2 Rockets who need monster second halves to save their jobs

At 24-30, the Houston Rockets are in dire need of roster upgrades. The trade deadline seemed to be the best avenue to address such positional needs.

Which is why many expected Rockets GM Rafael Stone to be active. However, they mostly stood pat, giving several players another opportunity to prove their value in the second half of the season.

2 Rockets players who need to turn it around after the All-Star break

2. Reggie Bullock 

Reggie Bullock was supposed to be a valuable late addition for the Rockets. He's a proven shooter (38.5 career average from distance) and was a plus defender for the Dallas Mavericks in 2022-23. 

And the Rockets got him via buyout. Talk about a steal!

In theory, yes.

On the court it hasn't gone that way.

He's been unplayable in much of the Rockets' games, due in large part to his defense. And make no mistake, he's been downright awful on that end.

He almost always gets chargrilled anytime he's matched onto guards. Like legitimately barbecue chicken'd.

His shooting proficiency could continue to give him opportunities to take the floor, as he's hitting 41.7 percent of his threes, albeit on low volume (1.6 attempts).

Bullock is only on a one-year deal so he's playing for his job beyond this season. Or he could find himself at risk of being the next Ben McLemore (i.e. a good long-range shooter who played himself out of the league due to his inability to defend).

1. Jalen Green

Jalen Green shouldn't be on this list, in theory, based on his draft position. The second overall pick should be safe, one would imagine. 

However, Green has been far too inconsistent considering what was expected of him in his third season in the league. Green has the archetype of a bona-fide bucket-getter, but that hasn't been the case this season.

Life was supposed to be easier for Green with a legitimate floor-general like Fred VanVleet. Instead, Rockets coach Ime Udoka has been forced to consider bringing the Fresno native off the bench, in hopes of maximizing his skillset. 

The Rockets were already willing to dangle Green at the trade deadline, which could make it difficult to get him to lock back in for a push for the play-in tournament. If Green isn't willing to take a role off the Rockets' second-unit, he could find himself on a different team this summer.