Rockets Poor Shooting Caught Up in Loss to Golden State Warriors

The Houston Rockets have been able to make up for poor shooting all season, but it caught up to them in the loss to the Warriors.

Nov 18, 2024; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green (4) shoots against Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) during the first quarter at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images / Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

The Houston Rockets came into their latest road trip on a four-year high. They defeated the Western Conference-leading Oklahoma City Thunder and were only a half-game out of first place in the conference.

Unfortunately, the team has lost its last two games, and one persistent issue it has struggled with throughout the season has proven difficult to overcome. The Rockets have maintained a top-five defense all season long, and with the second-best rebounding in the NBA, they have managed to compensate for their poor shooting.

This season, Houston is ranked No. 27 in overall field goal percentage, the same position they finished last season. However, their shooting percentage has decreased to 43.8%, a drop of two percentage points compared to the previous year. Additionally, their 3-point shooting has declined to 32.9%.

In Thursday's loss, the Rockets shot a dismal 10-38 from beyond the arch and only 37.6% from the field. Jalen Green, the Rockets' starting shooting guard, is having the worst shooting season of his career.

Green is currently experiencing a career-low shooting percentage from both 3-point range and the field, at just 39.6%. After a strong start to the season, his efficiency has significantly declined over the past 15 games. His backcourt partner, Fred VanVleet, is also struggling this season, particularly with his 3-point shooting.

VanVleet is shooting a career-low 32% from beyond the arch this season. One part of his shooting that comes as a pleasant surprise is his two-point shooting. VanVleet is shooting a career-high 47% from 2-point range.

The Rockets drafted Reed Sheppard to help with their lack of shooting, but Sheppard is also off to a slow start. On the season Sheppard is only shooting .321 from deep and has struggled to get any type of rhythm so far this season.

Aaron Holiday has been the best shooter for the Rockets this season, currently hitting 46% from beyond the arc, although he is playing limited minutes. Meanwhile, Tari Eason is struggling with a career-low shooting percentage from three-point range following an injury-plagued 2023-24 season.

If the Rockets want to stay in the top six of the Western Conference they have to improve their shooting. In today's NBA having a strong defense does go along way when it comes to success but to become a serious contender you have to be able to shoot a decent percentage from deep.

The Rockets are back in action Sunday as they travel to Los Angeles to take on the Clippers.

---

Want to join the discussion? Like Rockets on SI 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.