The Houston Rockets have been through a rollercoaster of emotions this season. At first, it was frustration from James Harden who wanted nothing to do with the organization anymore and felt that the roster was not good enough. Then it was disrespect felt by Demarcus cousins and the other players who felt James Harden’s comments were out of line. Next, it was optimism felt by fans and the players after the James Harden saga ended with him being sent to the Brooklyn Nets in a blockbuster trade that made them look like thieves in the deal.
The Rockets immediately ripped off a six-game winning streak that featured them setting a franchise high in three-pointers made in a game. The team looked rejuvenated and played inspired with a mission to prove James Harden and other critics wrong. However, Reality has set in for this team in a big way, and now after a close loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Rockets are now losers of twenty straight games. This franchise-record streak of losing has left the players and head coach frustrated and searching for answers.
Frustration Mounting After the 20th Loss
The Rockets should no longer be looked at as thieves after the Harden trade instead they are huge losers and this team is imploding. The only feeling that was shown on the faces of the players and coaches after their twentieth straight loss to the OKC thunder was despair. Coach Stephen Silas was at a loss for words in the Postgame presser, sitting in silence when asked if he felt that the weight of these losses was building. Silas responded with a brief “yeah”, but with that one-word answer, anyone listening could tell that he was completely demoralized at this point.
Then it was John Wall who commented on what lead to the 20th straight loss for the Houston Rockets. Throwing his teammates under the bus saying in the final possession of the thunder game that his teammates were out of position. So he instead took the shot he felt most comfortable with, getting blocked, leading to their defeat adding only more frustration to the team that can’t be solved by blaming teammates.
Finally, Christian wood the new cornerstone of the Houston Rockets after James Harden’s departure told the media his feelings about the state of the team and his role.
Wood had been absent up until the 18th game of the Rockets losing streak and so far his comments have shown he is extremely frustrated. It’s not great when the most important player in your franchise is very frustrated with the state of the team and unhappy with his role in the offense. Especially after he just witnessed the former franchise star demanding a trade after feeling the same way.
What Needs To Change For The Rockets
Christian Wood made some great points when he spoke about the Houston Rockets’ struggles. He believes that the team isn’t playing together and the ball is not moving enough to lead to wins. Wood is exactly right because over the course of the past twenty games the Houston Rockets are second to last in the NBA in assist per game. If this team has any hope of finding its stride and not extending the losing streak they will need to work together.
Wood is also right that the team needs to involve him in the offense much more especially in the fourth quarter and crunch time. As of today the Houston Rockets currently have the worst-ranked offense in the fourth quarter with 24.7 points per game on average. A quick Remedy for that would be getting their star player, Christian Wood, who is averaging 22 points per game the ball.
And finally, even after moving on from Daryl Morey and Mike D’Antoni in the offseason, the Houston Rockets are still far too over-reliant on the three-pointer. When Morey and D’Antoni were at the helm of the front office of the Houston Rockets they were heavy on hunting for the three-pointer. Not much has changed besides one key factor. The Rockets over the past twenty games are third in three-point attempts per game but last in percentage at 28.8%. Almost three percent off from the team ahead of them. If the Rockets want to turn things around they would be wise to listen to what Christian wood has to say.
