Houston Rockets: 3 takeaways from first 25 games

1. The Rockets must make a move prior to the trade deadline

Houston may currently stand among the league’s worst teams at the present moment. However, one could argue the Rockets are presently a work in progress, as the team has yet to play a game with its entire roster in uniform through the first half of the season.

James Harden, Chris Paul, James Ennis, Eric Gordon and Nene have all missed time at different points in the season due to various injuries, while Brandon Knight (knee) has yet to make his official debut as a member of the franchise. This has forced younger players such as Isaiah Hartenstein, Danuel House Jr. and Gary Clark into larger roles within Mike D’Antoni’s rotation following the ousting of Carmelo Anthony.

"“Obviously it’s a problem,” D’Antoni told reporters when asked about the Rockets’ lack of depth. “It’s something that I know that the front office has tried to address.  They’re going to do the best they can. No blame going around; that’s just the way it is. “We’ve got everybody a couple of rungs up. We’ve got rookies playing as the sixth and seventh man. They should be ninth, 10th men. They would be OK every once in a while, but when you rely on them, it’s tough.”"

Although the Rockets have shown that they can work their way out of an early season slump by putting together an impressive five-game winning streak in mid-November, making a move to acquire some talent prior to the trade deadline could be what helps Houston officially get over the hump moving forward. The team’s current lack of depth on the wing, combined with need at other positions, is likely to force general manager Daryl Morey’s hand sooner rather than later.

The Rockets will seek to put an end to their current three-game losing streak at home, as they get ready to face off against Damian Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday night.