Shane Battier has the reputation of being a good defensive player and he is a pretty good shooter from the outside, but, the Rockets need more offense out of the small forward position. Battier has played in 33 games (all starts) for the Rockets so far this season and he is averaging 32.9 minutes, 8.6 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game. The Rockets need Battier to start shooting more and Trevor Ariza to start shooting less if they are to continue to play well as a team.

Trevor Ariza has played in 30 games (all starts) this season for the Rockets and he is averaging 38.7 minutes, 16.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.8 steals per game. Ariza’s numbers and the team would be better off if he started shooting better from anywhere on the court. Ariza is only hitting 37.5% from the floor, 31.9% from three point range and 65.7% from the free throw line so far this season and it’s just not good enough. If Ariza keeps heaving up bricks at his current rate the Rockets will have no choice but to start cutting back on his minutes.

Stevie Francis has been awful so far this month. In 4 games (2 starts) in December, Francis is averaging 17.3 minutes, 3.8 points, 2.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game. Francis is also only shooting 26.7% so far this month. If Francis doesn’t start playing better soon his minutes will be hard to come by because of the depth the Rockets have on the roster.

The Rockets need Rafer Alston to play better or he will lose more minutes with Mike James around. He is only shooting 37.4% from the floor and that just won’t get it done in Rick Adelman’s offense. In his first 18 games this season, Alston has averaged 29.4 minutes, 8.2 points, 3.1 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.1 steals per game. It’s hard to have an offense clicking on all cylinders when the point guard isn’t doing a good job and that’s what is happening on the Rockets so far this season.

Starters Shane Battier and Rafer Alston need to get back on track after a slow start to April.  In six games this April, Battier is averaging 7.7 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game and he’s only shot 31.9% from the floor.  Alston is averaging 13.2 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game in April, but he’s only shooting 34.7% from the floor.  Juwan Howard is the 6th man on the Rockets and he’s also having a poor month.  He’s only averaging 7.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 0.7 assists per game and he’s only shooting 37.2% from the floor.  If the Rockets want to beat the Utah Jazz in the first round of the playoffs, all three of these guys need to get their act together….and soon!