One Area Dillon Brooks Can Improve on Next Season for the Houston Rockets

After the Houston Rockets won only 22 games in the 2022-23 season, the Rockets knew it was time to move past the rebuilding phase and become a more competitive team. The Rockets were coming off the worst three-year stretch in franchise history.

The first step for the Rockets was hiring a new coach to lead the franchise into its next phase. The Rockets went with Ime Udoka, who had a reputation for being a hard-nosed, no-nonsense coach. The Rockets also started to go a different direction when it came to the players they wanted to bring in.

The Rockets wanted players who matched Udoka's style of play, so they targeted two players. One was Fred VanVleet, the former All-Star and NBA Champion, to lead the offense, and the second player they targeted was Dillon Brooks, the lockdown defender known for his aggressive, hard-nosed play.

Brooks' signing was a bit of a gamble as he was coming off a disappointing series against the Los Angeles Lakers, where he was getting more attention for his postgame interviews than his play on the court. Despite the concerns, Brooks has been worth his four-year, $80 million contract as he has become not only one of the Rockets' best defenders but also one of their most reliable 3-point shooters.

Brooks had a career season from 3-point range as he shot 39.7 percent and increased his scoring from his first season with the Rockets from 12.7 to 14.0. Like most Rockets, Brooks had his ups and downs in the Rockets' first-round playoff loss to the Golden State Warriors.

Brooks' numbers, however, didn't drop significantly in the playoffs compared to the regular season, as he still shot a respectable 34.5 percent from 3-point range and averaged over 12 points. Brooks is entering the third year of his four-year contract, and even though his name has been mentioned during trade talks, Brooks is likely to be back with the Rockets next season.

Scoring More in the Post and Midrange

Just like his teammates, there is an area for improvement for Brooks going into next season. For Brooks, the one area he can improve on is scoring inside the 3-point range. As mentioned earlier, Brooks shot a career high from 3-point range as he also increased his attempts from his previous season.

That is an excellent development for the Rockets as they struggle overall from beyond the arc. However, teams are more focused than ever on forcing opponents off the 3-point line, especially in the playoffs. Brooks showed a greater willingness to post up smaller players as he worked in the post at times last season.

Brooks took 5.7 shots inside the arc last season and saw his two-point percentage drop from .492 the previous season to .465 this season. The Rockets as a team struggled inside the arc at times this season and need to improve their scoring in the paint and mid-range. Brooks, especially, would benefit from diversifying his offense.

The Rockets are already one of the top rebounding and defensive teams in the NBA. For most of the season, they relied heavily on those two areas to win games. For the Rockets to take the next step, they will need players like Brooks to improve their overall offensive game.