On Sunday night the Houston Rockets got another chance to test themselves against one of the NBA's best teams in the San Antonio Spurs. However, it turned out to be nothing more than a test, in which he failed completely. They didn't look like they were on the same court as the upstart Spurs as Houston lost 145-120 to their division rival.
The Spurs continued to hum offensively throughout the game, as they once again rained down shots from beyond the arc against the Rockets. It's certainly a big concern that a team that should be proud of its defense is stumbling on that end, especially against a team that could be up against come playoff time.
After the game, Rockets head coach Ime Udoka said the problem for Houston isn't the talent level on the roster – it's basically everything else that's intangible.
Udoka told Varun Shankar of the Houston Chronicle, "We have no doubt the talent is there. The identity, the mentality, the toughness, the poise, it's all missing right now. We'll see if we can get it back by the end of the season."
However, fans don't feel like that's all that's missing from the Rockets.
Rockets fans protest Ime Udoka's statements
Rockets fans urged Udoka to take a long look in the mirror and assess his shortcomings in setting up his team. Some fans believe that the team's offensive system is substandard and needs to be overhauled.
"Lmao. Every great team plays hard bro. The difference is in your system. The Spurs don't have that many incredible shooters but their system consistently creates a lot of open 3s, movement off the ball and doesn't bring up the experience factor many teams younger than us have out there now," wrote X user @AbdulMu079.
"I focus so much on toughness that he gives his team even the toughest shots... Every possession in half court feels like a dentist pulling teeth... The Rockets have probably reached their limits with this coaching staff... I need an offensive coordinator in the worst way," @LarryLe97168426 said.
