Houston Rockets: Is it Time to Make Roster Changes?

The Houston Rockets are off to a stellar start to the season with a 17-9 record, but have proven to have limitations when it comes to closing out big games. It may be time for them to make some moves that can help them win now.

Dec 14, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green (4) controls the ball against Oklahoma City Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein (55) during the fourth quarter in a semifinal of the 2024 Emirates NBA Cup at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-Imagn Images / Candice Ward-Imagn Images

The Houston Rockets are off to a great start to the 2024-2025 NBA regular season, sitting as the third seed in the Western Conference with a 17-9 record.

They have proven through 26 games that they have taken a significant leap from being a sub .500 team last season, but are in a weird position when it comes to being a "win now" team.

Houston looks good enough to finish as a top five seed in the west, but also seems to have its limitations. Despite being a top two defensive team this season, it has struggled closing out games due to its lackluster offense.

The Rockets have now found themselves in a dilemma: Either stick with what they've got and give their young stars another year to figure it out together, or blow it up and trade some of the valuable assets this team has for a superstar.

Despite what their record shows, it may be time to pull the trigger on that superstar.

We are now four years into the Jalen Green experiment, and he has yet to string together the level of scoring consistency that Houston is looking for him to obtain. It's gotten to the point where people may wonder: Can he figure it out at all, or is this just the kind of player he is?

Green is a very talented basketball player. He has a unique scoring ability that 90% of NBA athletes do not have. But the Rockets are now at a point where they are in dire need of some consistency on the offensive end, and maybe, a change of scenery is what Green needs to really excel.

Green is, to point out the obvious, the most valuable and attractive trade piece Houston has and will almost have to be in a deal to obtain a superstar, say on the level of a Anthony Edwards or Devin Booker.

Along with Green, rookie Reed Sheppard may be a casualty in a potential trade for a superstar as well. Sheppard has just been the odd man out on this Rockets roster. He's playing behind Aaron Holiday in crucial games, and when he does get playing time, he has shown to be hesitant to shoot the ball.

It will likely take these two young, high-potential guards for Houston to acquire a big-name superstar, and it may be the answer for it to progress into a real threat in the west.

A superstar like Edwards and Booker are team elevators that not only help the Rockets win right now, but are young enough to be a part of their team long-term.

Although its young core has improved heavily over the past four years, with many tradable assets and teams potentially looking to offload due to lack of production, Houston must take advantage and try to bolster its roster for a potential championship run.

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