Rockets' potential playoff flaw already starting to show

There's little to say about the Houston Rockets that hasn't already been said.

They're tough as nails. The Rockets compete hard. They want to win the possession battle. The Rockets will kill you on the glass. The Rockets have a distinctive identity.

It's not all sunshine and rainbows. I've been hammering home the same points about the Rockets' identity all year. At this point, we're talking about a long-dead horse. You know what's coming next:

The Rockets need shooting.

By now, it looks like it could cost them in the postseason.

Rockets' fatal flaw could prove costly

Granted, this may feel like an odd time to be writing about this. The Rockets have shot 35.9% from deep over the last 15 games. That's 17th in the NBA. That's fine:

But it's a bit concerning as a high water mark.

Expanding the sample size, the Rockets are shooting 34.0% from distance on the season - good for 28th in the NBA. This is one of the worst shooting teams in the league.

The Rockets should have addressed it at the trade deadline.

Rockets failed to add much-needed shooter

The Rockets didn't need to make waves at the deadline. It was easy to justify marginal moves. This team is overachieving, and they don't need to make sweeping changes.

Some shooting would have been welcomed. The Rockets could have tried to get involved in the De'Andre Hunter deal as a third team landing Georges Niang. They could have given up the same value the Clippers did for Bogan Bogdanovic. Perhaps some targets that didn't get moved could have been available at the right price.

Instead, the Rockets tinkered. They added second-round draft capital and expiring money. That's fine:

Only now, they're left with the same flawed roster they had before the deadline.

What does it all mean?

Rockets must address shooting eventually

Let's be honest. The Rockets are playing with house money. If they are eliminated in the first round of this year's playoffs, they'll have had a successful season.

Next year, the bar rises. The Rockets will need to win a playoff series, or they'll have stagnated. As constructed, that's unlikely to happen.

So, they need to add some shooting this summer. Even if this front office continues to value continuity, they need to add a player or two with legitimate three-point gravity. It will make it more difficult for opposing defenses to double-team Alperen Sengun and open up the floor for Amen Thompson. That will make the Rockets a more dangerous team:

Especially considering how tough they already are.