Rockets Need Better Offense in Playoffs

The Houston Rockets are about a week away from going into the postseason, where they will look to make their mark after a successful 50-win season.

The Rockets have gotten to this point because of their defense, but in order to excel in the playoffs, the offense will also have to take another step in the right direction.

"Two things are true. A) The Rockets are a nasty shooting team, ranking only 23rd in field goal percentage, 25th in 3s made per game, 21st in 3-point percentage, 22nd in midrange field goal percentage and dead last from the free-throw line," The Athletic contributor Law Murray writes. "But B) they are a shade outside of the top 10 offensively because volume is a part of efficiency!

"The Rockets are the best offensive-rebounding team in the NBA, and that allows them to get more shots than their opponents. Only the Thunder have a better field goal attempt margin. Houston actually isn’t as good at protecting the ball or getting to the free-throw line this season compared to last season, so the improvement offensively has literally just come down to being the team most committed to chasing down its own bricks."

The Rockets are back in action tonight as they take on the Los Angeles Lakers on the road before returning home for one final regular season game against Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets at Toyota Center.

Tipoff for tonight's game is set for 9:30 p.m. CT on NBA TV and Space City Home Network.