Houston Rockets ignite offensively, eyeing NBA rebounding record amid turnover challenges
The Houston Rockets are making headlines as they blaze through the NBA season, particularly on the offensive end of the court. As the league approaches the quarter-season mark, the Rockets have emerged as a formidable scoring force. With 23 games under their belt, they currently rank third in offensive rating, averaging over 120 points per game. To put this achievement in perspective, only four other teams are reaching similar scoring heights.
Rebounding Dominance
One significant contributor to Houston’s offensive explosion is their rebounding proficiency. The Rockets are on pace to shatter the NBA’s offensive rebounding percentage record, currently standing at an impressive 41.2%. This figure is especially noteworthy as no team in the play-by-play era (beginning in 1996-97) has topped 38% in a single season. The ability to secure offensive rebounds not only generates additional scoring opportunities but also keeps the pressure on opposing defenses.
Three-Point Success
Another pillar of the Rockets’ offensive strategy is their remarkable shooting from beyond the arc. Despite ranking last in the league for three-point attempts, the team is making a statement with a shooting percentage of 39.9%, which places them third overall. They are the only team in the top 10 for three-point shooting that averages fewer than 12 attempts per game, currently at 11.8.
Key players like Reed Sheppard, Tari Eason, and Kevin Durant have been crucial to this success. Eason, even while sidelined due to injury, leads the NBA in three-point shooting at an astounding 50.9%. Sheppard has also made impressive strides early in his career, contributing an average of 12.9 points with shooting splits of 46-44-70. Meanwhile, Durant, a seasoned scorer, continues to demonstrate his offensive prowess, averaging 24.8 points on nearly 50-40-90 shooting splits.
Concerns Looming
Despite their offensive prowess, concerns about the Rockets’ future performance linger, particularly regarding their three-point shooting sustainability. As highlighted by analysts, there is an inherent challenge in maintaining such high shooting percentages with low volume. Adding to this uncertainty is Houston’s ongoing struggle with turnovers.
The Rockets currently rank 27th in turnovers per game and 29th in turnover percentage. This issue could exacerbate difficulties if their shooting cools off. One analyst pointed out that Houston has yet to effectively address its turnover problems. While the absence of Fred VanVleet has not severely impacted the team’s overall performance thus far, it has become increasingly clear that the Rockets are struggling to manage the ball in his absence.
Last season, Houston committed turnovers on just 13.8 percent of their possessions, ranking eighth in the league. However, this season, that number has jumped to 16.2 percent. This increase in turnovers could prove detrimental as the Rockets aim to maintain their offensive momentum while striving for rebounding records.
As the season progresses, the Rockets will need to find a way to balance their explosive scoring with improved ball security if they hope to remain a top contender in the league.
