A Deep Dive into the Rockets' Advanced Shooting Leaders

In the third part of a deep dive into the Rockets stats from last season, we'll look into the Rockets most efficient shooters from last season.

Jan 31, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets forward Cam Whitmore (7) shoots the ball as New Orleans Pelicans guard Dyson Daniels (11) defends during the third quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports / Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

In part three of my deep dive into the Rockets' stats from last season, I examine several shooting efficiency categories. The most important statistics when evaluating a team's shooting are field goal and 3-point percentage.

Those two stats are always good starting points when looking at individual players and how they performed during the season. However, there are other categories to consider that take more than looking at the surface level.

Let's examine the Rockets leaders regarding points scored on drives, drive percentage, catch-and-shoot points, and catch-and-shoot percentage.

Driving points and drive shooting percentage leaders

Drive percentage: Alperen Sengun

Mar 10, 2024; Sacramento, California, USA; Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun (28) drives against Sacramento Kings forward Domantas Sabonis (right) during the third quarter at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports / Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports

A couple of Rockets stood out when it came to getting to the basket last season: Alperen Sengun and Jalen Green. Sengun shot 55.6% on drives last season, leading the Rockets.

His shooting percentage is almost five points higher than second place, and 10 points higher than the next starter, Green. Sengun's myriad of moves and strength made him the Rockets most efficient player when driving to the basket.

As he continues to improve his outside shooting his percentage will only go up as teams wont be able to pack in the paint. It will open up even more opportunities at the basket for Sengun. Expect Sengun to shoot even better next season.

Drive points per game: Jalen Green

Apr 12, 2024; Portland, Oregon, USA; Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green (4) drives to the basket during the first half against Portland Trail Blazers guard Rayan Rupert (72) at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports / Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports

Regarding total points off drives, Green led the way, with an average of 6.3 points per game. Green's points per drive did drop from his previous season of 8.8, but he shot a better percentage in 2023-24 than he did the previous season.

Before the start of last season, Ime Udoka spoke about how Green had been working with the Rockets strength and conditioning team all offseason to better absorb contact and deal with the wear and tear of a long NBA season.

Green's drive opportunities during games dipped last season with the addition of Fred VanVleet, who had the ball in his hands and controlled the offense. Even with fewer opportunities, Green was able to use his quick first step and athleticism to get to the rim all season.

Just like Sengun, if Green can improve his outside shooting, it will open up the lane to the basket even more next season.

Catch and Shoot Points and Percentage Leaders

Catch-and-shoot points: Jabari Smith Jr.

Apr 9, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. (10) shoots a three-point shot against the Orlando Magic during the first quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-USA TODAY Sports / Erik Williams-USA TODAY Sports

Since coming into the league in 2022, Jabari Smith Jr. has improved his catch-and-shoot game. Smith has led the Rockets in this category in his first two seasons. Smith averaged four points a game in his rookie season on catch-and-shoot shots and did even better last season, averaging 5.2 points.

With a lot of attention paid to players like Green and Sengun, Smith quietly improved in several areas last season. As he continues to improve his overall game, Smith may become one of the better stretch fours in the NBA.

Catch-and-shoot percentage: Cam Whitmore

Mar 31, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets forward Cam Whitmore (7) shoots the ball as Dallas Mavericks guard Jaden Hardy (1) defends during the first half at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports / Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Cam Whitmore started his rookie season slowly, dealing with injuries and spending time with the RGV Vipers. Once Whitmore secured his spot in the rotation, he started to show every team that passed on him that they made a huge mistake.

Whitmore was the Rockets most efficient catch-and-shoot player, shooting 42.8 percent on those opportunities. During his predraft workouts, much was said about Whitmore's ability to play above the rim.

Whitmore did show off those skills in his rookie season, but his ability to knock down outside shots was the area that stood out the most. Whitmore outside shooting was a welcomed sight for a team that has struggled with their shooting for several seasons.

---

Want to join the discussion? Like Rockets on SI on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest Rockets news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.