Shooting for the stars: The 8 Players who most embody the Rockets’ style

2. Rodions Kurucs (F) – Brooklyn Nets

Rodions Kurucs may not be a household name, but he has one of the best shot charts in the NBA. A whopping 87 percent of his shots are either 3-pointers or at the rim. Of the remaining 13 percent, 12 are from between three and 10 feet from the basket.

Kurucs’ mid-range game is essentially non-existent, which makes him a natural fit for Rockets. The 6-9 forward has seen his role shrink this season in Brooklyn, but his efficiency from three has seen an uptick. As a second-round pick, that reduction in minutes in his second year could lead to Kurucs being a good buy-low candidate for the Rockets.

Possibility of acquiring: Layup

1.  Donte DiVincenzo (G) – Milwaukee Bucks

Donte DiVincenzo is the player that most embodies the spirit of the Rockets. What makes him unique is that he got there by shooting fewer threes. In his rookie campaign, 66.9 percent of his shots were threes.

In year two, it has dropped to 49 percent in favor of shots closer to the basket. The trade-off has been a boon for DiVincenzo and prompted a dramatic improvement in his 3-point shooting. The Rockets would love a player like DiVincenzo. His shot selection fits right in with their philosophy, and he would provide instant guard depth.

This is what makes acquiring him tricky. The Bucks have no reason to move a player as cheap and productive as DiVincenzo. He’s a perfect complementary player that is young enough that he could grow into a larger role. Contending teams like the Bucks and Rockets need players like DiVincenzo to fill out their rosters and, as a result, they rarely move on from them.

If the Bucks make a move to acquire another superstar, DiVincenzo could become available. Outside of that, the Rockets will have to wait for their spirit guard.

Possibility of acquiring: 3-pointer