, especially after adding key players like Alex Caruso and Isaiah Hartenstein. Although the Rockets won on the box score, the host feels that Oklahoma City outplayed them in terms of teamwork, energy, and intelligence. The Rockets’ players were described as immature, focusing too much on individual play.

10:03

📉 Missing Fred VanVleet: Leadership Void and Isolation Play

In this section, the host points out how much the Rockets struggled without Fred VanVleet on the court, calling him 'the adult in the room.' The team’s reliance on Fred for creating rhythm and facilitating offense became evident, as Jalen Green, who stepped up in his absence, failed to meet expectations as a playmaker. The host criticizes the selfish and isolation-heavy play of the team, noting that without a true point guard to organize the offense, the team lacked fluidity. There’s hope that the younger players will develop better team play and understanding of their roles.

🔄 Offensive Philosophy and Player Sacrifice

The host discusses the need for the Rockets to develop a cohesive offensive philosophy. The challenge lies in balancing the individual development of young, talented players with the collective goal of team success. The host emphasizes that for the Rockets to make the playoffs, players must accept roles and make sacrifices. They highlight a 'hierarchy' within the team that needs to be established, which Fred VanVleet typically enforces. Without Fred, the offense seemed disorganized, with too much isolation play. They draw parallels to the 2021 Olympic team, explaining how even top-tier players must adapt to roles for the team’s success.

🎯 Pick-and-Roll Play & Jalen Green’s Development

Here, the host focuses on the Rockets’ reliance on the pick-and-roll offense and how Fred VanVleet is currently the best at executing it. Reed Shepard is mentioned as a promising secondary playmaker, though still inexperienced. Jalen Green’s struggles in making reads and passing out of pick-and-roll situations are highlighted as a concern. The host believes Jalen’s ability to improve in these areas is crucial for the Rockets’ offensive success. They reference high-IQ players like LeBron James and James Harden, emphasizing that Jalen needs to become more methodical and unselfish in his playmaking to elevate the team.

🧠 Reed Shepard’s Potential and the Team’s Dilemma

The host discusses Reed Shepard's potential to fill the team’s playmaking gap, given his passing abilities in the pick-and-roll. Although still a rookie with defensive flaws, Shepard has shown promise and might take on a larger role if the team’s guard situation doesn’t improve. However, relying on a rookie this early raises concerns about the overall strength of the Rockets' roster. The host is optimistic about Shepard’s future but cautions that it’s too early to draw conclusions. They end by stressing that this preseason game provided valuable film for the Rockets to address their weaknesses before the regular season.

📹 Lessons Learned from the Preseason & Moving Forward

The final section emphasizes the importance of preseason games like this one for learning and improvement. The host acknowledges the Thunder's aggressiveness and questions how the Rockets will adjust based on the game’s film. While no player had an exceptional performance, many had moments of both good and bad play. The host expects the Rockets to look significantly better in future games, especially after reviewing the game tape and making necessary changes. They close the video by encouraging viewers to leave comments and stay engaged with the Rockets Chop Shop.

Keywords

💡Rockets

The Rockets refer to the Houston Rockets, a professional basketball team based in Houston, Texas. They are a central subject of the video as the speaker discusses their performance in a game against the Thunder. The team's performance, strategy, and player dynamics are analyzed throughout the script.

💡Thunder

The Thunder refers to the Oklahoma City Thunder, another professional basketball team that played against the Houston Rockets in the game being discussed. The Thunder's strong performance and team dynamics are highlighted as areas where the Rockets struggled in comparison.

💡Offensive Philosophy

In basketball, 'offensive philosophy' refers to the strategic approach a team takes when they have possession of the ball, aiming to score. The video discusses the Rockets' lack of a clear offensive philosophy and how this impacted their game performance, particularly in terms of ball movement and player cooperation.

💡Pick and Roll

The 'pick and roll' is a basketball maneuver in which a player sets a screen (the 'pick') for a teammate, who then attempts to drive past their defender (the 'roll'). The video mentions the importance of this tactic for the Rockets and the need for a capable ball handler to execute it effectively.

💡Fred VanVleet

Fred VanVleet is a professional basketball player for the Toronto Raptors, mentioned in the context of discussing the importance of a veteran player's presence on the court. The video suggests that the Rockets may be overly reliant on a player of similar stature to VanVleet to guide the team's offense.

💡Jalen Green

Jalen Green is a professional basketball player for the Houston Rockets. The video discusses his performance, particularly his ability to score and handle the ball, and the expectations for him to develop as a primary ball handler and leader on the team.

