Rockets Need Consistent Production From Rebuild-Era Picks

The Houston Rockets have leaned on the performance of their players acquired through the draft during the dark days of the rebuild. In the team's last two losses, these players have not performed up to their expectations.

Jan 22, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) and Houston Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. (10) battle for a rebound during the fourth quarter at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

The Houston Rockets played a tight game against the Philadelphia 76ers before falling in overtime. A missed call gave the Rockets the opportunity to play in the extra period, but they couldn't take advantage after a dominate game from Philadelphia's top stars.

The main cause of the loss was Houston's inability to get production from its rebuild-era draft picks. The Rockets depend on those players to contribute in several ways, or they have little chance to perform well against some of the league's top teams.

The player with the biggest issues has been Jabari Smith Jr. as he has once again struggled to shoot from deep on the road.

Smith Jr.'s shooting splits away from home have become a truly concerning trend for the Rockets. He is a completely different player in Houston, and has a significant drop off in his play when he is on the road.

This weakness could play a huge role in the postseason; the Rockets need their shooters to hit open shots to have a chance to win against the league's best teams. Battling through the Western Conference means playing against several of the best to get to an NBA Finals. Smith Jr.'s disappearing act on the road could sabotage Houston's opportunity to close a series if the team gets an opportunity.

He made just one of his ten three-pointer attempts against the 76ers and he didn't make a single three-pointer in their last away game against the Sacramento Kings.

Usually reliable players in Amen Thompson and Alperen Sengun have also had some struggles in their last few losses.

Sengun had an uncharacteristically inefficient game against Joel Embiid and the 76ers. He took 14 shots to score 13 points and seemed generally outmatched when it was time for him to score. He had similar issues against the Oklahoma City Thunder, taking 15 shots to score 14 points.

Thompson had a solid game against Philadelphia, but his limitations prevent him from truly taking over games when the Rockets need scoring opportunities. His game against the Thunder was evidence of his limitations, shooting poorly from the field as the Rockets fell behind by a significant margin.

Reed Sheppard is another rebuild-era Rocket that hasn't gotten as many opportunities as others, but he isn't a surefire answer to some of Houston's issues. His confidence is a major aspect of the Rockets' offense, and they'll need him to step up if the rest of his homegrown talent is struggling.

At their peak, Houston's draft picks are talented enough to bring Houston to the highest level of competition. Their inconsistencies have limited the team's performance this year, an element that must be corrected if they hope to make noise in the postseason.