Defense Hinders Rockets Growth

"The Houston Rockets can score the ball. But they can't seem to prevent their opponents from doing the same."

The Rockets have seen some major changes in the offseason. First, they let go of their big man Dwight Howard and cleared some cap space along the way to get Ryan Anderson and Eric Gordon. They hired veteran coach Mike D’Antoni, who has made James Harden the new point guard. The problem that followed the Rockets all last year was their defense, and the problem has continued this year. They allowed the L.A. Lakers to score 120 points in the season opener. They are now 2-2, but the defense has let them down, as they have allowed an average of 103.3 points per game. Their offense however has been a bright side for them. They have offensive threats on the perimeter and James Harden can get to the hole like no one else. And with Harden controlling the ball, he is feeding other players and getting them more involved than last year, when Harden played "iso-ball" all the time. If they can produce just a small bit of defense, they will win a lot of games because they score so many points. They also need to have one of their big men step up to be a rim protector like Dwight Howard used to be. Clint Capela is the new starting center and is still young. He is developing very well in the NBA and will eventually be a powerful center. For the Rockets to be successful, they must play better defense, and their big men need to rebound and protect the rim more.

Was getting rid of D12 the right move? Do the Rockets need to make a roster move to bolster their interior defense?