Rockets Barely Crack Top-Ten in Bleacher Report's Latest Power Rankings

The All-Star break came at a much needed time for the Houston Rockets. The team needs to get healthy for their postseason run. If they want to make a viable title chase.

Not just that though. The back half of the NBA season, well the post All-Star break (since technically we're past the halfway point of the season) will have a lot of jockeying for seeding purposes.

There's an adage that the NBA season really starts after the All-Star break. That's when teams kick it into high gear.

The Rockets have been dealt an unfortunate hand from an injury standpoint, which the front office has even taken note of. To that point, Steven Adams won't be suiting up again for the Rockets this season, which is tremendous, as the offensive gameplan centers around him and his ability to create extra possessions offensively.

The team has started to see signs of optimism from Dorian Finney-Smith, who was their big free agent signing, with the hope that he could fill in for Dillon Brooks, who was sent to the Phoenix Suns in last offseason's blockbuster deal that landed Houston Kevin Durant.

As for Durant, he's been sensational. Even without a table-setter to make the game easy for him.

Houston finds themselves ninth in Bleacher Report's latest power rankings, with the focus being on their offense, or lack thereof at times.

"Before this season started, it would have been hard to predict that the Houston Rockets' offensive identity would be inextricably linked to Steven Adams' rebounding, but his absence has proved to be a massive problem.

Without all the extra possessions generated by Adams, the lack of traditional point guard play (caused by a different season-ending injury, this one to Fred VanVleet) and Alperen Şengün's inefficient scoring are overshadowing a brilliant season from Kevin Durant."

The writer, Andy Bailey, sought to fill Houston's point guard void.

"Whether it means fully embracing the Reed Sheppard experience at the 1, signing one of the point guards who might be available on the buyout market or just scrapping point guard play altogether and putting the ball in KD's hands, Houston is going to have to do something to find an offensive identity before the playoffs start.

If it doesn't, it could be in for a quick exit."

Bailey failed to mention JD Davison, who seems like the most likely solution for Houston's point guard deficit. The Rockets already know him.

Ime Udoka trusts him and has played him in high stakes situations.