The Rockets are slowly getting to full-strength. That’s a major factor in the NBA Playoff race.
As the second half of the season opens up for the Houston Rockets, they are very much in the running for home-court advantage in the opening round of the playoffs. The Rockets aim to finish higher in the standings than their current position of No. 4 in the Western Conference, where they have held the second seed for several weeks before an unfortunate skid.
Probably more than any other team, the Rockets needed the All-Star Break. Players like Jalen Green, who has struggled with various illnesses throughout the season, were among the Rockets’ numerous injuries, along with Jabari Smith Jr., who is finally healthy, and Fred VanVleet, who is not. Houston is equally concerned about half-court creation and spacing. In terms of points scored per possession, it is now ranked eighth. In addition, it ranks 19th in accuracy, 26th in three-point attempt rate, and 19th in half-court efficiency.
Houston has been suffering on both ends of the court lately, rather than being hampered by a single cause. With an average of 109.9 points allowed in their previous eight games before last night’s win over Minnesota, the Rockets, who currently rank fourth in defensive rating this season (109.3), have fallen to 12th place (113.4) since February 1.
With a 109.1 rating in February, which is 26th in the NBA, Houston, a team that is 12th in offensive rating (113.6), has further hurt its offense. This month, the Rockets are only scoring 105.4 points per game on average.
Houston has spent most of the month without important players, despite the fact that this run of games has raised serious concerns. Despite playing in six of the team’s eight games this month, All-Star center Alperen Sengun departed the team’s game against the Toronto Raptors early in the first quarter on February 9 because of an injury. For over half of the month, the Rockets have been without their finest player. Smith Jr., Houston’s starting power forward, had been sidelined for more than a month because of a fractured hand. Point guard Fred VanVleet has been the final key player the Rockets have been without since February 1 because of an ankle injury. This year, the seasoned player and previous All-Star is averaging 14.6 points, 5.8 assists, and 1.6 steals. Despite his offensive efficiency issues, he has contributed significantly to Houston’s overall success this season.
The Rockets could regain momentum and finish strongly before the postseason if these guys are healthy enough to play after the All-Star break.