💡Reed Shephard

Reed Shephard is a professional basketball player who is discussed as a potential solution to the Rockets' offensive issues. The video highlights his ability to make passes, shoot, and drive to the basket, suggesting that his development could be crucial for the team's success.

💡Isolation Plays

In basketball, 'isolation plays' refer to offensive strategies where a player is positioned to receive the ball with the intention of creating a one-on-one scoring opportunity, away from help defense. The video criticizes the Rockets for relying too heavily on isolation plays, which can indicate a lack of teamwork and ball movement.

💡Team Concept

The 'team concept' in basketball refers to the idea that the success of the team as a whole is more important than individual achievements. The video suggests that the Thunder demonstrated a better team concept than the Rockets, playing more cohesively and effectively as a unit.

💡Preseason

The 'preseason' refers to the series of exhibition games played by basketball teams before the start of the regular season. The video is analyzing a Rockets versus Thunder game that took place during the preseason, emphasizing that while it's important to learn from these games, they may not fully predict regular season performance.

💡Rookie of the Year

The 'Rookie of the Year' is an annual award given to the best-performing first-year player in the NBA. The video speculates that Reed Shephard might become a candidate for this award if he quickly adapts to the NBA level, indicating the high expectations placed on him.

Highlights

The video starts with a brief introduction, highlighting that this is a review of the Rockets vs. Thunder game.

The Rockets Chop Shop is a hub for basketball fans offering highlights, analysis, podcasts, and merchandise.

The speaker discusses the game going into overtime, which they didn't expect but considered the game overall to be 'ugly.'

One major issue highlighted is the Rockets' offensive struggles, a recurring theme from the previous season.

Reed Shepard's performance was phenomenal, a standout in the game despite the team's overall lackluster showing.

The Thunder played harder, smarter, and faster, showing more teamwork and cohesion compared to the Rockets.

The speaker criticizes the Rockets for playing selfishly, often opting for isolation plays instead of passing to open teammates.

Fred VanVleet's absence was felt significantly, as the team lacked leadership and struggled with offensive execution without him.

Jaylen's performance as a ball handler was criticized, with the speaker expecting more from him in terms of reading the defense and facilitating plays.

The speaker highlights the lack of offensive hierarchy without Fred VanVleet, mentioning how the Rockets need a clearer structure to succeed.

The Rockets' players are still exploring their roles, and there is a challenge in balancing individual development with team success.

Reed Shepard is praised for his ability to make all the passes in pick-and-roll situations, but his defensive flaws were also noted.

The Rockets' reliance on rookies like Reed could signal either his high potential or weaknesses in the roster.

The game serves as valuable film for the Rockets to review and improve upon, especially in terms of offensive cohesion.

The speaker emphasizes the need for players to learn and embrace their roles for the Rockets to reach their potential this season.

