The Rockets Revealing Inability To Finish Games

The Houston Rockets are starting to add up several crushing losses in the past few weeks as they have struggled to hold on for late victories, even against weaker opponents. The Rockets haven't played well enough to win in the clutch, and these losses are preventing the team from taking the next steps and establishing themselves as contenders.

Some of the glaring issues may be difficult to fix this season, but there are some elements that should be able to be address with some changes in the team's process.

A quick fix to some of the Rockets' offensive issues is to allow Reed Sheppard to have more on-ball opportunities. His offensive work load has been dropping for the past several weeks, and the Rockets can benefit from having a player who has some lead guard skills despite not being able to be a full time lead guard in the NBA yet.

Sheppard gives the team more secure ball handling than Kevin Durant, Amen Thompson, or Jabari Smith Jr., all of which have gained more on-ball opportunities this season with mixed results.

The Rockets were holding out hope that Thompson would enter this season as a legitimate on-ball threat, but with his offensive limitations as a scorer and a handler, Houston may benefit from leaning into Sheppard and seeing if his development can help the team quicker.

Even if Sheppard can become a short term fix for their ball handling issue, it's just a hint at the larger issue the Rockets are experiencing as part of their late-game collapses: the Rockets only legitimate ball handler is Fred VanVleet, who will be on the shelf due to injury all season.

The Rockets can't afford to run the offense solely through Durant and Sengun pick-and-rolls. Durant isn't a quality enough ball handler to prevent turnovers, and Sengun needs space to operate and get players open, otherwise he'll focus on his own scoring.

When that duo is taking tough shots, the Rockets had been able to accommodate for a higher number of misses due to their offensive rebounding ability. With Steven Adams in and out of the lineup and Tari Eason facing delays to his return, Houston's rebounding advantage isn't as pronounced.

Eason also would help out with the on-ball defense in the clutch, allowing Thompson to share some of the defensive work load that he has been tasked with this season.

When Houston can get back all of the players they'll have available this season, they may be able to correct some of these difficulties they've been facing. However, it hasn't looked good in moments, and contenders have been finding a way to win this season even with injuries to their most important players.

• Rockets' Ownership in Substantive Talks for Purchase, Relocation of Connecticut Sun
• Amen Thompson's 3-Point Shooting Has Taken a Step Back This Season
• Ime Udoka Blasts Rockets' Defense in Loss vs. Pelicans
• The Rockets Must Take Advantage Of Their Rematch With The Nuggets
• Rockets' Reed Sheppard Cited as Nearly Untouchable on Trade Market