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What Are The Houston Rockets' Needs At The Trade Deadline?

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The Houston Rockets sit at 15-12 in the loaded Western Conference, now winners of two straight and 7-3 in their last ten games. They're on a 46 win pace with one of the easiest remaining schedules in the league, and own the second best defense in the entire league. To say that Phase 2 of the team's rebuild project has gotten off to a great start would be an understatement.

Given the team's unexpected success, their approach in advance of the league's trade deadline will differ from what it was in years past. Over the past three seasons, in the midst of a youth movement with an eye towards lottery odds, the team's front office looked to offload veteran players in exchange for future assets. This led to trades of the likes of P.J. Tucker and Eric Gordon for future draft pick compensation. Now, with the team in position to make a push towards the play-in, the team could look to do the opposite and add more veterans to the mix. This summer, the team spent lavishly in free agency, signing veterans Dillon Brooks and Fred VanVleet to massive multi-year commitments. Those acquisitions have been instrumental in resetting the team's culture and spearheading the current success.

At present, the team's biggest needs would appear to be a backup center and a playmaking guard. Currently, the team has employed 37-year-old forward Jeff Green as its primary backup at center to starter Alperen Sengun. Jock Landale, signed in free agency, has largely been a disappointment. A viable backup would not only allow head coach Ime Udoka to keep Sengun fresh but also provide the Rockets with another look defensively; the team struggled recently in a game against the Hawks in pick and roll coverage, leading Udoka to send Sengun to the bench. A viable alternative, such as, ironically, Hawks center Clint Capela, could allow Udoka to keep size on the floor even when Sengun is sitting.

As good as the Rockets have been defensively this season, the offense has been a different story. The Rockets have hovered around the bottom third in offensive rating for most of the year, with playmaking entirely reliant upon Sengun and VanVleet. Third year guard Jalen Green has struggled, posting the worst net rating on the team amongst its regulars and rookie point guard Amen Thompson has missed most of the season due to injuries and illness. Fellow rookie Cam Whitmore, despite tearing up the G League during his stint this year, may not be ready to contribute in a meaningful way. This is all to say that the Rockets could use veteran help off the bench in the backcourt.

Tiptoeing the line between future and present is a delicate balance. The Rockets have draft pick capital in the war chest in the form of obligations owed from the Brooklyn Nets. But it would be foolish to relinquish such assets for merely short term gains. It will be fascinating to see how and if the Rockets decide to address their needs.

Rockets' Amen Thompson Not Given Enough Opportunity Through First Four Games

The Houston Rockets, after last night's 106-101 win against the San Antonio Spurs, sit at 2-2 on the regular season. The team has had some impressive victories, but a lot of areas still need improvement.

Last night, the Rockets were up by as many as 21 points on the Spurs but nearly blew the lead due to struggles on both sides of the ball. Seeing the lead fail to dissipate was relieving, as Houston blew an 18-point lead in its opener against the Charlotte Hornets.

The important thing to note is that the team doesn't have any problems in terms of personnel. That much is clear, as Houston took strides to improve by 19 wins last season, finishing 41-41. The issue is the distribution of playing time.

Ime Udoka is in his second year as head coach and is working with a group of talented young players with immense potential. He's still finding his footing when it comes to lineups, especially with new additions Steven Adams and Reed Sheppard, but Amen Thompson is an interesting story.

Thompson has played just 21.2 minutes per game through Houston's first four, which is less than last year's (22.4). Udoka hasn't given Thompson much of an opportunity, and it's evident in the Rockets' losses.

Dillon Brooks, the starting forward over Thompson, has been inefficient on offense. He's averaged 33.8 minutes per game but has shot 35.9% from the field. Thompson, on the other hand, is shooting 39.1% from the field.

To add on, Thompson is averaging more assists and blocks, while playing similar perimeter defense to Brooks. In fact, filtering through the Rockets' lineups that have played at least three minutes per game and have the highest net rating, Thompson appears in the top two, and five of the top eight.

Thompson is the do-it-all forward that Houston needs to take the load off of other players' shoulders. He was a big reason the Rockets were so good defensively last season, and as a starter, he averaged 13.5 points, 9.9 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.5 steals with a total plus-minus of 41. It's time for Udoka to give Thompson more minutes and an opportunity to start.

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