In each of the three previous seasons, the team paired a great offense with a decent defense and ended up in the top five of net rating. So far this season, the defense is poor enough that Houston is struggling to outscore opponents. Therefore Westbrook optimists must lean on the hope that this team will get better with time, and to be fair, that’s distinctly possible. Just look at last year’s team for precedent. In 2018-19, the Rockets ranked 25th in defensive efficiency before the All-Star break. Then they flipped the switch, ranking second in that category after the break. This year’s group has the talent and the time to make the defensive improvements necessary to become legitimate contenders. But will they?
In each of the three previous seasons, …
