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[Red94]

New post: Dwight Howard + Houston Rockets = Elite Defense?
By: ming wang

Last week I addressed the benefits that Dwight Howard would bring on offense; this week's column looks at how Dwight will help on the other end of the floor. The Rockets were a middle of the road defensive team last season. With the addition of a (hopefully healthy) Howard, there is every reason to believe that the Rockets can fashion a top-10 defense and become legitimate championship contenders next season.

Last season's Houston Rockets gave up 103.5 points per 100 possessions,  a defensive rating that was tied with the Knicks for 16th in the NBA. A number of issues stand out when scrutinizing specific defensive data: despite having a quality rim-protector in Omer Asik, the Rockets gave up a 63% FG% in the restricted area, the 6th highest in the league. Houston also gave up the 2nd highest percentage on corner three's (43.4%) and the 9th highest percentage on all three-point shots (37%) while allowing opponents to take the 4th highest number of three's per game (22.4). In short, Houston, a team that values taking efficient shots on offense, did not do a particularly good job of taking away such shots on defense.

Omer Asik was undoubtedly the defensive anchor of last year's Rockets team. Houston was 5.5 points per 100 possessions better with Asik on the floor than off. In other words, in the 18 minutes per game in which Asik didn't play, Houston's defense transformed from the equivalent of the Bulls' 5th rated defense to that of the Piston's bottom-10 unit. With Asik on the court, Houston's opponents took more mid-range shots and fewer three-pointers. Of the four most oft-used Rockets line-ups (all of which featured Asik), three rated better than league-average defensively. All four line-ups had four players in common: Jeremy Lin, James Harden, Chandler Parsons, and Asik; the fifth player varied among Patrick Patterson (the worst line-up defensively, allowing 106.0 points per 100 possessions), Marcus Morris (the best line-up defensively, allowing 95.8 points per 100 possessions), Donatas Montiejunas, and Carlos Delfino. While three of these line-ups include players who are no-longer with the Rockets, the take-away is clear: with Asik in the game, the Rockets were an above-average defensive team.

Dwight Howard has had a similarly pronounced defensive impact on his former teams. The Lakers, ranked just behind the Rockets in defense last season, were a top-3 defense with Howard on the court and a bottom-10 unit with Howard on the bench. In Orlando, the Magic were also significantly better on defense with Howard on the court. In particular, Howard's Magic teams excelled at defending the restricted area and the three-point line, two areas in which the Rockets' defense struggled last season. In the '08-'09 season, Orlando allowed the 3rd fewest corner three attempts; in '09-'10 the Magic allowed the 5th fewest such attempts. In '08-'09, Orlando was the 2nd stingiest team in the restricted area (allowing a 56% FG%) and in '09-'10 they were again the 2nd stingiest team at 57%.

Despite often playing with so-so defensive teammates, Howard's Orlando teams consistently ranked among the best in the league. Indeed, the Magic ranked in the top 3 in defense for three consecutive years from 2008 until 2011. The most oft-used line-ups on these teams were not exactly teeming with defensive aces outside of Dwight. In the '08-'09 season, line-ups featuring Howard, Rashard Lewis, Hedo Turkoglu, Jameer Nelson and one of Keith Bogans/Courtney Lee/Mikael Pietrus defended at an elite level. In '09-'10, the Howard-Matt Barnes-Vince Carter-Rashard Lewis-Jameer Nelson line-up logged a whopping 772 minutes and held opposing teams to a paltry 95 points per 100 possessions. In '10-'11, the Howard-Brandon Bass-Jameer Nelson-Jason Richardson-Hedo Turkoglu line-up logged 630 minutes and only gave up 94.4 points per 100 possessions.

The upshot is that a healthy Dwight near his defensive peak can almost single-handedly ensure a top-10 defense. Outside of Asik, the Rockets' starters from last season are not markedly better or worse defensively than the players that Dwight played with on Orlando. Next season, the Rockets will have the opportunity to have a top 6 or 7 defensive center on the court on all times. That fact alone should improve the Rockets defensively and propel Houston to within spitting distance of the elite-tier of NBA defenses.

[Dmes]

No slacking on defense for James Harden.

[Buckko]

We also have to keep Asik.

[CC.]

