The Houston Rockets have to answer one key question as they prepare for the 2026 NBA season.
The Houston Rockets have a solid team with a great blend of young talent as well as experienced veterans, which should help this to continue trending in the right direction.
With that said, there is one question that does need to be answered when it comes to the Rockets ability to be productive on the offensive side of the ball.
Recently, Bleacher Report NBA Analyst Zach Buckley came up with one big question for every NBA team, and for the Rockets, it was very simple. Can anyone organize the offense?
Buckley brings up a great point, as during the 2025 season, the Rockets struggled to consistently generate good offense mainly because veteran point guard Fred VanVleet missed the entire 2025 season due to a torn right ACL and meniscus.
Without VanVleet in the lineup, the Rockets did not really have anyone who could initiate offense, which forced guards Amen Thompson and Reed Sheppard to step up and handle the ball a lot more, which was not ideal for this team and was part of the reason why Houston was eliminated in the first round of the postseason, in addition to forward Kevin Durant being out for most of that series.
Heading into 2026, head coach Ime Udoka needs to have players who can organize the offense, and he should have that, as VanVleet should be returning from injury at an early point in the season, and the Rockets made a few moves as they signed guard Marcus Smart and drafted rookie guard Bruce Thornton.
Additionally, Thompson and Sheppard have gained valuable experience in handling the ball, which should help Houston as well.
When it comes to the offense, the Rockets have plenty of talent that can score the ball with Durant, VanVleet, Thompson, Sheppard, and center Alperen Sengun, among others. The thing that Houston has to figure out is who can help initiate the offense and help each player to maximize their strengths.
As a result of VanVleet returning from a key injury it may make the most sense to have him serve as the offensive facilitator so he can work his way back into playing and make a key contribution.
It is important to note that VanVleet may not be back for the start of the regular season as he is still progressing, so the Rockets do need to make sure they have a clear answer as the facilitator until he comes back as well as having an offensive initiator coming off the bench so there is not a drop off when the Houston starters come off the floor.
As the Rockets head into the 2026 season, it will be interesting to see how Udoka decides to have the offense initiated and whether or not Houston has solved this problem or if this is something that lingers a bit into the season.
