Houston Rockets: 5 obstacles to contending in 2017-18

3. Too many one-dimensional players

It’s no secret that the Rockets are a deep team. They boast quality depth at nearly every position, and also have several players to fill certain roles on the team. However, Houston will be a team that most relies on its star backcourt to generate offense.

This is because the roster is full of one-dimensional players. You know, players that only provide consistent value on one end of the floor, players that rely on looks generated by point guards, etc.

Houston Rockets

The Rockets added quality defenders, but 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.  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.

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 3-pointers have been assisted on.

If both players continue to show improvement on their shooting, this may not be much of an obstacle 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.