The Rockets were left with defensive issues after the offseason trade

The Houston Rockets turnaround under head coach Ime Udoka it is built on defense. but now with Kevin Durant in the mixand legitimate championship odds, Houston is suffering from an identity crisis.

The Rockets currently rank No. 1 in offensive rating (127.3), a mark that would break the franchise record set in 2019 (115.5). However, Houston is only 19th in scoring defense after finishing fourth a year ago. In fact, the Rockets are the second-worst defensive team in the league when Alperen Sengun is off the floor. Sengun is the only starter who currently rates as a plus defender on the plus-minus metric.

With a crime that is historically explosiveit may not seem to matter. They have seven players capable of scoring in double figures and boast a bona fide star in Durant. But history says otherwise: Only four teams have ever won an NBA championship without finishing in the top 10 in defensive rating (coincidentally, the 1995 Rockets were one of them).

Houston has surrendered more than 108 points in each of its first four games, despite none of its opponents ranking 14th in offensive rating. Overall, the Rockets played the ninth easiest schedule to date.

So what changed?

Well, the Rockets have certainly put more emphasis on offense this offseason. First, with the acquisition of Durant, who was brought in precisely for his ability to close while replacing defensive anchor Dillon Brooks. They also re-signed Steven Adams and inserted him into the starting lineup.

While Adams remains elite on the offensive glass, the double-big lineup has left the Rockets vulnerable defensively – especially when deploying their 2-3 zone. The Rockets allowed the fifth-highest three-point percentage to an opponent, largely due to that defensive scheme.

Injuries didn’t help either, as the Rockets lost their point guard in Fred VanVleet, who tore his ACL just before the season started. And Houston is still awaiting the debut of Dorian Finney-Smith, who was signed in the offseason in large part for his defensive abilities.

But there were also some unintended consequences. Amen Thompson’s switch to point guard was fruitful offensively, but also burdensome for one of the league’s best defenders. Thompson, who now has to work harder on the offensive end, has already battled cramp issues in two of the first four games. He is also on pace to log over 500 minutes more than any previous season.

VanVleet’s injury also expanded Reed Shepard’s role. And while Sheppard can provide some offense offensively, he’s a liability defensively, and opponents often target him in the half court. Sheppard’s defensive numbers have dropped even more this year as his minutes have increased.

These were all moves that favored offense over defense, a noticeable shift from Udoka’s identity.

External factors are also at play. Scoring is up nearly 4% league-wide, as are fouls and free throw attempts (nearly 23%). Plus, with a new staff, the Rockets can try different things early in the season – tinkering with lineups, rotations and defensive looks to see what sticks.

And, perhaps most importantly, this is a different kind of Rockets team this year. The defense had to carry the young team last season. They used it to fight their way to victory. This year is different. Now their offense can carry them. With a former MVP in Durant and a current candidate in Sengun, Houston can afford some defensive lapses… at least in the regular season.

The Rockets can’t lose sight of what brought them here. Like a childhood friend who gets his first girlfriend and completely forgets about his friends. Houston’s newfound offensive firepower shouldn’t come at the expense of its defensive identity.

The defense should improve as the year goes on, stabilizing as the rotations tighten up. And if the Rockets want to live up to their championship potential, they will have to. Because no matter how great the offense looked this week, titles are still won on the other end of the floor.