Houston Rockets Need to Utilize Off-Ball Movement and Screens More Next Season

The numbers don't lie. The Houston Rockets need more variety in their offense next season.

Apr 11, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Houston Rockets head coach Ime Udoka reacts against the Los Angeles Lakers during the second half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images | Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images

The Houston Rockets had their best season in five years in 2024-25, winning 52 games, finishing second in the Western Conference, and making their first playoff appearance since 2020. The Rockets were able to accomplish this by having one of the best defenses in the NBA and their best rebounding season in the last 50-plus seasons.

The Rockets improved by 11 games this season after improving by a league-best 19 wins in 2023-24. The Rockets realized from day one that they would have to rely on rebounding and defense to compensate for their occasional lack of offense. The Rockets' struggles on offense ultimately caused their downfall in the playoffs, as they had several games where they just couldn't put the ball in the basket.

Even though the Rockets improved their 3-point shooting in the second half of the season, they were still overall a middle-of-the-pack offense most of the season and bottom 10 in 3-point shooting. Some of the Rockets' woes can be attributed to their personnel. The Rockets aren't a team full of players who can get their own shots or are knockdown 3-point shooters.

Some, however, can be attributed to the offense the Rockets implement each game. The Rockets are a heavy pick-and-roll team and depend a lot on Alperen Sengun's playmaking from the post. Sengun had a great season, and running the offense through him usually results in a good shot, but the Rockets could benefit from diversifying their offense as well.

The Rockets were not a team that ran many offscreen plays for their shooters, such as Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks or Jabari Smith. The Rockets ranked 27th in offscreen field goal attempts, which means they didn't have as much player movement as they should have during the regular season.

Players like Green and Amen Thompson thrive when they are on the move and not in a stagnant offense. The Rockets were better when it came to cutting to the basket, as they ranked 11th in field goal attempts and 15th in points per game from cutting to the basket. However, with a player like Sengun, who draws double teams every game and is one of the better passing big men in the league, they should be higher in both categories.

The Rockets know they can win a significant number of games in the regular season by outrebounding teams and clamping down on defense, but to become championship contenders next season, they will need to add more variety to their offense.