Houston Rockets vs San Antonio Spurs - 3/5/2024

Game Breakdown

Rockets - 114 - 101 W

• FVV, Green, Brooks, JSJ, Sengun

• BROOKS taking the Wemby matchup

• SENGUN is setting really solid and impactful screens (multiple in the first 8 minutes where defenders just get engulfed and it was on multiple different defenders)

  • He is just so much better in PnR than what I thought he would be in terms of finishing these at the rim as someone who isn’t super twitchy or explosive vertically

  • It’s unique (almost puts it on his shoulder for some attempts) but he is also able to finish with that soft touch floater (both hands)

    • Really crafty and effective in the “in between” range (not at the rim but not mid range pull up jumper

  • First 2 times trying to attack Wemby at the rim he misses…..

    • Third time he goes more finesse and is able to finish on the OREB putback

    • Definitely finding more success when he just uses nuance, footwork, etc. to score around him then trying to go through him

      • And he has a bag full of these moves

  • This was an impressive offensive performance considering the matchup

    • Can you imagine if the 3P shot from the top of the key becomes a REAL weapon…..

  • Had very active hands that led to a lot of disruption

• GREEN still showing the flashes that at one time had people so excited

  • Complete blow by in isolation for a layup

  • Really nice left hand live dribble pocket pass in PnR

  • Makes a pull up 3P off the ball screen a couple possessions later

  • Has a nice snake and pull up mid range mid 2nd quarter

  • Again, you can absolutely see the skill level and talent he has but he just hasn’t proven to be efficient enough with it yet

    • I also think that most people would look at what he does and want more of it to happen as an off the ball player

      • Perfect example of what he could be at end of the 3rd quarter where he cuts off the ball, gets a touch, nice read and pass to Sengun on weakside who gets an and-one

      • BUT then takes an ill advised Iso stepback 3PA a couple possessions later

    • End of 2nd quarter process now is all of a sudden getting way too aggressive

• THOMPSON off the ball instincts are very good on both ends

  • Cutting, OREB

  • Tracking blocked shots, DREB

  • His defensive playmaking is truly just on a crazy level for a rookie (4.5 stocks per 100)

    • White had a 4.2 season, SGA at 4.3 this season

• WHITMORE comes in and immediately does what he does….get a bucket

  • Next attempt is a ROUGH miss (wide right)

  • IMPRESSIVE 1 hand OREB Putback Dunk (the 2 feet explosion and pop is nice)

  • Got buckets at all 3 levels

    • Created a TON of separation on a mid range stepback

  • No fear attacking Wemby right through his chest

    • Gets blocked on both BUT both lead to OREB finishes (1 for himself and 1 for Landale)

Spurs

• Jones, Vassell, Champagnie, Sochan, Wemby

  • They still have not figured out how to throw him lobs yet, this is the weirdest thing

• WEMBY off to an awesome start

  • Takes advantage of switch and mismatch in the post, blocks Sengun at the rim after he tries to bully him, hits a stepback 3P on ensuing offensive possession

  • Being guarded by Brooks

  • JSJ now and they have been VERY physical with him thus far and you can tell it is disrupting him

  • I know he tends to rely on jump shots in general but they have really turned him into “just” a jump shot taker so far

  • Sounds like he was battling through something that was limiting his mobility to an extent (can’t find anything on the injury report the next day)

  • Sengun got his at times but Wemby still made it a frustrating night around the rim

    • The length is just ridiculous to try and score over

• WESLEY is a player that is interesting to me just for the fact that he is so fast and twitchy

  • Not sure if it ever pans out to an actual backup primary initiator but he is a player im interested to track

  • The jumper is rough

• JOHNSON is another player that is interesting to me but I can’t quite decide where I land

  • Overall FG% has actually decreased every year of his career, 3P% this season is right below 35% on good volume, he does rebound well for his height

  • This feels like a solid backup wing that gives you a little of everything but maybe there is a higher ceiling there

  • Being very aggressive off the dribble, got to some floater finishes and drawn fouls

  • Pretty effective scorer when the C&S 3P is falling

• BRANHAM is another player on this roster I can’t quite figure out what the long term impact is

  • I like the idea of him as a potential off ball scorer (probably 2 levels) but did NOT like when they were trying to have him play with the ball in hand more

  • I probably believe in the jumper more than others (and more than I should) based on what the actual shooting %s have been

• VASSELL has some really nice off the ball cuts 

  • Love the elevation on his pull jumper