Adding a lockdown defender may be a necessity for the Houston Rockets. Furthermore, they may need to add multiple defenders to avoid a dropoff on defense next season.
Brian Windhorst spoke on ESPN about the potential for Houston to bring in more pieces, specifically more defenders.
By way of Ben DuBose of Locked On Rockets, Windhorst said:
“It wouldn’t surprise me if they make a move for a defensive player or two before training camp.”
This sounds more like speculation than anything else, but Windhorst may be on to something. The Rockets lost Trevor Ariza and Luc Mbah a Moute to free agency this summer. The two were key parts of a fantastic Houston defense in 2018. The Rockets finished sixth in the league in defensive rating with a rating of 103.8.
While they lost Ariza and Mbah a Moute, they brought in Carmelo Anthony to help replace the two. Of course, Anthony is still a significant shooting threat, but he is a huge downgrade on defense. Melo doesn’t have the same versatility as Ariza or Mbah a Moute and Anthony will get victimized on the perimeter like he has for the last few years.
It’s unclear what defenders Houston may be targeting if they’re targeting anyone at all. But it would be wise of Daryl Morey and the Rockets to explore the free agent market for any capable defenders.
The Rockets will score in bunches and during the regular season, that’s enough to win consistently. But come playoff time, they need rotational players that can buckle down and defend in crunch time.
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