Transcripts

what is up csgs in this video I'm going

to give you my takeaways from the

Rockets versus the Thunder how did we do

how do we do I'm going to talk about

that right now tap in

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this is something I know I

know I

know well I just finished watching the

Rockets versus Thunder game um that went

to overtime uh overtime I probably

didn't want but uh it was a it was a it

was an ugly game I'm not going to lie um

we got to see a lot from the team um

some of the things that we struggled

with last season rared its ugly head

primarily the offense um in my last

video I talked about it a bit uh with

some of the uh lack of offensive

philosophy that the Rockets have haven't

shown to display um over the ok's tenure

uh some of those things came into being

and um you know I think we had players

that played well I think for example

Reed Shepard who I'm going to talk about

later on was phenomenal um I think that

there were spurts where the starters

played well uh but overall we got to

give credit to Oklahoma City they might

be the best team in the league like they

are really good the addition of Alex

guso and Isaiah hardenstein to me is op

for a team that was already pushing the

Conference Finals right so um that was

you know that was good the great

additions for that team and for us um

facing them uh with all their starters

back in SGA played dor played who hadn't

played in the preseason um I expected it

to be a tough place to try to go get a

win um even though we won the game on

the box score I would say when it comes

to the minutes we were supposed to win

they really they kind of beat us they

beat us pretty good

um and just looking at the game it

wasn't really nothing schematic it was

really they just played harder than us

they played smarter they played faster

they played more of a team concept of

basketball than we did I felt like the

Rockets players were a bit selfish there

was a lot of guys trying to get their

own in isolation there was a lot of guys

not passing to the open players there

were a lot of times in transition guys

try to do it on their own um a lot of

immaturity in the way that they played

and I'm I'm hoping as the season goes

along the rocket kids can get all of

those actions beh behind them because

like I said um in my previous video we

have a lot of individually talented

players but for them to reach their

ceiling guys are going to have to learn

to play with each other um this also

highlighted some of the things that we

see when Fred van Le isn't on the court

for the team right um you know in the

summer kind of speaking about the team's

future I really hope that we wouldn't be

so heavily reliant on Fred Van vet um

but it seems like because he is the

adult in the room when we are playing

that we are you you think when Fred is

on there he knows how to read the game a

little bit he knows when to get guys

going he knows how to get them into a

good shot right um that's the purpose of

a good point guard is to get your

players and the team into the best shot

on any given possession whether it's

going to be a shot on the inside the

outside whether it's slowing it down

speeding it up that's something Fred

really really thrives at and um not

having him out there you would expect

jayen to be able to step up to that I

didn't like the way jayen EX uted as a

not as a a scorer per se but as a ball

handler um I expect more from him as as

the primary ball handler on the playoff

team to be able to control the offense

be able to run your pick and rolls with

the bigs whether Shang gun or orando but

at the same time be able to see the

defense and how they're reacting to you

uh whether it's it's them collapsing and

trying to help or is this something that

you need to hit your drive hit the

threes or kick out to a open shooter um

I really didn't see that um a lot from

him I I think he was still trying to

find his shot I think when he hunts for

his shot it really forces the game and

it's not natural for him but at the same

time without um Fred being out there

there's nobody else on the court that's

able to make the game easier for him

right so he's not getting set up to get

into Rhythm per se um and it kind of

trickles down you see Jabari taking

shots that are uncharacteristic a man

took a lot of bad shots in this game uh

you know I mean he didn't really look

great on ball um shenon even though he

had a good individual game I felt like

uh it's I don't want to just post them

up post them up post them up to me

that's just the it's it's it's just a

form of isolation um I really want them

to be able to learn to play with each

other and I'm just not seeing that I

don't know if it's coach adoka I don't

know if it's the players but there's a

lot of Dynamics with the team that um to

me that they need to improve upon if

they want to reach their ceiling um but

to me it all starts with the offensive

philosophy where what the Rockets are

right now and um I I think this is a

question that we're going to have to

answer this season and it's just a

second preseason game there's no need to

take too much out of it um it's just

something that you could they're going

to have to watch the film and learn from

uh basically where they are right now is

they're at the point where they're

trying to uh kill multiple Birds one

stone right you have all these young T

talented players um who are exploring

their games and trying to learn who they

are in the league at the same time in

order to have a functional team you need

guys to be able to sacrifice and play

roles um and for young players who are

on their first contract high draft picks

trying to Define what their roles are

going to be on the team that is a tough

ask right that's a tough thing to be

able to ask them to be able to take a

backseat to another young player or to

other players while you're still have

the dream of being that guy in your head

right and the rockets are at the point

where their goals to make the playoffs

are kind of antithetical towards

everybody reaching their ceiling because

as we saw I always use this analogy best

team ever put together was the or one of

the greatest teams ever put together was

the Olympic team that we saw with LeBron

and them boys that that won Gold over in

France and on that team Devon Booker had

to play the pat Beverly role right and

I'm using the argument from the greater

to the Lesser if a team that good forces

the best players in the world to have to

fit into roles where there's guys that

are all they're out there is just play

defense and on their primary teams

they're top three in the their position

in the league what does that mean for

the Rockets right it means that it it

doesn't matter how you cut it guys are

going to have to learn how to play roles

they're going to have to learn to fit

into their roles and in order for the

team to be maximized there has to be

some sort of hierarchy and I really

didn't see that especially with Fred not

out there I think Fred forces that

hierarchy on the team where when he's

out there he's going to get the guys the

shots as he see fits and you trust him

because he's a vet right he's a vet um

