4 New Year's resolutions for the Houston Rockets

Happy New Year, Houston Rockets fans!

Was 2024 a good year or what? The Rockets are off to a torrid start. This team has shattered preseason expectations. What's in store for 2025?

Time will tell. It could be difficult to ring in the new year on a positive note. Amen Thompson will start the year from the sidelines. After a chaotic finish to the Rockets' last contest with the Heat, he's serving a two-game suspension.

About that...

1. Stop fighting (so much)

The Rockets are one of the league's toughest teams. That shouldn't change in 2025. That said, it could benefit them to control that fiery energy.

Yes, intimidation is a factor they want in their favor. It only goes so far. When the consequences of establishing that intimidation outweigh the benefits, it's a problem.

Sure, Thompson established a degree of physical dominance over Tyler Herro. What was it worth? Now, the Rockets have two difficult games without one of their best players.

About that...

2. Start Amen Thompson

Thompson will return. When he does, the Rockets should expedite his promotion to the starting lineup.

This is one of their most impactful players. Thompson's Box Plus/Minus (BPM) of 2.7 ranks third on the team behind Alperen Sengun and Tari Eason. Sengun is entrenched as a starter, whereas Eason is perhaps best suited as a sparkplug off the bench.

Thompson should be a long-term starter for this squad. He's young, a recent lottery pick, and already making good on his predraft trajectory. What are the Rockets waiting for?

Granted, working him into the starting lineup will prove challenging. It's still worth the hassle. Perhaps Jalen Green is finally demoted, and the Rockets shift Dillon Brooks to the 2. If they're not ready to give up on Green, Thompson could replace Brooks directly.

Either way, it's time for Thompson to claim his rightful spot with the opening group.

3. Switch up the offense

Much has been made of the Rockets' offensive struggles in 2024-25. Some of those concerns are exaggerated. The team's 105.9 Offensive Rating is 13th in the NBA.

That's fine, but it does leave room for improvement. Much of that improvement could come from catering their attack to Alperen Sengun's strengths.

The Rockets' 6.2% pick-and-roll (roll man) frequency ranks 13th in the NBA. That doesn't indicate that they're "spamming" these actions, but it feels high for a pair of players with Fred VanVleet and Alperen Sengun's skillsets. VanVleet struggles to put pressure on the rim, and Sengun is not a lob threat.

He is one of the best passing bigs in the league. So why are the Rockets just 14th in the NBA in Dribble Hand-Off frequency (5.1%)?

This is low-hanging fruit. The Rockets could alter their offensive attack to play to their best young offensive player's strengths. Sengun has earned more trust as a primary decision-maker - the Rockets should put the ball in his hands.

4. Ignore trade rumors

Has SpaceCityScoop been the purveyor of trade rumors before?

About that...

So, Rockets players shouldn't read this site. They shouldn't be reading any site. This team needs to put their heads down and focus on the task ahead.

Sure, consolidation feels inevitable. Keeping this deep group of young players together indefinitely won't be tenable from a financial or rotational standpoint. For now, this group is together. As long as that holds true through the trade deadline, the team needs to keep their focus on growing together.

Who knows? They might be ringing in 2026 together.