The Rockets' recent moves ask more questions than they answer

We can now confirm that Marcus Smart will be joining the Houston Rockets on a two-year, 13 million dollar deal that reunites him with his former head coach, Ime Udoka. This move provides a major boost to a questionable backcourt that simply couldn’t carry over from last season.

Smart is everything a team would want in a role player; he has an aggressive mindset that has led him to some impressive defensive accolades. However, while piling up on defense isn’t a bad thing, this move doesn’t exactly solve Houston’s shooting woes.

Smart’s shooting leaves much to be desired.

I can confidently say I think this is a great signing, but the current state of Houston’s shooting core can’t be ignored. Smart is joining this roster after shooting 39.5% from the field, along with a 33.1 three-point percentage for the Lakers last season.

Smart is a streaky player, which is conveniently highlighted by his effectiveness in Games 2 & 3 of Houston’s playoff matchup with the Lakers, games in which Smart was an effective shooter and a major reason the Rockets lost those games. At this rate, all we can do is see what other moves the Rockets make.

Will there be any improvement on offense?

It is worth noting that the Rockets have also signed Bogdan Bogdanovic, another guard to bring into the fold. The soon-to-be 34-year-old does bring some shooting to the table, but not at the rate he used to.

Depth is everything in the NBA, but even with these moves of Smart, Bogdan, and the return of Fred VanVleet, shooting is still questionable. It’s hard to ultimately see the direction the Rockets are trending toward.

Outlook for the 2026-27 season

A lot of things can change by the start of the upcoming season, but where does this team slot in those standings? Teams get better, teams get worse, but the Rockets still feel stuck in the middle. Last season, they were the fifth seed at 52-30, and many thought they had a golden matchup against an injured Lakers team.

A player like Smart will be seen as a great backup at point guard, with the potential of starting some games if VanVleet needs time to ramp things up. The veteran leadership is definitely stronger than it was, so hopefully, we can look towards the younger guys coming into their own. For now, there is still a lot of free agency left to come.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow