Houston's Three Keys to Success This Season

The Rockets have had a rough start to the season and need to improve in three areas to win.

Oct 26, 2024; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets forward Dillon Brooks (9) shoots in the second half against the San Antonio Spurs at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images / Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images

The Rockets offensive effiency this season has not been good. As a team, they are shooting 40 percent from the field. When it comes to individual players, there are quite a few who need to step up to improve the team's offense.

Cam Whitmore needs to improve his shooting, as his preseason drought has continued into this season. The wing has missed every 3-pointer he’s taken this season, going 0-for-8 thus far. Jabari Smith Jr. has also not shot well, making only 25 percent of his threes on four tries a game. He really needs to step up for Houston as he is a huge complimentary piece of the offense. The team's floor general, Fred VanVleet, has also struggled shooting the ball, converting on just 36.7 percent from deep on 10 threes a game while also averaging 35.9 percent total.

Alperen Sengun may have had two double-doubles to start the season, but that does not make up for his performance shooting as a center. A 6-foot-11 243-pound man has to be able to dominate in the paint and shoot better than 39.5 percent. His three-point shooting is better than his overall field goal percentage, as Sengun has made 42.9 percent of his threes this season on 2.3 attempts.

However, the future is starting to look bright for Jalen Green. He signed a very tradeable contract right before the season started, and there has been no looking back since. He has been Houston's best player, averaging 26 points a game on 40.9 percent from the field and 36.4 percent from beyond the arc. Although 36.4 percent is not as good as it could be, he is shooting 11 threes a game.

Rebounding has also been a key component of Houston's two losses. The Rockets got dominated on the boards by both Charlotte and San Antonio, sp Steven Adams returning is going to be big for the Rockets as he can hopefully help out on the glass.

Ime Udoka's rotations have not been great to start the season. Jock Landale has been getting too many minutes, which has eaten into Tari Eason’s time on the floor. This has impacted the defensive end of the floor and cohesion overall. Landale is -5 so far, while Eason is -2. Defensively, the third-year forward has been much better than Landale. He brought energy to the team that was needed, hitting big threes against Memphis and helping Houston almost secure the comeback last night.

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