Okay so earlier while waiting in a lobby I started to draw out schemes and line-ups for the Rocket's latest roster and... Woah can anybody else picture Terrence Jones, Asik, and Howard on the floor at the same time? Jones playing the 3 spot? We'd get EVERY rebound! And yeah the defense would be golden too.  Except well Jones playing small forward is ehh, and with those three guys the offense would be reeeeally limited...but it just sounds so good.

[Buckko]

Okay so earlier while waiting in a lobby I started to draw out schemes and line-ups for the Rocket's latest roster and... Woah can anybody else picture Terrence Jones, Asik, and Howard on the floor at the same time? Jones playing the 3 spot? We'd get EVERY rebound! And yeah the defense would be golden too.  Except well Jones playing small forward is ehh, and with those three guys the offense would be reeeeally limited...but it just sounds so good.

Ya, I would talk about that with my Dad if we decided to go defensively huge, we would be unstoppable in the paint and you would have a new SWAT team in Houston. 

 

That's whats so great about this team is our versatility, we can go huge, small, offensive, defensive, pack the paint, slash the basket, pound the 3pt line, and grab every board possible. We can create a lineup for every team and we would be very hard to match up against.

Edited by Buckko, 24 July 2013 - 08:52 PM.

[CC.]

Ya, I would talk about that with my Dad if we decided to go defensively huge, we would be unstoppable in the paint and you would have a new SWAT team in Houston. 

Ahh glad to know I'm not the only one who sees this, agree with you on the defensive part. Unstoppable in the paint, uhmm maybe. Dwight will be great with or without Asik there, Asik on the other hand might not be accustomed to being away from the middle of the lane; the PF position isn't natural to him. And Jones needs to develop a bit more imo to be that offensive threat to be unstoppable. But if he improves and Asik can coexist with Howard, I'll agree 100% with you on them being unstoppable and being that new SWAT team.

[Buckko]

Ahh glad to know I'm not the only one who sees this, agree with you on the defensive part. Unstoppable in the paint, uhmm maybe. Dwight will be great with or without Asik there, Asik on the other hand might not be accustomed to being away from the middle of the lane; the PF position isn't natural to him. And Jones needs to develop a bit more imo to be that offensive threat to be unstoppable. But if he improves and Asik can coexist with Howard, I'll agree 100% with you on them being unstoppable and being that new SWAT team.

If you did that, than you would have asik at the center and D12 at the PF because howard is more athletic, has played PF before, and can hit a 6-10ft jumper. Then jones would chill at SF and you might bump parsons to SG.

Edited by Buckko, 24 July 2013 - 11:50 PM.

[CC.]

If you did that, than you would have asik at the center and D12 at the PF because howard is more athletic, has played PF before, and can hit a 6-10ft jumper. Then jones would chill at SF and you might bump parsons to SG.

Oh alright I get you, yeah that scheme fits and sounds right.

[Steven]

If you did that, than you would have asik at the center and D12 at the PF because howard is more athletic, has played PF before, and can hit a 6-10ft jumper. Then jones would chill at SF and you might bump parsons to SG.

Or you can leave Asik on the bench so that the offense isn't clogged. D'Mo would be a better fit if you are pushing Jones to the 3. Still gives the floor spacing required to actually run an offense.

[Buckko]

Or you can leave Asik on the bench so that the offense isn't clogged. D'Mo would be a better fit if you are pushing Jones to the 3. Still gives the floor spacing required to actually run an offense.

We were talking about one specialized lineup of going huge and defensive minded. The lineup we were talking about wouldn't start but could be played against teams like the grizzlies, to control the boards, pack the paint, and swat any ball in range.

[2016Champions]

We were talking about one specialized lineup of going huge and defensive minded. The lineup we were talking about wouldn't start but could be played against teams like the grizzlies, to control the boards, pack the paint, and swat any ball in range.

The Grizzlies front court can do alot of damage against small front-courts, but Terrence Jones (252 lbs) is no Delfino. Their suffocating defense (ranked 2nd) was the main reason they were so good last year, not their limited offense (ranked 17th).

[Buckko]

The Grizzlies front court can do alot of damage against small front-courts, but Terrence Jones (252 lbs) is no Delfino. Their suffocating defense (ranked 2nd) was the main reason they were so good last year, not their limited offense (ranked 17th).

We would overwhelm Z-Bo and Marc by starting a frontcourt of Jones-SF D12-PF and Asik-C. Then we would just rotate them in with demo and Greg. That would take away Memphis's only offensive game in the paint and they wouldn't be able to out muscle us like they do to other small ball teams. 

