1 Improvement each key Rocket must make for deep playoff run

The Houston Rockets lost in the first round of the 2024-25 NBA playoffs. In 2025-26, the expectations will be considerably higher.

Acquiring Kevin Durant has a lot to do with that. Last year, the Rockets didn't have a go-to half-court scorer down the stretch. Durant is one of the best scorers in NBA history. Even at his advanced age, he's as good an option to "go get a bucket" as anyone.

Landing Durant will help, but the work isn't finished. The Rockets need contributions across the board. Here's an area of improvement for every player who's projected to be in next year's rotation as of this writing.

Kevin Durant - Three-point volume

Far be it from me to identify an area of improvement for Kevin Durant. He's one of the most complete players in NBA history.

This isn't even fundamentally a flaw in his game. Durant is one of the few NBA players who can justify a steady diet of midrange jumpers. That's a great shot for him - in a vacuum.

In practice, Durant shot 6.0 attempts per game in 2024-25. Jalen Green fired up 8.1 threes per night last season. That was necessary for a Rockets team that's light on shooting. Since Durant is joining a squad with the same issue, it would be nice if he could find another attempt or two per game.

Alperen Sengun - Scoring efficiency

Last year, the answer to this question for Sengun was defense. He answered the call. Sengun made incredible progress on that end in 2024-25, but did it come at the expense of his offensive efficiency?

It's hard to say. Sengun's True Shooting % (TS%) of 54.5% last year was a career low. He needs to regress to the mean, and he could do it in multiple ways.

If Sengun could start hitting a three or two per game, that would be incredibly useful. That said, a return to form around the paint would suffice. One way or another, Sengun needs to retain his defensive utility while returning to form on offense.

Amen Thompson - Scoring ability

By contrast, Thompson was highly efficient with a 60.2 TS%. That's largely because the vast majority of his attempts came at the rim.

That was fine last year, but the Rockets would tremendously benefit if Thompson were able to expand his offensive role. To do that, he'll need to find a way to score more reliably from one of the other two levels.

There will be a parade in Houston if Thompson develops a three-point shot. That's not something we should be holding our breath for. If Thompson continues to build on the floater game he's flashed at times, that'll suffice. The more dynamic of an offensive threat he is, the better Houston's offense can be.

Jabari Smith Jr. - Three-point efficiency

Thus far, the idea of Jabari Smith Jr. has been greater than the result.

That's not to say he hasn't flashed potential. Smith Jr. seems destined to become a valuable NBA player. The question is this: How valuable?

It all starts with his shooting efficiency. In 2024-25, Smith Jr. hit 35.4% of his threes. That percentage needs to bump up a number or two. Smith Jr.'s role may not fundamentally change with Durant's presence, but he needs to hit the shots he takes, preferably at a career-best rate.

Tari Eason - Durability

Some will say "decision making". To be sure, Eason can make some head-scratching choices. The Rockets would still be making a mistake to put a muzzle on him.

Eason's frenetic energy is his calling card. If you ask him to tone it down, you'll lose what makes him so impactful. You live with the mistakes because the pros outweigh the cons - when he's on the floor, that is.

Is this a cop out? Sure. Still, Eason is an elite role player already. If he can just stay healthy, the Rockets will take it.

Fred VanVleet - Three-point efficiency

What can be said here?

VanVleet shot 34.5% from deep last year. It was the second-lowest mark of his career. He needs to get back to his typical three-point efficiency.

It should be noted that the Rockets had a suspect offensive environment in 2024-25. Flipping Green for Durant was a deal designed to fix that. VanVleet should get better looks next year, but he needs to capitalize on them.

Reed Sheppard - Aggressiveness

I could have gone with three-point efficiency again. Partly, I thought that was boring.

Yet, it feels like Sheppard's poor shooting was symptomatic of a larger issue - his lack of confidence. Sheppard played tentative basketball throughout most of the season. If he'd let it fly, perhaps he'd have found his rhythm and knocked down more shots.

That's not to say Sheppard should overhaul his approach. His game management style of play is acceptable. Sheppard wants to make the right decision, and that's OK.

He just can't be afraid to make a mistake. That means putting up three-point attempts that might be bad shots for others. Sheppard had a generational shooting season in college, so those are meant to be good shots for him.

Steven Adams - Durability

Yes, durability again.

Listen - Adams is who he is. It would be wonderful if he improved his free-throw shooting, but let's stay grounded in reality. He's been clunking freebies off the iron for over a decade, and it won't change now.

As with Eason, the pros of rostering Adams far outweigh the cons. The Rockets need him to continue doing everything he does, but they need him to be available to do it as often as possible.

Cam Whitmore - Court awareness

Who knows? Whitmore might not be on the roster when the season tips off. He's been floated as a trade target, and rightly so:

At times, it looks like his first time on a basketball court.

I could have gone with "passing". Yet, Whitmore's defensive awareness is also poor. He needs to learn to quickly take a mental inventory of where others are on the floor. As of now, he concentrates on scoring offensively and getting a steal so he can quickly score defensively. If he can play within a team concept, Whitmore still has immense potential:

But the Rockets won't wait around for him to realize it.