The Houston Rockets were one of the best defensive teams in the NBA last season. With a defensive rating of 112.8Houston was tenth in the league in that category, with the main reason for its 41-41 record being a lack of offensive efficiency.
Heading into the 2024-25 season, the Rockets have the same core of veterans and young talent, many of whom are looking to take a step up on both sides of the ball. As one of the deepest teams in the NBA, who are Houston’s best defenders heading into this season?
Eason played just 22 games for the Rockets last season before a leg injury sidelined him for most of the season. At 6’4”, the 2022 first-round pick is a versatile defender who averaged 7.0 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 0.9 blocks last season.
Although the sample was small, Eason had a 106.3 He earned a defensive rating in his second season, making him one of Houston’s best defenders. He can defend most positions and could close out games if the Rockets need another defensive player on the floor in the fourth quarter.
Brooks is known as one of the biggest scourge in the league. He’s a guy you hate to play against because you never know how much he’s going to annoy you. But beyond his antics, Brooks will start at power forward for Houston and should look more comfortable in his second year with his new team.
Last season, Brooks finished with a 116.3 Brooks has a defensive rating of 113.8 and has played in 72 games, which shows his durability. Although the 2023-24 season was statistically the worst defensive season of his career, Brooks has a defensive rating of 113.8 and we saw him be a nightmare with the Memphis Grizzlies.
Although he was just a rookie last season, Thompson was arguably Houston’s best defender when given the opportunity. Coming off the bench for most of the season, Thompson was a Swiss Army knife, averaging 1.3 steals with a 109.0 defensive rating.
Thompson has justified discussions on the start-up He’s always been able to stand out against Brooks and Jabari Smith Jr. as he continues to develop and mature, with the only drawbacks being his age and inexperience. However, with a well-honed defensive game, there’s no reason Thompson can’t start and finish games defending the opposing team’s best player.
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