Houston’s starting lineup has been a point of discussion all season.
Even before the season started, it was unclear who would take the injured Fred VanVleet’s spot in the starting five, and head coach Ime Udoka has frequently rotated between Reed Sheppard and Tari Eason for the final spot as of late.
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With Eason’s shooting down from his early hot start, Udoka has rolled with Sheppard in the starting lineup, which has done wonders for Houston’s offense. While the Rockets have gotten a major boost on that side of the ball, Houston’s current starting five has struggled on the other, ranking as one of the worst defensive lineups in the NBA.
Starting five defensive struggles
Houston’s current starting five of Reed Sheppard, Amen Thompson, Kevin Durant, Jabari Smith Jr. and Alperen Sengun has a defensive rating that is 9.8 points worse than its season average across 343 possessions together, the second-worst in the NBA among lineups with at least 270 possessions played.
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The only team with a qualified lineup that has a worse rating is the lowly Brooklyn Nets, which has a lineup with a defensive rating that’s 19 points worse than its season average over 292 possessions together. Considering Brooklyn’s main goal this season is to tank for a top draft pick, it’s not the best company for Houston to be in.
The good news is that the Rockets still have time to improve defensively with their current starting lineup. Houston has an uphill battle to make any playoff run, so on top of its depth issues, it could be another challenge that the Rockets have to address ahead of this year’s playoffs and a pivotal offseason.
This article originally appeared on Rockets Wire: Houston Rockets’ starting five is one of NBA’s worst defensive lineups