The Rockets Are Ready For Some Home Cooking

Make no mistake about it, the Houston Rockets have been playing some of their worst basketball in recent weeks. Since the end of November, Houston has fallen short in many of the traits that made the team elite during the first quarter of the season.

After three-straight losses in games on the road, the Rockets are ready to return home for an extended stretch and put their 11-2 home record to the test.

Houston's only two losses at home were against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the season opener, and the Denver Nuggets with Nikola Jokic still in the lineup. Houston's performance on the road has been unsatisfactory, so the incoming five-game home stretch could benefit the Rockets.

The player who could use the most from the home cooking is Jabari Smith Jr. He seems like a different player on the road, and his numbers back it up.

At home this season, Smith Jr. is shooting over 37 percent from the three-point line, while shooting just under 33 percent on the road from beyond the arc.

Smith Jr.'s shooting has been solid this year, hitting 37 percent or more in each of the first three months of the season. However, his shooting in January has been so horrendous, his overall three-point percentage has dropped to 34 percent. He needs to turn his shooting woes around this month, and a stretch of home games could be just what he needs.

The Rockets home stand comes concurrently with the return of Alperen Sengun after his injury.

Sengun returned quicker than the coaching staff predicted, and he made an impact against the Sacramento Kings before the enitre team contributed to the fourth-quarter collapse that saw the Rockets take their worst loss of the season.

With the return of Sengun and continued elite play from Kevin Durant, the Rockets seem equipped to return to their level of play when the season started. Tari Eason and Dorian Finney-Smith have seen the floor more recently with their increased health, and the Rockets are moving into the home stretch with their full arsenal available.

The home stretch won't be easy; the Rockets will have their first rematch with the Thunder after the season opener, then they'll play the Minnesota Timberwolves the following day and wrap up the stand with a game against the San Antonio Spurs.

Leaving the home stretch undefeated is a big ask at this point for the Rockets, but they need to show some improved play against some of these top teams to launch the level of their performance back to expectations.