Edited by Buckko, 25 July 2013 - 05:38 AM.

[Steven]

We would overwhelm Z-Bo and Marc by starting a frontcourt of Jones-SF D12-PF and Asik-C. Then we would just rotate them in with demo and Greg. That would take away Memphis's only offensive game in the paint and they wouldn't be able to out muscle us like they do to other small ball teams.

Memphis would score more points then the Rockets with that lineup, because the Rockets couldn't score with Asik and Howard on the court together. It would be a 6-4 quarter with zero eyeballs watching the boring basketball.

[Buckko]

Memphis would score more points then the Rockets with that lineup, because the Rockets couldn't score with Asik and Howard on the court together. It would be a 6-4 quarter with zero eyeballs watching the boring basketball.

That frontcourt would be meant for a defensive minded matchup, to get all the rebounds, and cancel out the Grizzlies ability to score in the paint and then you know harden and Parsons would still be jacking up 3s and slashing to the basket. Just saying that is one of many, many lineups we can do with such a versatile team as ours. 

[PurpleHayes]

   Yeaaaah just because we could throw that lineup out their doesn't mean we should. Spacing would be pretty terrible, so whatever cancelling we did of the Grizzlies offense, we would essential cancel that out with our own inability to score. Harden and Parsons would be hard-pressed to get open shots or driving lanes because the Grizzlies bigs would not be at all afraid of Asik or Howard outside of 8 feet and their already sound perimeter defenders would be even more free to crowd Harden or Parsons. I understand why you guys think it sounds really cool or dominant on defense and all that, but it's just not practical at all.

[2016Champions]

   Yeaaaah just because we could throw that lineup out their doesn't mean we should. Spacing would be pretty terrible, so whatever cancelling we did of the Grizzlies offense, we would essential cancel that out with our own inability to score. Harden and Parsons would be hard-pressed to get open shots or driving lanes because the Grizzlies bigs would not be at all afraid of Asik or Howard outside of 8 feet and their already sound perimeter defenders would be even more free to crowd Harden or Parsons. I understand why you guys think it sounds really cool or dominant on defense and all that, but it's just not practical at all.

This. 

[RollingWave]

I'll say that the spacing thing, especially in a shorter time frame, is completely overblown.  At worst, your taking more mid range jumpers. which would obviously be available if their big decide to just never leave the paint. (and if they do chase out to you, would it matter if Howard's 10 feet out ? he can you know.. also drive to the basket.)  meanwhile, your also gaining a considerable advantage in offensive rebound.

 

I can totally see it as a lineup we use to close out games where we're trying to hold leads.

[2016Champions]

At worst, your taking more mid range jumpers

The league average on shots 16-23 feet is 38.3%, that's equivalent to 25% from 3. 

10-15ft is 41.7%, that's equivalent to 27.8% from 3. 

3-9ft is 39.8% which is even worse

 

You say "at worst" like taking more inefficient shots isn't that bad, but it is. 

[Cooper]

I'll say that the spacing thing, especially in a shorter time frame, is completely overblown. At worst, your taking more mid range jumpers. which would obviously be available if their big decide to just never leave the paint. (and if they do chase out to you, would it matter if Howard's 10 feet out ? he can you know.. also drive to the basket.) meanwhile, your also gaining a considerable advantage in offensive rebound.

I can totally see it as a lineup we use to close out games where we're trying to hold leads.

the defender would be in the mid range if Howard was he'd just ignore Howard and go to challenge the shot if the hypothetical offense player did manage to get past his guy and raise up from 10-12ft. It'd be like what you see teams do against the clips if BG or Jordan are anywhere out of the paint just ignore them and dare em to take a shot if they get the ball.

Edited by Cooper, 26 July 2013 - 02:41 AM.

[Buckko]

the defender would be in the mid range if Howard was he'd just ignore Howard and go to challenge the shot if the hypothetical offense player did manage to get past his guy and raise up from 10-12ft. It'd be like what you see teams do against the clips if BG or Jordan are anywhere out of the paint just ignore them and dare em to take a shot if they get the ball.

True, but Jorden and blake are not even close to asik and howard. They can't take all the bad, contested midrangers they want, but you would never be able to get even close to the paint with those monsters on the floor.