Uduka’s top five lineups are not effective

The Rockets lost to the Nuggets 109:112 at home, ending their five-game winning streak. In the group stage of NBA Cup Western Conference Group C, the Rockets were basically declared out, with a high probability of being eliminated early.

Currently, the Rockets have a record of 10 wins and 4 losses. After losing to the Nuggets, their ranking dropped from 3rd in the Western Conference to 5th in the Western Conference. There are actually traces of the Rockets' losses in these 4 games.

In the four games that the Rockets lost, they lost to the Thunder, Pistons, Spurs and Nuggets. These four teams are basically the top two teams in the Eastern and Western Conferences. The Thunder and Pistons have been ranked first in the Eastern and Western Conferences for a long time. When the Rockets lost to the Spurs, the Spurs were temporarily ranked second in the Western Conference. However, in this game they lost to the Nuggets, who are currently ranked second in the Western Conference. The Rockets lost to the first-tier teams in the league.

In these four games, the Rockets did not lose much. In the opening game, the Rockets lost to the Thunder 124:125 after overtime; they only lost to the Thunder by one point; in the second game, the Rockets lost to the Pistons 111:115. They only lost 4 points; in the loss to the Spurs, the Rockets lost a little bit more, losing to the Spurs 110:121. However, in this game, the Rockets only lost 3 points in the loss to the Nuggets, which was basically a gap of one or two goals.

In the four games the Rockets lost, the starting lineup was the same in three of them, namely the five lineups of Adams + Shen Jing + Durant + Smith + Amen. The starting lineup of the Rockets' loss to the Spurs was not the top five, but the lineup of Amen + Okogie + Smith + Durant + Shen Jing. However, the turning point of the game was when Uduka put out the five lineups, causing the situation to be quickly reversed by the opponent, thus losing the game.

In high-end games, the five major lineups deployed by Uduka were not very effective. Why does Uduka still like to use the five major lineups? What is the mystery?

Uduka’s primary consideration in setting up the five major lineups is actually to protect the defense and solve the problem of Shenjing’s poor defense switching ability from the side.

In last season, when Uduka deployed a single center lineup for a long time, Shen Jing was the team's defensive weakness, especially when faced with pick-and-rolls. Shen Jing did not do well in defense, defensive position selection, and poor foot movement speed, which led to Shen Jing being switched to the upper line. The quality of the Rockets' inside defense in the penalty area was not good and did not meet Uduka's requirements.

When Shen Jing is switched out, the Rockets still have a center inside, so the Rockets' inside defense, backcourt rebound protection, and frame protection are all guaranteed.

When the opponent is inaccurate on the outside, the benefits of Udoka's twin towers are actually very high. Especially when facing a space-constrained team like the Magic last season, the team almost did not shoot three-pointers, and their three-pointers were not accurate. The Rockets' twin towers on the inside will make it very difficult for the opponent to make shots and hit the Rockets basket, resulting in very inefficient offensive efficiency.

Especially in the playoffs last season, in the series between the Rockets and the Warriors, Udoka put up a double tower or five-high lineup. Facing other Warriors players other than Curry, his offensive ability was limited. When such a lineup is put in, the team's defensive gains are extremely high.

Udoka has set up a two-tower or five-tower lineup, and has reaped the benefits. For this reason, this summer, Adams has been renewed, Capela has been signed, and Jeff Green has been retained. These lineup structures and construction have provided the basis for Udoka to continue to use a five-tower or two-tower lineup.

After the start of this season, it became normal for Uduka to put up five lineups. In the opening game, Uduka put out five lineups. In fact, Uduka was more forced to put up five lineups at this time. The team's starting point guard VanVleet suffered a serious injury in the training camp, resulting in a high probability of being reimbursed for the season. If VanVleet is not reimbursed, there is a high probability that he will be a member of the starting lineup. Udoka will not use five lineups, at most four plus one.

The advantages and disadvantages of Uduka's five lineups are also very obvious. They demonstrate the role of a double-edged sword on both offense and defense.

On the offensive end:

Five major advantages: offensive rebounds are guaranteed, and the five major lineups are very good at grabbing offensive rebounds; the Twin Towers are very solid in pick-and-rolls. When Shen Jing and Adams do double pick-and-rolls for their teammates at the same time, the effect of blocking is very good;

Five major disadvantages: The offense becomes very bad, Amen and Adams drag space at the same time, causing the team to open up It is extremely difficult to attack, and it is difficult to hit the opponent's inside line. The opponent's defense will most likely shrink the inside line.

On the defensive end:

Five major advantages: excellent inside protection, excellent backcourt rebound protection, and excellent frame protection. It is difficult for the opponent to hit the inside of the penalty area, especially for teams with poor space. This kind of defensive effect is extremely good.

Five major disadvantages: Adams and Shen Jing are not good at switching defenses. They need to set up a zone defense formation for a long time, which leads to many loopholes. As well as poor defensive communication and communication, the Rockets' zone defense effect is not good this season.

From the current point of view, no matter what kind of lineup, you need to consider the opponent's formation and application scenarios. Currently, the only game that Uduka has won with the top five lineups is the victory over the Cavaliers.

In the loss to the Nuggets, Uduka deployed a lineup with twin towers and the top five, which was very effective in both offense and defense in the first quarter. Jokic made 4 turnovers in the first quarter, which was very uncomfortable. However, the bad part was that he only scored 12 points in a single quarter. In the face of the league's first offensive efficiency, such a score was obviously below the standard. Of course, it has a lot to do with Uduka's lineup of the top five..

From the current point of view, Uduka should not be superstitious about the configuration of the five major + twin towers, and adjust the lineup according to the situation on the field and the opponent's situation. The five major is Uduka's focus on defense, but it cannot be the only choice. In the loss to the Nuggets, Uduka should be aware of the scenario of the lineup structure, rather than superstitious about the five major lineups to solve all problems.