Another season, another team that doesn't want to play defense.
Many of the issues that plagued Houston last year reared their ugly heads again in Los Angeles against a younger, more athletic Lakers team. The Rockets face a less-athletic Mavericks squad tonight, but it's also a Dallas team that lost its season opener in overtime and is now getting to play in front of its home fans for its home opener. There are 29 teams in the NBA, and Houston got to be two different teams' home openers. Cool.
As for the Mavericks, they lost Chandler Parsons in the offseason but brought in the Golden State Warriors.