Rockets' regular-season strategy falls apart again in playoffs

For two seasons in a row, the Houston Rockets have won 52 games thanks to a combination of ferocious defense and offensive rebounding, bucking the NBA's three-point shooting trend. For the second season in a row, that regular-season success ended in a first-round exit.

The Rockets managed only 78 points as the Los Angeles Lakers eliminated them from the playoffs in a 98-78 Game 6 win. It's an ignoble playoff exit that could lead to big changes for a Rockets team and coaching staff built to compete for titles now.

Houston Rockets throwback offense breaks down in playoffs

The Rockets are unique in their intense commitment to crashing the offensive glass and by playing at the NBA's second-slowest pace. They get a lot of second-chance points, don't turn the ball over and shoot a solid 36.4 percent from three-point range, albeit on low volume. They also foul more than any team in the league.

In the regular season, Houston's approach surprised teams that weren't ready for the Rockets' unconventional approach as well as their physicality. In the playoffs, teams like the Lakers and last year's Golden State Warriors have time to review game tape and scheme to stop Houston's approach.

The result has been a team that failed to crack 100 points in seven of their 13 playoff games, games where they've gone 1-6. In this year's Game 3 loss, they scored 101 points in regulation before losing in OT, 112-108. When things bog down offensively for the Rockets in the playoffs, they don't seem to have the ability or the personnel to try something different.

Houston Rockets' struggles went further than Kevin Durant's absence

The Rockets made a dramatic change to juice up their offense before the season, trading Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks and a lottery pick in exchange for Kevin Durant. Durant averaged 26 points and shot 52 percent, but he is more of a shot-maker than a playmaker. And when Durant missed all but one game of the Lakers series, the offense sputtered.

There's also questions about the moves made, and not made, by the Rockets. Point guard Fred VanVleet tore his ACL before the season, and the Rockets never replaced him. That's in part because the team used up their financial flexibility to sign center Clint Capela to a three-year deal. He played 22 total minutes in the Lakers series.

Instead, they went with second-year guard Reed Sheppard, who was 4-of-19 and 1-of-10 from three-point range in the Game 6 loss. Even facing a Lakers team giving big minutes to uncertain defenders Luke Kennard and Austin Reaves and a 41-year-old LeBron James, the Rockets looked inept.

It may mean the Rockets will take a long look at head coach Ime Udoka. Udoka reached the 2022 Finals with the Boston Celtics, another statistically impressive offense that scored under 100 points in all four of their losses. Maybe Udoka struggles to make adjustments. Maybe he's only an elite regular-season coach.

With the first-round talent, All-Stars and resources of the Rockets, first-round losses aren't good enough. After an embarrassing home blowout ended their playoff dreams, the Rockets' once-bright future is looking very cloudy.