The Houston Rockets are comfortable with an 8-4 record and are set to face the LA Clippers in tonight’s NBA Cup matchup. Houston got off to a rough start but improved by winning five of its last six games.

The Rockets look good defensively, but the offense hasn’t seen much improvement compared to last season. Houston’s shooting struggles resulted in a 41-41 record and the team missed the Play-In Tournament by one series.

Again, 8-4 is a comfortable score for the Rockets, who are in fifth place in the Western Conference. However, the offense still hasn’t seen much of a leap forward. Houston ranking 14th in offensive rating (112.5) but he is sitting 28th in three-point percentage (31.9%).

Reed Sheppard was drafted to the Rockets in hopes of solving the team’s shooting woes, but the rookie did not have time to make an immediate impact. Although his minutes have increased in the last six games, he is still averaging just 11.9 per game.

What Houston needs is an experienced striker; He is someone who can play successfully with point guards like Fred VanVleet, Alperen Sengun and Amen Thompson. There are enough players on the team who can score inside the arc, but an experienced player who can catch and shoot will elevate the offense.

Think Bojan Bogdanovic, Cameron Johnson and Dorian Finney-Smith. Coincidentally, all three are with the Brooklyn Nets and will likely be traded before the February deadline. If the Rockets can trade at least one of these three players or another veteran scorer, they would solidify themselves as a force on both sides of the ball and capitalize on their early success.

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