so you know for the first few minutes

Shang didn't touched the ball a lot it

was a lot of guys trying to go at it and

then they just said okay let's just Spam

shenon and then it's like okay well

that's good but then other guys just

fall to the Wayside to me I'm not going

to put too much on it but I do think Oka

needs to do a much better job of

developing a offense that involves every

single person and one of the main bread

and butters of the team right now is the

pick and roll and in order for the pick

and roll to be maximized and if you're

going to run a pick and roll based

offense it really does rely on the ball

handler and right now Fred to me he's

the best pick and roll ball handler we

have on the team um but he has a ceiling

because he's not the best like Court

mapper he doesn't have that passing

Vision to hit all the passes the second

best player that runs the pick and rolls

as far as when it comes to passing is

Reed Shepard Jaylen can score out of the

pick and roll but the passing isn't up

to par that you would want it for a guy

you want to have damn near 100 touches a

game cuz that limits your offense but

Reed is a rookie so you have this

dilemma where your rookie who isn't you

know he has flaws Reed is you know

defensive flaws even though he fights

hard had a great contest on a

three-pointer um at the same time there

are you can see players attacking him a

little bit so he still needs to get

caught up on his on everything in the

NBA he's still young trying to figure

stuff out um but at the end of the day

passing wise Reed is the one that you

kind of want the ball in his hands

because he could hit every pass he knows

how to read the game right if you don't

have one of those ball handlers on your

team um the other option is to have a

very very efficient scorer and which we

don't have right now so it's kind of

we're in a weird spot with the offensive

play style that we've chosen uh to me

the best thing for uh for the team is

for Jaylen to rapidly develop the

ability to be able to read the court

read the flow of the defense a little

bit better you can see the Thunder

pressured him a bit double teamed a bit

some of off the pick and rolls and he

didn't hit those pocket passes um he

just needs to be able to read the game

and I I call it the the the robotic view

of playing uh uh the guard right you

think about LeBron or James Harden all

these high high IQ guys even Trey young

to a lesser extent when they run plays

they are almost robotic in the way

they're going to read the defense like

if you step up on James he's going to

throw it to the big man if you let him

go oneon-one he's going to cook you if

you give him too much space he's going

to drive to the rim same thing with

LeBron whoever you help off with he's

going to pass it to the help where the

defense is coming to help off and there

is no ego in doing that meaning that if

you give him the same look 30 times in

one game James Harden LeBron James will

throw that lob to that big man 30 times

right they might have one or two like

okay let me just throw up something just

a heat check type of thing but if you

give them that opportunity to be able to

do that they're going to be able to make

the same play over and over and over

again and to me that's a prequisite for

being a primary ball handler on a

successful NBA team um unless you're

just a efficient efficiently good at

scoring um so one of those two things

has to give for this season but um this

is a storyline I'm going to keep an eye

on for them their offensive identity to

me they need to figure it out um I

understand with the level of talent and

the uh high draft picks you have on a

team you have to balance it out but if

they want to stick to their goals about

really making a push for the real

playoffs people's feelings are going to

get hurt bro like you just have to be

able to like put your big boy pants on

and say hey this is where we're doing

here's how we're going to get there and

if if the if the time lends to you

becoming a better uh scorer if it lends

to you becoming more efficient then

we'll give you those reps as it comes if

it comes to you you being a better

playmaker etc etc but guys got to do

better um I think overall they just have

to play more cohesively as a unit um in

order for them to be as successful as

they want because the way they were

playing to me is just not

ideal now one of the good things that I

saw from the game is um Reed Shephard

you know all the stuff I just talked

about honestly if you put Reed in and if

he can get caught up up to speed fast

enough then he does address a lot of the

issues like I said he can make all the

passes in the pick and roll he can shoot

off so you got to respect that and he

can get to the rim um because of his

shooting gravity does give him ability

to drive to the basket um and it's just

going to be based on how fast he gets

caught caught up now I was under the

impression that in the regular season

obviously with Fred playing um that that

Reed wouldn't get wouldn't get the

opportunities that he would need to be

able to be a a rookie of the year

candidate the way the guard situation is

looking right now he may be right there

bro like there's a chance that by

December he may be the the second the

backup point guard on the team which to

me is not a good thing for the Rockets

because if you have to rely on a rookie

this early on in his career it's either

he's really really good which he could

be that could be a good thing or uh you

have major holes on your roster I still

think that that um it's too early to

tell uh obviously it's preseason

obviously with the full uh starters with

Fred and everybody in there um you get a

different look from the team the pace is

better your staggers of your lineups are

better so you know you got to give them

that benefit overall I think it was a it

was a good game to get film on I think

it was these one of these games that um

you kind of want to have before you

start the season so you can clean up a

lot of the messes I'm going to be

curious to see what adjustments they

make um to me these are the games that

you you really they're going to help you

change what you're doing going forward

the question is how are the Rockets

going to react to what they put on film

right can you sit down and watch this

tape and say that we're not going to

change anything right that's going to to

me that's going to be a determinant of

how successful they're going to be early

on in the season because we cannot start

this season looking like we did like I

said OKC just look like they wanted it

more they were more aggressive they just

pressured the ball more um so we'll see

man I I think overall you know everybody

played okay I wouldn't say nobody had a

super great game game um Everybody kind

of had uh good and bad some people more

good than bad um but just a preseason

game we'll see what they do in the next

game I think we get like a week off in

between um so I'm sure they're going to

get back to the drawing board get some

film on and see how they could rebound

from this game I expect them to look a

lot better A lot better in this game

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