Consistency Is Key for the Houston Rockets

The Rockets have proven they can show signs of life on offense. They'll decide if it's sustainable or not.

Dec 19, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets guard Aaron Holiday (0) is guarded by New Orleans Pelicans guard Brandon Boston (11) in the second half at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images / Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

The Houston Rockets played one of their best offensive games of the season against the New Orleans Pelicans recently. They won't play teams with the league's second-worst record often --although they do see the Pelicans twice in four games -- but they will need to see their offense show up more often in games and against high-level opponents before this team can truly do damage in this league.

There were some things that looked sustainable. For one, the lower number of turnovers is a trait the team displayed all season.

Fred VanVleet leads the ball-handling duties for the Rockets. In more games than not, VanVleet takes care of the ball and sets up the team's playmakers in spots where they can do the most damage. When the rest of the team is also making the right decisions with the ball, Houston can keep itself in games even when the shooting isn't great. The Rockets are just outside the top five in fewest turnovers per game. Houston's ball security is a trait that has shown some consistency for the offense.

However, the Rockets don't always make shots, even off of good deliveries.

The least consistent area of their games is, by far, their shooting from long range. Their shooting up close and from mid-range isn't always consistent either, but neither show as many drastic swings as the team's three-point shooting.

Against New Orleans, Houston nearly hit 44 percent of its threes. That's a big jump from the just under 33 percent average it's built up to this point. The problem is that some of their shot attempts from a distance are difficult, inefficient shots. Every team takes their fair share of inefficient shots, each team just has one or a few players who are capable of making those shots at a high clip.

The Rockets don't have a player that consistently provides a shooting presence at the three-point line. Jabari Smith Jr. increased his play and his efficiency significantly after a slow start to the season. If his shot is turning into a developed weapon, he has a chance to be the most consistent shooter on the team.

Every other player in the lineup has been unpredictable in terms of what kind of shooting performance they'll provide in a given night. VanVleet and Jalen Green are capable of burying several long-range buckets in a game and leading the offense, but they can also sometimes shoot the team into tough situations and even losses.

It's been a feast or famine in the shooting department for that duo as well as Dillon Brooks, who finished with 26 points against New Orleans. His shooting hasn't been entirely consistent either, and the team hasn't known who to count on for difficult shots when the game is close.

The offense will look to try to build consistency with a stretch of games against teams that have losing records including a rematch with the Pelicans.

However, the offense needs a way to sustain that success even against the best teams, because the home stretch that follows that trip to New Orleans is a dangerous prospect if the offense still looks unsettled. With five straight playoff-caliber opponents on the schedule, the Rockets are looking for solutions to their consistency problem as soon as possible.

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