3 Areas where the Houston Rockets need to improve in the 2nd half of the season

#3 Bench scoring

Shanghai Sharks v Houston Rockets

The Rockets may have guys capable of scoring 50 points in Harden and Westbrook, but contributions from the bench are another story. Right now, they are second to the last in the league in bench scoring at 27 points and were even dead last at some point in the season. It may not seem obvious right now, but having to rely on your starters to keep the team afloat can put a toll on an already overworked starting lineup.

The bench needs to step it up if they want to help their team end up with a higher playoff seed. We also have to go back to the first area they have to improve on, which is ball movement. The Rockets have to figure out how to get the bench guys going and not keep the ball to themselves. The bench needs playmakers that deliberately run plays to get them open shots. Those coming off the bench do not need to be elite level, but smarter plays from them and for them can take them to another level.

Whether the Rockets decide to trade for a better bench or let them play it out this year, a more reliable contribution from them takes much load off the starters physically and mentally.