Welcome to my takeaways from the Rockets-Spurs game. Going to try to make this a (very roughly) weekly series of posts similar to this one and the Bucks-Knicks one from a couple weeks ago; whenever I get a chance to watch a good portion of an NBA game I’ll try and put up some analysis.
For transparency’s sake, I started watching with 4:20 left in the 2nd quarter, when the score was 47-37 Rockets.
The Wemby Experience
This is the most I’ve gotten to watch Wemby in his young career. My Wilt comparison is looking SPOT ON, when I was typing out notes for this game I was listing off a bunch of insane plays but the paragraph got too long because there were so many ridiculous Wemby moments. I feel like he’s just going to decide to put up 20 blocks one night and no one will be surprised. Same goes for 70 points. Wembanyama has unreal height and athleticism and combines it with top-tier IQ so that even when his shots aren’t going in he’s still making a huge two-way impact. His mental game is also on another level – he had a bad first half but a dominant second half, showing that he is in control of his head. I’d expect to see a bunch of NBA players copying Wemby’s monk life next summer for that reason. One critique of his game is his strength, but that is something he will surely be able to work on as he is still only a third year guy.
Spurs Team Ball
I didn’t watch Houston build their ten-point second quarter lead, but I watched them lose it to pure hustle from the Spurs. Stephon Castle, especially, was putting his all on the floor. But it wasn’t just him – the whole team played a very aggressive brand of defense, unafraid to foul while still playing smart basketball on that end making it difficult for the Rockets to score. There was a huge hustle gap between the Spurs and Rockets.
Another Spurs “team ball” topic I wanted to mention is the consistent ball movement. Watching the game tonight, it often felt like they had a “three passes before a shot” rule that anyone who’s played basketball is familiar with in a practice setting. This style was a Popovich hallmark and I’m glad to see it continuing even after he has moved on from the head coaching role.
Rockets Team Needs
The Rockets should be playing the two-big lineup as much as possible. They looked great with Sengun and Adams sharing the floor, and pretty terrible without that duo. They should be looking for someone who can split minutes with Adams as that second big. I’m not sure why Capela can’t fill that role, although I haven’t watched much of him yet this season. If not Capela, the Rockets need to be in search of another “Steven Adams lite” to fill some more of those minutes. I wouldn’t even mind a free agent signing of a guy like James Johnson to play a couple minutes a night, but something needs to change to enable a couple more two-big minutes per night.
Additionally, the Rockets don’t have much hustle culture. Josh Okogie seemed like one of the only guys on the floor tonight who was willing to break a sweat. Part of this problem originated in the KD trade when they gave up Dillon Brooks, but this is another fixable situation for Houston.
NBA Cup Commentary
Tonight was a Cup game, and I don’t think I have compiled my grievances about the cup, so this is the perfect time to do so. First, the court made my eyes hurt. The broadcast team said it was one of the better NBA cup courts but I think they all look terrible. The Spurs' grey jerseys were sometimes hard to see, especially when they were in the corner three spot opposite the camera.
Additionally, the Cup grouping is stupid. I heard some discussion of the Raptors dominating “East Group A” and had no idea what it meant. I find it strange that the NBA felt the need to create a new way to divide conferences into three groups of five teams for the Cup. There definitely isn’t a thing called DIVISIONS which is already groups of five, and would enhance existing rivalries more than this current grouping system.
Question of the Game
What does Jeremy Sochan even do? I always trade him instantly when I play with the Spurs in BBGM and watching him tonight I think I make the right decision when I do so. He seemed to make very little impact when he was on the floor.
Off-Topic Comment of the Game
Recently stumbled across a song called “IORONTA” by a band called Chasing Abbey. They’ve put out three “Irish Resistance” songs recently that I found really good listens. The rest of their stuff isn’t great but I suggest you take a look at their newer music if it sounds interesting to you.
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What did you think of the game, if you got the chance to watch? Do you agree with my takes, disagree, and why? Did you see anything I missed? Let me know in the comments section and I look forward to the discussion. Thanks