Rockets flash the perfect defensive development in dominant victory against Jazz

With the return of Kevin Durant and Steven Adams, many expected the Houston Rockets to handle business against the struggling Utah Jazz, and they decidedly did so, winning the game 129-101 in blowout fashion.

Yet, despite the overall hectic nature of the first half on both ends of the floor, the Rockets' ability to amass steals and blocks, forcing the turnover-prone Jazz into scramble mode throughout the course of the game, bodes well for their ability to continue to mount a formidable defensive attack over the length of the season.

While Houston has been solid defensively this season, their performance on that end of the floor has been somewhat overshadowed by how excellent their offense has looked. Yet, if they aim to be serious championship contenders this season, their defense will need to somehow exceed even the level they found last season, and their ability to force turnovers will be vital in that quest.

Rockets need to force more turnovers this season if they want to overcome some of their deficiencies

After the Rockets cobbled together two vital wins in Kevin Durant's absence, one imagined that the Jazz would present considerably less of a challenge as the team headed into their first back-to-back of the season.

Predictably, Houston dominated the game on the offensive end, with Durant scoring 25 points, Alperen Sengun scoring 27 and the team as a whole shooting 52.9% from the floor throughout the course of the game.

Still, it was their ability to poke the ball out of the Jazz's hands and intercept passing lanes that truly allowed them to blow them out. The Rockets amassed 14 steals and seven blocks, turning Utah over a grand total of 17 times.

While their defense has been elite this season (they have the third best defensive rating in the NBA), they have struggled to force turnovers on a team level. Heading into the matchup against the Jazz, they were 21st in the NBA in opponent turnovers per game.

This is, partly, a result of the defensive compromises they have made in adding Durant to the roster, combined with the loss of Dillon Brooks in the Durant trade and the loss of Fred VanVleet due to injury.

It has, moreover, been exacerbated by how turnover-prone they themselves have been this season, as they are currently averaging the 12th-most turnovers in the NBA on a per-game basis.

With how well this Houston team has played, it is, admittedly, difficult to nitpick areas in which they can improve. Yet, this is certainly one of them, and their performance against Utah serves as an encouraging sign that, in combination with their strong point-of-attack defense and rim protection, they can yet again maintain one of the most formidable defenses in the league.