Houston Rockets Can’t Afford More Losing Streaks

The Houston Rockets are trying to avoid a disappointing end to their season. They were one of the NBA's biggest surprises this season, and they picked up some big wins against quality opponents. However, every team goes through cold stretches, and Houston is no different. Another difficult sequence of games could lead to disappointment at the end of the regular season. Finishing as a fourth seed or higher seemed like a lock in January, but Houston's play since has dropped its chances.

The bright side for Houston is that it isn't far behind the teams ahead of it in the standings. The Rockets and the Grizzlies have tumbled in the standings and currently sit as the No. 5 and No. 4 seeds, respectively. A first-round playoff series between the two teams would feature Memphis holding home-court advantage.

Things could change before the season is over. Houston is just one game behind the Grizzlies, and the Rockets are preparing for a long stretch of home games in the next few weeks. A winning streak during that stretch could be what Houston needs to vault upwards in the standings.

Houston's sights aren't limited to just overtaking the Grizzlies. The Rockets aren't far behind any teams ahead of them in the Western Conference. The Los Angeles Lakers have shocked teams with their defensive effectiveness since their trade for Luka Doncic. Los Angeles's six-game winning streak propelled it to the conference's second seed.

However, the Lakers still haven't created much space in the standings compared to some Western Conference competitors.

The Rockets are just 1.5 games away from matching the Lakers' record and reclaiming the second seed. They're the same distance from catching the Denver Nuggets in the standings. A Houston win streak could be just as beneficial as a losing streak would be detrimental.

The Rockets need to find a few more winning elements to end the season if they hope to avoid negative streaks and give themselves a chance to finish strong.

They hope Fred VanVleet's return helps keep Houston's offense organized in the clutch. VanVleet wasn't very effective against the Sacramento Kings offensively, but he limited turnovers and spread the ball around. Unfortunately for Houston, the team isn't known for creating many assists. They have one of the lowest totals in the league despite not having many renowned one-on-one scorers.

Passing has to be a focal point for the Rockets if they hope to climb in the standings.

Teams are loading the paint on defense against Alperen Sengun, Houston's best isolation scorer. Jalen Green struggles when teams pack the paint if his jumper isn't falling. Other players on the team are expected to step up in those situations and knock down opportunities created by their star players' gravity. The ball hasn't kicked around to open shooters effectively this season, and shooters have struggled to finish consistently.

Houston's shooting has gotten better in recent weeks, but it still isn't at a high enough volume or consistency to trust as a dependable weapon to end the season.

Regardless, the Rockets made it to the second seed this season with outstanding effort on defense and rebounding. Returning to their original principals could help them avoid another major losing streak and a letdown to end the season.

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