As the Houston Rockets fell to the Detroit Pistons, 111-115, in their second game of the season, the old habits that limited them last season, and ultimately led to their playoff demise in the first round, came back to haunt them.
With Fred VanVleet out for the season, the team struggled yet again to reliably move the ball, causing turnovers and rough possessions, and a weak shooting night almost kept them out of the game entirely.
Even with Kevin Durant on the roster, the team looks to have not yet entirely taken a step forward from the chaotic, defensive game that defined them last season, and they must do so if they aim to compete in an overwhelmingly skilled Western Conference this season.