Analyzing the changes in the Houston Rockets' offense

The Rockets' offense is heading in a direction, but is it the right direction?

The idea of handing the keys to the Rockets’ offense to Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun isn’t a radical suggestion. ESPN’s basketball nerd extraordinaire Zach Lowe recently proposed to have Green, Porter, and Sengun operate in “an equal opportunity offense," but it has yet to materialize. 

Ian Levy saw it, Zach Lowe sees it, I see it, and the fanbase sees it, but it doesn’t look like the Rockets see it.

All of the indicators show an offense that is headed in an interesting direction. It’s getting worse at generating high-quality shots and is becoming more dominated by Kevin Porter Jr., not Jalen Green or Alperen Sengun. While Porter has made strides as a lead ball handler, his upside is nowhere near that of Green’s. Porter is also an excellent catch-and-shoot sniper, meaning his value isn’t exclusively tied to having the ball in his hand. Finally, Sengun looked to be one of the most gifted passing centers in the league as a rookie and has seen that aspect of his game completely dry up. 

There’s an offensive system where Sengun, Green, and Porter can utilize their strengths to power a dangerous Rockets’ offense. It’s incredibly early, but the Rockets don’t appear headed in that direction. It’s a shame because the talent for a fun offense is there, it just isn’t being leaned into.