Rockets fans get brutal reality check from Lakers’ embarrassing Thunder sweep

The Los Angeles Lakers are the latest team that gets to plan their offseason vacations. The Lakers were unceremoniously swept by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the second round of the playoffs. The Thunder beat the Lakers by an average margin of 16.0 points. This series was not close.

After losing in the first round to the Lakers, Houston Rockets fans might feel a desire to smile after seeing Los Angeles get swept. Those fans should think twice.

Houston dealt with injuries this season, most notably Kevin Durant missing nearly the entire playoff series and Fred VanVleet missing the entire season. But the Lakers were also depleted. The Rockets were heavy favorites going into the series, but their offense was totally exposed. The Lakers won the first three games before finally putting the series away in six games.

Los Angeles failing to even take a game off the juggernaut Thunder is no reason for celebration. This should be a wake-up call to Rockets fans and the front office.

Houston needs to address its weaknesses

In the regular season, the Lakers were ranked 20th in the league in defensive rating, giving up 115.5 points per 100 possessions. Despite going up against the 20th-ranked defensive team, Houston only scored 98.7 points per game in the playoffs.

How much worse would Houston’s offense look if it played the number one ranked defensive team in the league, the Oklahoma City Thunder?

Houston is built to be a stout defensive team. Their head coach, Ime Udoka, ensures that everyone on the floor can be trusted defensively. But defense will only take Houston so far.

This team needs more three-point shooting and more offensive creation. Both issues will be addressed by a healthy Kevin Durant and Fred VanVleet, but Houston should not rely solely on getting healthy.

The Thunder are so dangerous because they have so much talent on their bench. Ajay Mitchell, Aaron Wiggins, Isaiah Joe, and Jared McCain would all have major roles on plenty of NBA teams. In Oklahoma City, some of those players struggle to get consistent minutes.

Houston should keep this in mind. The front office should be looking to add multiple ball handlers and shooters in the offseason. That would provide the team with insurance in case there is another injury, but it would also give Udoka plenty of options to attack defenses.

Any team coached by Ime Udoka will have a defense-first culture. Houston needs to look at the level of talent on the top teams in the Western Conference. Defense alone cannot carry them. They need to solve their offensive flaws by adding multiple players in the offseason.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Houston needs to address its weaknesses

Schedule