Inside The Rockets

Rockets Have One Glaring Weakness Going Into Final Month of Regular Season

The Houston Rockets have an area of improvement before the playoffs.
Jeremy Brener|
Jan 30, 2025; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Houston Rockets guard Fred VanVleet (5) drives to the basket as Memphis Grizzlies guard Desmond Bane (22) defends during the third quarter at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images
Jan 30, 2025; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Houston Rockets guard Fred VanVleet (5) drives to the basket as Memphis Grizzlies guard Desmond Bane (22) defends during the third quarter at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

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Houston Rockets

The Houston Rockets are one of the best teams in the league this season, but they are far from perfect.

Bleacher Report writer Grant Hughes believes that the Rockets' lack of playmaking could bite them in the butt when the playoffs roll around.

"Almost every criticism we'll soon direct at the Memphis Grizzlies’ offense applies to the Houston Rockets—all the way down to the shared reliance on transition play and offensive rebounding," Hughes writes.

"The additional lack of a reliable offensive table-setter makes Houston's offensive concerns even more severe than those of the Grizzlies.

"Fred VanVleet has a championship ring, and the 114.9 points per 100 possessions the Rockets score with him in the game are more than they manage with any other primary ball-handler. Amen Thompson, Jalen Green, Alperen Sengün and Reed Sheppard are all capable enough, though Thompson and Sheppard are currently out with injury. That offensive rating with FVV on the floor is about as well as the Rockets can hope for, and it's barely a top-10 figure.

"Toss in all the concerns about the half-court offense as a whole, struggles with late-game execution and the more extreme scoring issues that arise when VanVleet isn't on the court, and Houston is bound to have a hard time producing half-court points consistently."

If VanVleet can get healthy and stay that way for the playoffs, Houston's chances of winning and making noise in the postseason increase tremendously.

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several On SI sites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid and resides in Central Florida. He graduated from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener.

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