The Rockets Need All Their Pieces To Compete

The Houston Rockets have started this season with a team constructed of players that complement each others' play styles and unique skills. Each piece is important as the Rockets win games based on their ability to defend as a unit and play balanced offense.

When one of the team's pieces are missing, the Rockets balance is left askew, making it more difficult to win consistently against some of the league's top talent.

The Rockets just proved the importance of having a full cast against the Dallas Mavericks.

The Rockets were without Alperen Sengun, and they fell in a disappointing defeat, despite a big scoring night from Kevin Durant.

Tari Eason and Amen Thompson also had some solid scoring performances to help lead the Rockets through a tough game against the Mavericks.

However, it wasn't enough to help the team secure a victory as Anthony Davis dominated the game in the paint on both sides of the ball. Houston missed the presence of Sengun, who would've required Davis to play more on-ball defense instead of hanging back and guarding the rim.

The delicate balance of Houston's offense requires each of their pieces to be present and playing well.

Sengun's absence paired with one of Jabari Smith Jr.'s worst shooting nights of the season left the Rockets without any balance in their offensive attack. Without that balance on the offensive end, the Rockets aren't able to get enough production from their remaining offensive pieces.

When the entire roster is together, the Rockets have the ability to stretch the floor and attack from any spot on the court.

They are effective in the mid-range with Durant and Smith Jr., they can hit a high rate of shots from beyond the arc with Eason and Reed Sheppard, and they can dominate in the paint with Thompson and Sengun.

It's clear the Rockets will have difficulty surviving without having their entire roster available. Houston has a several players whose skill sets can't be replaced by anyone else on the roster. Sengun especially provides unique abilities with his scoring and passing that can't be replicated.

Even lesser roles like Eason and Dorian Finney-Smith are critical to the Rockets' opportunity. The Rockets have limited ability to survive through injuries or poor performances. The team gives itself a chance to win when it has each piece in place and functioning at a high level. Without that, the Rockets are susceptible to major letdowns.

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