Husband, Dad. Technical Marketing. Mostly sports, environment, and some politics. #Rockets, #Astros. @asoukuptx on the old place
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This is excellent.
How has the #Rockets' new starting lineup of KD/Sengun/Jabari/Amen/Reed differed from the team overall?
OFF:
Starters: 118.8
Overall: 116.2
Net: +2.6
DEF:
Starters: 128.2
Overall: 112.3
Net: -15.9
That's a net of -13.3 across the (small sample of) 170 minutes they've played together.
I guess Thune should get a little credit for openness and honesty on this one. Mitch McConnell was never willing to say this truth out loud.
The key #Rockets have been scoring very effectively in the 17 games since the All-Star break.
KD: 25.4ppg on 67% True Shooting
Amen: 19.0 on 63.7%
Sengun: 18.5 on 58.4%
Smith: 17.0 on 62.9%
Sheppard: 16.2 on 60.2%
They're only 10-7 in this stretch. Can they start stacking wins?
Absolutely
Looking at 2026 only (ignoring their hot start), the #Rockets as a team:
Pre-ASG:
13-10
#25 Offense
#8 Defense
Post-ASG:
10-7
#15 Offense
#15 Defense
Improving offense and slipping defense results in a perfectly average performance.
#NBASky
Despicable
I would have sworn that the #Rockets' offense would have been much lower than this.
Last season, the Rockets caught the NBA off guard with an innovative wrinkle; the double big lineup that crushed the offensive glass.
This season, it seems that the Rockets have been caught off guard by teams shifting towards multiple ball handlers attacking from all angles. Rockets don't have that.
The stark demographic split in the #TXSEN Democratic primary yesterday is remarkable. Talarico won but has a lot of work to do to bring Crockett voters into his camp before November.
On the left, the overall state. On the right, two precincts in suburban Houston.
