The Rockets' Shooting Historically Bad At the Worst Time Shows The Big Problem

If you were a Houston Rockets fan, it definitely must have been frustrating to see how the offense was operating at various points this past season. The sheer amount of missed baskets and shots became a tough watch at times.

It ultimately was the true reason why the Rockets got eliminated in the first round of the NBA Playoffs again, this time at the hands of an injured Los Angeles Lakers squad in six games. This was a series that the Rockets were expected to win. Even though Kevin Durant didn't play for five out of the six, Houston still supposedly had the advantage.

Those advantages, however, don't really exist unless a team is able to do the basic fundamental task in basketball, which is to shoot the ball well. The Rockets dominated plenty of areas throughout most the series, such as defense, rebounding, turnovers, and fast break points. The key problem was shooting.

The Rockets offense was never really pretty in the first place, and the style shouldn't matter as long as the ball is going in the basket. The thing was, the ball wasn't going in the basket consistently. Whether it was due to a lack of adjustments or offensive game plan by coach Ime Udoka, or the young core's offensive skills lacking in development, are all debatable.

The reality was that even when the Rockets players were open, they were missing makeable shots. That didn't help. This statistic shows just how poor it got during a must win Game 6 at home. Even with all the momentum of winning two straight games, it wasn't enough to carry shooting form.

Poor Shooting Must Be Fixed

Apr 29, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun (28) shoots against Los Angeles Lakers center Deandre Ayton (5) during the second half in game five of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

The Rockets had one of the worst offensive halves in NBA history in Game 6. That first half only resulted in 31 points. Given where the game is now, that's not acceptable, especially in the playoffs.

Houston only put up 13 points in the second quarter. 18 in the first. The Rockets shot a total 29 percent from the field (12/41) and 18 percent from three (2/11). They also were 62.5 percent from the free throw line. All those metrics are extremely low. In terms of just the second quarter, the Rockets were just 23 percent (5/22) and didn't make a single 3-pointer during the period.

The Rockets in total shot 35 percent from the field and 18 percent (5/18) from three. The Lakers scored only 49 points, and that would typically keep you right in the game. Second-year guard Reed Sheppard struggled the most in particular as he went 2/10 at the half and 4/19 overall.

It's a bit understandable for him to be streaky due to this being his first year of playing meaningful minutes and getting experience. The Rockets overall shot just 41 percent during the playoffs, which was one of the lowest marks of the postseason.

Additionally, there was no bench production or spark. The Rockets must get more shooters onto the team. That's obviously where Durant was missed because all he does is make shots. He's a true scorer. Even when Durant was on the floor, the Rockets would still struggle shooting wise on a lot of nights.

The Rockets offense in general is not sustainable unless there are more shooters and players who can create their own shot one-on-one. There are times where the Rockets run designed sets to get a player in position to score, but you don't see a lot of that. Houston must get more players who can shoot at a high percentage and are generally reliable. That starts with upgrading the guard depth.

With no true point guard, the offense became stagnant and the looks were not consistently great. When Fred VanVleet comes back, the expectation is that the Rockets offense will be unlocked. Regardless, Houston still needs to add more options in good shooting.

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