For Houston Rockets fans around the world, the pain is finally over. After a disastrous season, considering their lofty expectations, the team has to reassess this offseason after a favorable matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers ends in a 98-78 Game 6 disappointment. Playing a Lakers team without Luka Doncic the entire series and only having to deal with Austin Reaves in two games, the Rockets should have performed better instead of going down 3-0 and losing in Game 6.
Yes, marquee acquisition Kevin Durant played only one game in the series, and Fred VanVleet has missed the entire season. But the Rockets still should have played better against a 41-year-old LeBron James and the rest of the Lakers’ role players. Game 6 was everything Rockets fans have grown accustomed to seeing from their team, particularly when it comes to the embarrassing shooting ability and playcalling on offense.
Here are the four major takeaways we took from Game 6 after the Rockets fell to the Lakers and were sent home in the first round. Each point will grow into a bigger picture of what is needed this summer.
1. Houston Rockets Have An Atrocious Offensive Identity
This wasn’t just an off shooting night. It was the same offensive mess we saw all season long, as the Rockets finished 18th in PPG (115.2), and this was a perfect example of that.
In Game 6, Houston shot 35.0% from the field and a brutal 5-28 (17.9%) from three. That’s simply unacceptable for a team with playoff hopes. The ball stuck, possessions dragged, and far too often it ended in contested jumpers late in the clock.
Even with only 13 assists, the lack of creativity and structure was glaring compared to the Lakers’ ability to generate clean looks. The bigger issue is their system.
This team doesn’t seem to know what it wants to be offensively. Is it built around Alperen Sengun in the post? Is it guard-driven with slash-and-kick action? Because right now, it’s neither. Even when Kevin Durant has played this season, teams double and triple-team him, and it leads to ugly turnovers.
When your playoff offense collapses time and time again, that’s a system problem. And systems don’t magically fix themselves in the offseason. There needs to be a look at which assistant coach can come in to help Ime Udoka, a coach who has proven to be very limited offensively.
2. The Supporting Cast Isn’t Good Enough
You can point to injuries all you want, but the available players didn’t step up. Jabari Smith Jr. had 9 points on 3-11 shooting, while Reed Sheppard went 4-19 from the field and 1-10 from deep.
That’s actively hurting your team in an elimination game. Even solid contributors like Tari Eason couldn’t consistently impact the game beyond flashes. Meanwhile, the Lakers’ role players, guys like Rui Hachimura and Austin Reaves, were decisive and efficient.
That’s the difference. Depth is about reliability. Houston’s supporting cast looked overwhelmed, unsure, and frankly unprepared for the moment.
If this group is supposed to grow together, they need a serious leap in consistency. That’s not even talking about the bench, which managed 1 point in Game 6. Trusting Josh Okogie, Dorian Finney-Smith, and Aaron Holiday to get buckets off the bench is disastrous.
3. The Defense Didn’t Mask The Problems In Game 6
On paper, holding a team to 40.4% shooting doesn’t look terrible – but context matters. The Los Angeles Lakers got whatever they needed when it mattered, especially inside and on the glass.
Houston allowed 15 offensive rebounds and got outworked 54-45 overall. That’s not the effort you can live with in a closeout scenario.
Even more concerning was the lack of discipline. The Lakers scored 19 fast-break points and consistently capitalized on Houston’s mistakes.
Defensive possessions didn’t end with stops; they ended with second chances or breakdowns. For a team that’s supposed to hang its hat on defense, this was a reality check.
4. Major Roster And Leadership Questions Are Unavoidable
This offseason needs to see major changes. The Rockets entered the year with expectations, especially after adding a superstar like Kevin Durant (even if he barely featured in this series). But what’s the long-term vision here?
Is this team built to contend now, or are they still developing? Because right now, they’re stuck in between, and that’s the worst place to be. Leadership is part of that conversation, too. Fred VanVleet is the leader of this team, followed by Steven Adams, and not having either on the court spells disaster.
When things spiraled in this series, there was no one to steady the ship. Ime Udoka didn’t do a good enough job in that sense. No doubt, he is on the hot seat.
Whether that means changing the roster or even reevaluating the coaching approach, something has to change. Because what we saw in Game 6, and frankly, the entire series, is not a foundation you can build a contender on.
Eyes point to Kevin Durant, the best player on the team, who has had a “bad teammate” stigma attached to him for most of his career. He clearly isn’t a leader, so the Rockets need to analyze whether he is the man to lead the charge heading into next season.
