The Houston Rockets Offensive Woes Don't Stop at the 3-Point Line

The Rockets' 3-point shooting has not improved this season, but it isn't their biggest issue on offense.

Nov 2, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets forward Dillon Brooks (9) and guard Fred VanVleet (5) sit on the bench during a timeout against the Golden State Warriors during the overtime period at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images / Erik Williams-Imagn Images

Coming into the 2024-25 season, one area was mentioned more than any other when it came to the Houston Rockets' offense: 3-point shooting. In the last few seasons, the Rockets have been one of the worst 3-point shooting teams in the NBA.

Last season, Houston was again in the bottom-10 in that category, and knew that was the one area that needed the most improvement. The Rockets drafted Reed Sheppard, who was the nation's best 3-point shooter in his one year at Kentucky. They were also getting back Tari Eason, who had a good year from beyond the arc in his rookie season.

After six games in the new season, Houston's 3-point shooting remains unchanged from last season. They currently rank 22nd in 3-point shooting, the same position they finished last season in. However, the Rockets are performing well in other areas, ranking in the top-10 for opponent scoring and the top five in rebounding, while their scoring offense is in the middle of the pack.

Those numbers should have netted the Rockets a better start to the season than their 3-3 record. If you look deeper into the numbers, one area on offense shows why Houston doesn't have a better record.

Two-Point Shooting

The Rockets currently rank last in two-point shooting percentage just six games into the season. They have had significant difficulties shooting from inside the three-point line, with only five players managing to shoot over 44 percent from two-point range.

One player, Cam Whitmore, is only playing 11 minutes a game, and Steven Adams has only played in one game the entire season. To give you an idea of how bad the Rockets' two-point shooting is, compare it to last season.

Last season the Rockets ranked No. 20 in two-point shots but were over 53% from inside 3-point range. Only one player shot under 45% from inside the arc all season, which was Nate Hinton who only played 11 games all season.

This season, the Rockets have eight players below that mark. A lot has been made of Alperen Sengun's struggles on offense. Yes, he is shooting career lows across the board and has to get on track for the Rockets offense to improve, but it isn't just Sengun.

Every Rockets starter is shooting well below their 2023-24 mark, which has strained the team every game this season. Fred VanVleet, in particular, has struggled in the paint. The Rockets must improve their two-point shooting because it seems their 3-point shooting will hover around the same percentage as it did last season,

The Rockets take on the New York Knicks Monday night at the Toyota Center to return to the win column.

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