3 Players who need more minutes for the Rockets to push for playoff seeding

The Houston Rockets are playoff bound.

Typing that sentence never gets old.

For some time, it felt like Houston would never sniff the postseason again. This team was dreadful. They were dreadful by design. Now that the Rockets are done mining the NBA lottery for talent, they're ready to win.

At 41-25, the Rockets sit fifth in the Western Conference - a half-game back from the Lakers as of this writing. They've matched their 2023-24 win total. The playoffs feel inevitable:

But to secure their spot, they need to put these 3 players on the floor more often.

1. Steven Adams

Adams saw a modest 11 minutes of action in the Rockets' last win over the Suns. That's because he got into a wrestling match with Mason Plumlee that would make John Cena himself blush.

Otherwise, his minutes have ticked up lately. Adams logged 23 minutes against Orlando on the 10th, and he's hovered between 15 and 19 in the four previous contests. Some will argue that those are perfect minutes for the veteran big man, and that he shouldn't be included in this piece.

Consider the bigger picture. Adams has been regularly unavailable throughout the year. If possible, Ime Udoka needs to discontinue that trend. Adams' health comes first, but as long as he's able to suit up, he should. Jock Landale should be religated to garbage time at this point in the season.

Luckily, there's a clear pathway to more playing time. Udoka has been pairing Adams with Alperen Sengun in dual big lineups to much success lately. He should continue to use that strategy when it's working. That should help Adams get on the floor more often in the process

2. Jabari Smith Jr.

When Smith Jr. got injured, he seemingly lost his starting gig. First, it went to Amen Thompson. When Smith Jr. returned, it stayed with Thompson. Now that Thompson is injured, Tari Eason (more on him later) has been getting the nod.

That's fine. Thompson and Eason are both starting caliber players. Still, there's no reason for Smith Jr. to see less than 30ish minutes in a given contest. He's too useful, and he's too versatile.

When the Rockets are leaning into double big lineups, he can play the 3. If they want to space the floor, he can man the 5. The 4 is his most natural position, but there are minutes to find for Smith Jr. at every frontcourt position.

He may be playing his way back into shape. Smith Jr. is a key cog in the rotation, but he's eclipsed 30 minutes in just three of the Rockets' last seven contests. Those minutes should tick upward soon as the Rockets make a playoff push.

3. Tari Eason

Is this a contradiction? Is it fair to call for more Smith Jr. minutes and more Eason minutes in the same article?

Sure. Both players are positionally versatile. Eason can play either frontcourt position, and he's even seen time at the 2 in recent weeks. More importantly;

Eason has been on an absolute tear.

Frankly, he's always been one of the team's most impactful players. In 2024-25, Eason is averaging 17.3 points, 9.1 rebounds, 2.8 steals and 1.3 blocks per 75 possessions. He's only averaging 24.8 minutes per game. How does that add up?

Well, Eason has had injury concerns. If the front office believes that increased playing time could jeopardize his long-term outlook, they should keep him where he is. Otherwise, it's time to ramp up Eason's minutes. The postseason is rapidly approaching.

Finally.