The Houston Rockets can be confusing.
In the aggregate, it's been a storybook 2024-25 season. The Rockets are 15-8. That puts them on pace to exceed even the most optimistic expectations.
Somehow, there seems to be room for improvement. The Rockets' offense looks rudimentary, and a handful of players are underperforming. As great as this season has been for Houston, they could get even better.
Let's take a look at every player in the Rockets' rotation, and how they could help. A caveat: this piece deals with every player who sees at least 10 minutes of action per game.
Here's one area of improvement for every player in the rotation.
It feels wrong to harp on VanVleet's shot selection. He's a veteran floor general with a championship pedigree. VanVleet knows what he's doing on a basketball court.
This year, that hasn't been apparent. VanVleet is shooting 39.1% from the field in 2024-25. Is he having a slump, or is this a sign of age-related regression?
If the trend continues, something will have to give. Perhaps VanVleet will have to trade in some threes for some mid-range bunnies. He may want to look to pass more and shoot less. Either way, he can't continue to launch wild threes off the dribble if they don't start finding nylon.
There was a temptation to go with "everything". "Basketball" was also under consideration. It would have been harsh, but it would have been fair.
Playmaking should be a point of emphasis for Green. His 2.7 assists and 2.6 turnovers per game are untenable. Still, Green's 52.7 True Shooting % (TS%) is the most glaring flaw in his statistical profile.
If he can't fix that soon, he may find himself in a different uniform as soon as Houston can move him.
This is not the area anyone was expecting for Sengun.
Defense? Typically, that's been an issue. In 2024-25, Sengun has made vast improvements in that area. Three-point shooting? Sure, you'd like to see it improve, but Sengun has always been able to positively impact offense even without a reliable jumper.
In 2024-25, he's struggled where he's typically thrived - by the basket. Sengun is only hitting 57.1% of his field goals between 0 and 3 feet, which is 10% lower than his next lowest mark throughout his NBA career.
Once he finds his touch, the Rockets ought to soar.
There's little to nitpick in Brooks' season. He's as relentless defending the point of attack as ever. Brooks is hitting threes at a solid clip. He's been sensational for the Rockets this year. Brooks is doing everything the team expects him to do.
Does that mean it's time to add a new wrinkle? Brooks has never been a playmaker. He's averaging 1.7 assists per game in 2024-25. That's an awfully low number for a rotation regular.
Brooks doesn't have to do much of anything this year. If he can maintain his current level of play, that will suffice. Still, learning a handful of passing reads would make the Rockets a more dynamic team, and Brooks a better player.
Take any 5-game sample from Jabari Smith Jr.'s 2024-25 season. Odds are, he's either looked like a franchise cornerstone or a long-term reserve.
All told he's had a fine season. It is evident that Smith Jr.'s standard for himself is higher than "fine". He wants to be a pillar for the Rockets. If he's going to accomplish that goal, he has to be more consistent.
Three-point shooting seems to be the culprit. Smith Jr.'s shot comes, and it goes. If he can find his rhythm - and most importantly, keep it - he could start for this Rockets team for a long time.
This is another surprise.
Thompson was supposed to be a point guard coming into the NBA. He's flashed his prolific passing vision, but he doesn't flash it often. Thompson is averaging 1.1 assists per game in 2024-25.
Is that all on Thompson? No. He's adjusting to a new role as an off-ball wing. Thompson doesn't have the rock very often, and when he gets it, he's typically in an optimal position to attack the basket.
Still, this is a young man who is capable of making some otherworldly passes. There have been times throughout the year when Thompson's teammates were open and he opted to drive instead of finding them. If he could change that, it could open this team's attack up.
It's been a strong season for Eason. His ability to impact a basketball game is undeniable. At times, it's felt like the Rockets ought to insert him into the starting lineup.
That would be a mistake (even if this author once advocated for it). Eason's hitting 30.3% of his 3.1 three-point attempts per game. On a different team, it would be easier to make the case that he's impactful enough to start despite that sore spot.
For the Rockets, that's not an option. This is one of the worst shooting teams in the NBA. If Eason wants to carve out more minutes in their rotation, he has to bump that number up.
Sheppard is shooting 32.1% from three-point range. In college, he looked like a lock to be among the best shooters in the NBA. Relax: the sky is not falling.
Rookies often need time to adjust to the NBA's pace. Sheppard is a small guard. Finding enough daylight to let it fly can be difficult for him. He's still adjusting to lengthy, disruptive NBA defenders.
He needs to let it fly anyway. Sheppard looks terrified when he sees the floor. At this juncture, Ime Udoka would likely rather see him miss ten straight triples than pass up another decent look to make a lateral pass.
Shoot the ball, Reed Sheppard.
A lot of Rockets fans were ready to write Adams off at the beginning of the year. It was hard to blame them. Adams was available every other night, and he wasn't impressive when he did get on the floor.
Recently, he's turning a corner - when he is on the floor. It feels like Adams is playing his way back into shape. Rockets fans shouldn't complain about Adams' availability. This is a veteran coming off of a significant injury.
They should expect production when he's on the court. Adams needs to get his body right. If he can, we may start to see fewer suggestions for the Rockets to acquire a backup big.
Landale is the last player to meet our criteria as a "rotation player". Ideally, he's a third-string big man. Once Adams is able to contribute more regularly, that's likely to be his role.
For now, Houston needs Landale to be able to play. He can be impactful at times, but at other times, he's problematic. In particular, Landale is an easy target on the defensive end.
He can protect the rim if he's stationary, but in space, he gives up a lot of points. Sengun has improved in this area - can Landale do the same?