1 Change the Rockets need to make to their offense after All-Star break

Longtime Houston Rockets fans have grown accustomed to watching dynamic post players.

Nobody scored on the low block like The Dream. Hakeem Olajuwon dazzled NBA fans with his nifty postwork. It's reasonable to say that he's the most talented low-post scorer in NBA history.

Alperen Sengun isn't quite there yet. Still, he is one of the best post scorers in the NBA. Sengun's craft and touch around the rim is impressive, and he's got some fancy footwork of his own.

The Rockets should lean into it more often.

Rockets need to maximize Sengun's skillset

That's not to say the Rockets don't post up.

In 2024-25, they're 8th in the NBA in post up frequency (4.8%). This partly suggests that the Rockets understand that Sengun's skillset in that area is valuable.

It doesn't say it loudly enough. To begin with, Dillon Brooks likes to score with his back to the basket as well. He's accounting for some of that usage. More broadly, 8th is simply not high enough:

The Rockets' 1.07 Points Per Possession (PPP) in post up sets ranks third in the NBA.

There's an incongruence here. The Rockets are the third most efficient post up team in the NBA, and they're the 8th most frequent.

What's the explanation?

Rockets need to use all their weapons

Sengun started the year in an offensive slump. He was struggling mightily to finish around the rim. By now, he's got his field goal % between 0 and 3 feet up to 65.5%. That's still a career low, but it's close to the mark coaches want to see.

It's possible that Ime Udoka didn't trust Sengun on the low block while he was struggling. If so, there's an easy fix. Sengun is mostly hitting his bunnies now. Feed it to the big man on the low block.

It may also be a question of roster construction. Part of what qualifies Sengun as a viable primary option even as an interior-scoring big man is his passing ability. He should be able to routinely generate open 3s for the Rockets by way of commanding a double team on the low block.

The Rockets are just underequipped in terms of players who hit open threes. It may be that Udoka feels there are better ways to get Sengun two points, and since that's the most likely outcome of his post up attempts anyway, why overcomplicate the offense?

Here's why - the Rockets are third in PPP in post up sets. This works. Nobody is suggesting that the Rockets need to bring the 90s back. If Olajuwon was young enough to suit up, he'd be in uniform. Still, the Rockets should work to increase Sengun's post touches after the All-Star break:

It's something their fans have grown accustomed to.