Houston’s new pressure is opening night’s first exam

What changed

Houston finished preseason with a clear defensive signal for Dallas. In a 116-89 win over Oklahoma City, the Rockets forced 17 turnovers, recorded 13 steals and held the Thunder to 5-of-36 shooting from three.

Rockets coach Ime Udoka told the Houston Chronicle that his team plans to defend more aggressively. Varun Shankar’s report detailed off-ball defenders shading toward the action and Houston using peel switches when an on-ball defender is beaten.

That approach meets Dallas at an uncomfortable point. After Atlanta disrupted the Mavericks’ catches in the preseason finale, Dusty May said the offense needed better pressure releases so Kyrie Irving and Cooper Flagg would not have to fight through every possession alone.

Wednesday will not settle the season, but it should reveal whether Dallas can turn pressure into an advantage: make the early pass, attack the rotating helper and finish the possession before Houston can reset.