Crowded Conference Leaves No Room for Rockets’ Errors

The Western Conference is as competitive as it has been in seasons. The Oklahoma City Thunder is the clear leader in front of the pack, but the rest of the West is a cluttered mess as teams jockey for position. It would take a losing stretch to drop the Houston Rockets below the fourth seed, sitting at four-and-a-half games in front of the Los Angeles Lakers. However, Houston is firmly in the mix with the Memphis Grizzlies and the Denver Nuggets as the teams look to secure the No. 2 seed.

Houston and Memphis are six-and-a-half games back from the No. 1 seed and Denver is just one-and-a-half game behind the pair. The margins between each team are razor-thin with each team surging as the All-Star Break approaches. While fending off two formidable opponents is a difficult prospect, the Rockets have areas they'll need to clean up to ensure the outcome.

It will take some significant improvement on offense for the Rockets to hold off the Grizzlies and the Nuggets from overtaking their spot in the West.

Houston believes in its defense. The team has a collection of players with the ability and effort required to play impactful defense. The difficulty is when the team struggles to create enough plays offensively to support its success on the defensive end.

The Rockets are still looking for ways to maximize the scoring talents of Alperen Sengun and Jalen Green, even during off nights for either player. Houston is close to figuring it out, but it currently depends on joint contributions from other players like Cam Whitmore, Tari Eason, and fellow starters Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks.

Houston doesn't currently have any players that can take over games at will, making the need for several players capable of putting the ball in the net crucial. To combat this, the Rockets get their scoring from multiple sources. The main rotation players share the responsibility with any player able to carry the offense for a game.

Houston's offense is in the middle of the pack for points per game; a boost on that end could help create some separation from the rest of the conference.

The offense has taken a step back in recent games due to turnovers. Houston averages about 13 turnovers per game, but they've had 14 or more in each of the last four games. The Rockets are usually a stingy team when it comes to giving the basketball away, but they're a little too generous with the ball right now, which is dangerous against other top teams in the league.

Houston is most capable in a few areas that could help the Rockets maintain their second seed in the West for the rest of the season. They are elite on the defensive end, obtaining the No. 4 ranked defense in opponents' points per game. They also are elite on the boards as they lead the NBA in rebounds per game.

The Rockets will likely lean on those traits to give themselves a chance in their future games. However, some little improvements and cleaner play on offense will give them a much better shot at holding their position in the conference.