Weakness: One-way players
While Houston has added quality defenders, those same players could limit their offense for stretches. Trevor Ariza is the only true “3-and-D” wing on the roster, as Tucker and Mbah a Moute struggle to hold up the “3” part consistently.
Given his relatively limited shooting ability, Tucker is best suited to play more minutes at power forward in small lineups. Tucker is certainly limited offensively, as he primarily spots up in the corner for 3-pointers. For his career, 72.3 percent of his 3-point attempts have come from the corner. Last season, he hit 45.5 percent of such shots from beyond the arc.
Now playing alongside James Harden and Chris Paul, Tucker should benefit greatly on the offensive end by getting even more open looks from beyond the arc. Tucker’s shooting has improved in recent years, and should continue to be above-average playing alongside great playmakers.
Turning to Mbah a Moute, he can be a stranglehold on Houston’s offense with his limited shooting or ball-handling. To say Mbah a Moute relies on other players to create open looks for him would be an understatement. For his career, 70.4 percent of Mbah a Moute’s two-point field goals and 97.9 percent of his three-pointers have been assisted on.
However, looking at his shooting, there is reason for optimism. Even though he is a career 32.4 percent shooter from beyond the arc, last season Mbah a Moute shot a career high 39.1 percent on 3-pointers.
Next: Houston Rockets - Complete 2017 offseason grades
If both players continue to show improvement on their shooting, this shouldn’t be much of a weakness or concern. However, it is still certainly something to keep your eye on as both seem likely to play together for stretches at the forward positions.