Rockets' Poor Free Throw Shooting Continues To Be a Problem

The Houston Rockets have shown all season that they can beat anyone in the NBA, and win consistently. Despite the loss to the Detroit Pistons on Monday, the Rockets at 28-14 are still No. 2 in the Western Conference.

With all the Rockets success this season there have been a couple of issues that have popped so far. The Rockets have seen their 3-point shooting dip from last season ,and their defensive rating drop from since the start of the season.

One area that has not been talked about much has been the Rockets' free-throw shooting. This is becoming a big problem for Houston, and in their last two losses, the team has left points on the board from missed free-throws.

The Rockets missed five free throws in the loss to the Pistons, and even though they lost by 11 points, shooting 68% from the charity stripe is never a good thing. Missed free-throws were a big issue in their loss to the Sacramento Kings last Friday.

The Rockets missed seven free throws in their five-point loss to the Kings. This is starting to become a theme this season. In a win against the Memphis Grizzlies, they shot a horrid 24-41. Luckily, it didn't keep them from the win, but it was one of their worst percentages from the charity stripe in years.

Despite a career high from the line for Jalen Green, the Rockets are shooting 75.6 from the line, good for No. 27 in the NBA. This is one of the team's' worst percentages in the last few years. In 2021-22, the Rockets were last in free-throw shooting. The difference is that he began the Rockets' rebuilding process, so it isn't an issue.

However, it is an issue this season as the Rockets have much loftier goals. Each game could be the difference between a number two seed and home court advantage, finishing fifth or worse, and having to go on the road to start the playoffs.

When the games get even closer in the playoffs, you will need every point, and missing free throws could become a huge problem. For the Rockets to take that next step and continue to win, they must improve their free-throw shooting.

The Rockets look to get back in the win column Wednesday as they host the Cleveland Cavaliers.

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